Zalgiris Kaunas secured the No. 5 seed in the EuroLeague playoffs after grinding out an 85-79 win over Paris Basketball on Friday at Zalgirio Arena.
The Lithuanian side closed the regular season at 23-15, winning six of its last seven games to lock in a best-of-five series against fourth-seeded Fenerbahce.
The matchup will feature a coaching duel between Tomas Masiulis and Saras Jasikevicius, adding another layer to an already high-stakes series.
Paris, already eliminated at 15-23, started hot by hitting 6 of its first 7 three-point attempts and led 28-26 after one quarter.
Zalgiris adjusted defensively in the second period and controlled the glass, with Moses Wright anchoring the interior to help build a 53-45 halftime advantage.
Wright dominated both ends, finishing with 16 points and 18 rebounds while posting a PIR of 43, tying the EuroLeague season high in rebounds.
Maodo Lo and Sylvain Francisco added 21 points each, providing perimeter scoring that balanced the offense and prevented extended scoring droughts.
Paris made a late push and cut the deficit to 75-73, but Zalgiris responded with timely shot-making from Francisco and Dustin Sleva to regain control.
The home side executed in the final minutes, stretching the margin to double digits and avoiding late-game volatility.
Wright emphasized the team’s resilience after the win.
Lo controlled tempo efficiently, shooting 5-of-7 inside the arc and 3-of-4 from three-point range while adding three rebounds and three assists.
Paris was led by Justin Robinson’s 17 points and eight assists, while Lamar Stevens added 16.
Nadir Hifi struggled from the field, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting, limiting the visitors’ offensive efficiency late.
Zalgiris now enters the postseason with momentum and a proven interior presence, setting up a tactical series where rebounding and defensive execution could decide the outcome.
