Zalgiris Kaunas delivered one of the most dominant performances in EuroLeague history on Friday, December 19, dismantling Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 109-68 at Zalgirio Arena. The win lifted the Lithuanian side to 10-7 and completed a miserable week for Partizan, which fell to 6-11.
Zalgiris led from start to finish and never allowed the visitors to establish rhythm on either end. The hosts built a 13-point lead after the first quarter and extended the margin in every period.
The 41-point margin marked a new EuroLeague club record for Zalgiris, along with the highest scoring output in its competition history. Partizan also conceded the most points it has ever allowed in a EuroLeague game.
Sylvain Francisco led all scorers with 22 points, attacking switches and finishing efficiently in transition. Moses Wright followed with 17 points and six rebounds, exploiting the absence of injured Partizan center Tyrique Jones throughout the night.
Zalgiris posted elite team numbers across the board. The home side finished with 26 assists, 41 rebounds, and shot 73.9 percent from two-point range while also hitting 40.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Ignas Brazdeikis added 15 points while controlling tempo on both ends. Nigel Williams-Goss scored 12 points, and Laurynas Birutis, who entered the game only late in the fourth quarter, chipped in 11, including two emphatic dunks in the closing minute.
Partizan struggled to respond after falling behind early and never recovered. Duane Washington scored 17 points, and Bruno Fernando added 16, but the Serbian side finished with just 18 total rebounds and shot 23.8 percent from three.
The defeat was Partizan’s second-heaviest in EuroLeague play, trailing only a 42-point loss to CSKA Moscow in the 2013-14 season. It also followed an 86-68 home loss to Virtus Bologna earlier in the week.
Zalgiris now turns its focus to a marquee home clash against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens next Tuesday. Partizan will attempt to regroup when it hosts Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv on Friday.
