Zalgiris Kaunas delivered one of the most disciplined road performances of the EuroLeague season, defeating Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv 93-80 on Tuesday night at Menora Mivtachim Arena.
The game marked Hapoel’s first-ever EuroLeague appearance in Tel Aviv, and the home crowd responded with a packed, energetic atmosphere that fueled a fast start for the Israeli club.
Hapoel controlled the opening quarter and led 25-18 after 10 minutes, pushing the tempo and attacking early mismatches to seize momentum in front of its fans.
That initial surge was short-lived, as Zalgiris shifted the game with defensive pressure that changed the flow before halftime and never relented.
The Lithuanian side held the hosts to just 15 points in the second quarter and 13 in the third, turning a seven-point deficit into a 63-53 advantage entering the final period.
With Vasilije Micic sidelined, Hapoel leaned heavily on Elijah Bryant, the team’s leading scorer, but Zalgiris limited his impact for most of the night.
Bryant finished with 14 points, yet only five came across the first three quarters as the visitors forced the ball out of his hands and dictated spacing.
Zalgiris capitalized offensively during that stretch, highlighted by back-to-back dunks from Moses Wright that punctuated a decisive 13-2 run in the third quarter.
The visitors closed the game with poise, led by Nigel Williams-Goss, who scored 17 points and delivered 10 of them in the fourth quarter to keep the hosts at arm’s length.
Sylvain Francisco responded after a quiet outing the previous round by dishing out eight assists, while Azuolas Tubelis anchored the interior with eight rebounds. Zalgiris dominated the glass 40-21.
The win improved Zalgiris to 11-8 and strengthened its position in the EuroLeague playoff race ahead of a road matchup with Virtus Bologna.
Hapoel dropped to 13-6 and will look to respond next week at home against Dubai Basketball, aiming to rediscover its offensive rhythm after a night controlled by Zalgiris on both ends.
