Zalgiris Kaunas strengthened its EuroLeague position with an 86–65 victory over Virtus Bologna on Tuesday night, fueled by a dominant showing from Sylvain Francisco in front of a raucous home crowd at Zalgirio Arena.
The French guard posted 23 points, 10 assists, and a performance index rating of 35 — all season highs — to lead the Lithuanian club to its second straight win and a 5–2 record on the season. Francisco’s display, which included his first-ever EuroLeague double-double, bolstered his case for the MVP of the Month award.
Virtus dropped to 4–3 after failing to contain Francisco, who dictated tempo and controlled the fourth quarter. His counterpart, Carsen Edwards, was limited to just 9 points — his lowest output in 20 EuroLeague games — as Virtus struggled to find rhythm offensively.
Zalgiris jumped out to a commanding 25–11 lead after the first quarter, opening with a 17–2 run. Francisco tallied four assists in that span while the hosts held Virtus to 28% shooting. Bologna closed the gap midway through the contest, trimming the deficit to 42–33 at halftime and 58–50 entering the final period.
Virtus forward Matthew Morgan hit consecutive baskets to make it 58–54 early in the fourth quarter, but Francisco responded with a deep three-pointer that reignited the home crowd. From there, the 27-year-old guard took full control, scoring 13 points in the final frame while directing Zalgiris’ offense with precision.
Azuolas Tubelis finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds, while Deividas Sirvydis added 11. Zalgiris shot 57.1% from inside the arc and 40% from three-point range, while holding Virtus to just 25% from deep.
Virtus forward Morgan led his team with 19 points, and Alen Smailagic added 12, but the visitors were outscored 28–15 in the final period.
Zalgiris will host LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Thursday as it seeks a third straight victory, while Virtus continues its road trip in Munich against FC Bayern.
