Anadolu Efes Istanbul delivered its most complete performance of the season on Wednesday night, dismantling Zalgiris Kaunas 87–64 at Zalgirio Arena in the EuroLeague debut of head coach Pablo Laso.
Efes recorded its largest road victory since a 32-point win at Partizan last season and handed Zalgiris its worst home loss since December 9, 2022, a game that also came against the Istanbul club.
Efes trailed only once all night, after Sylvain Francisco opened the scoring with a three-pointer, and quickly established control behind early shot-making and defensive pressure. Even after being limited to nine points in the second quarter, the visitors still carried a 37–35 lead into halftime.
Zalgiris briefly tied the game at 37–37 early in the third quarter through Laurynas Birutis, but the response was decisive. Cole Swider scored six quick points to flip momentum and finished with 18 points, his second-highest total of the season.
Efes dominated inside with Vincent Poirier and Kai Jones anchoring the paint, while Rodrigue Beaubois set the early tone by scoring seven of the team’s first nine points. Jordan Loyd, scoreless in the first half, added nine fourth-quarter points and finished with 12.
The most influential performance came from Nick Weiler-Babb, who dictated both ends without looking for his own shot early. The reigning EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year limited Francisco while piling up 13 assists with zero turnovers, tying his career high.
Weiler-Babb did not score until late in the third quarter but already had 10 assists by that point, showcasing control and patience. Notably, the only other time he reached 13 assists also came at Zalgirio Arena last season with Bayern Munich.
Efes finished the night with 22 assists on 28 made field goals and forced Zalgiris into nine turnovers, converting defense into efficient offense. The visitors also shot 50 percent from three-point range, compared to Zalgiris’ 26.9 percent.
Efes improved to 6–10 and will host Dubai Basketball on Friday in Laso’s home debut, while Zalgiris dropped to 9–7 and remains in Kaunas to face Partizan later in the double-round week.
