Žalgiris basketball players defeated Crvena Zvezda in the 21st round of the EuroLeague with a score of 99:67.
Already after the first quarter, when Žalgiris held a 14-point advantage, it was clear that the victory would remain in Kaunas, while Saša Obradović’s team, at least based on everything seen tonight, looked more like a “group of citizens” than a well-coordinated basketball team.
Although it was expected that the red-and-whites would have to work hard to secure a triumph, the very first minutes of the game suggested that the evening would be extremely difficult for Saša Obradović’s side.
Zvezda entered the match out of rhythm, further burdened by the fact that their last victory in Kaunas dates back to 2019. Poor shooting efficiency, especially from three-point range, was one of the key problems. Just one made three-pointer out of as many as 14 attempts in the first half clearly illustrated the offensive struggles of the Belgrade team.
Although the red-and-whites took the lead at the start through points by Chima Moneke, the home side quickly took control. Azuolas Tubelis and Nigel Williams-Goss led Žalgiris, who went on a scoring run to reach a double-digit advantage. The Lithuanian team capitalized on every mistake by the visitors, while missed shots by Kalinić, Butler, and Motiejūnas further deepened the deficit.
THIS is what it means… 🔥🔥🔥
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) January 9, 2026
Wait for the reaction! 🗣️@bczalgiris pic.twitter.com/whSpXjsGVM
Not even Saša Obradović’s timeouts brought the desired turnaround. Žalgiris continued to score, the lead grew minute by minute, and at halftime the hosts held a huge 20-point advantage. The second half brought no significant improvement either, as the margin at one point stretched to 26 points.
A brief reaction by Zvezda and a 7–0 run sparked some hope, but it was quickly extinguished by poor offensive organization and another surge by Žalgiris. Although the red-and-whites won the third quarter, it was only an illusion of suspense. In the closing stages, the hosts stepped on the gas again and routinely saw the game out, leaving Zvezda without a realistic chance to end their poor tradition in Kaunas.
The most effective player of the game was Chima Moneke with 18 points and five rebounds, while Motiejūnas finished the game with nine points.
On the other side, Tubelis scored 17 points, Francisco added 15, Butkevičius 12, as did Lauvergne, while Sirvydis and Wright ended the game with ten points each.
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Source: Telegraf.rs, Foto: Printscreen X