Zalgiris Kaunas overcame an early deficit to defeat Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 82-67 at Zalgirio Arena on Tuesday, November 25, improving their EuroLeague record to 8-5.
Sylvain Francisco led the charge with 23 points and 11 rebounds, sparking a decisive 20-2 run in the fourth quarter that turned a tight contest into a comfortable victory for the home side.
Baskonia held the upper hand for much of the game, leading 24-18 after the first quarter, but Zalgiris tightened their defense in the second half, limiting the visitors to 25 points over the final two quarters.
Ignas Brazdeikis contributed 13 points, hitting three of four from beyond the arc, while Azuolas Tubelis added 15 points and seven rebounds, providing crucial support alongside Francisco.
Zalgiris’ shooting from three-point range proved pivotal, as the hosts made 14 of 23 attempts from downtown, compensating for a modest 16 of 40 inside the arc. The team also recorded 19 assists against 11 turnovers while forcing 16 mistakes from Baskonia, who managed only 6 of 27 from deep.
Baskonia’s Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led his side with 18 points, but the team struggled to sustain momentum after Zalgiris’ fourth-quarter rally. The visitors drop to 4-9 in EuroLeague play.
Zalgiris will host Maccabi Tel Aviv next Thursday, while Baskonia faces EA7 Emporio Armani Milan at home on Friday in Round 14.
