Zalgiris Kaunas rediscovered its rhythm on Thursday night, edging Paris Basketball 108-105 in a fast-paced shootout at Adidas Arena.
The Lithuanian club entered the matchup having dropped four of its previous five EuroLeague games, but it delivered one of its most balanced offensive outings of the season during a contest that featured 19 lead changes.
Azuolas Tubelis settled the game with an 11-second running layup, sealing a much-needed road victory that moved Zalgiris to 9-6.
Zalgiris flipped its energy after halftime by taking the third quarter 32-17, which gave it the leverage it needed late.
Paris previously led by 10 in the second period, and Zalgiris later built a 10-point advantage of its own at 91-81 before the home team answered with a 10-0 burst to tie.
The final two minutes became a rapid exchange of blows, with Paris briefly jumping ahead during the last 59 seconds.
Tubelis finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, anchoring the interior while also delivering the decisive play. His late put-back was matched by a jumper from Amath M’Baye, but he answered again with the game-winning drive.
Sylvain Francisco powered the Zalgiris offense with 26 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
Nigel Williams-Goss added 18 points and 10 assists, Laurynas Birutis posted 17 points while shooting a perfect 7-for-7 on twos, and Edgaras Ulanovas contributed 14 points and 4 assists.
Francisco, Birutis, Tubelis and Williams-Goss each recorded a PIR above 25, while Ulanovas narrowly missed joining them with a PIR of 19.
Paris, returning home for the first time in four weeks, fell to 5-10 after its fourth consecutive defeat. Nadir Hifi’s 27 points and Amath M’Baye’s career-high 23 helped fuel the offense, but the hosts again struggled to close.
Zalgiris now prepares for a double week at home against Anadolu Efes on Tuesday and Partizan on Thursday. Paris opens its own double week by hosting FC Barcelona before a road trip to face Real Madrid.
