Zalgiris Kaunas overturned a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat FC Barcelona 88-81 on Friday at Palau Blaugrana, completing an impressive comeback in Round 4 of the 2026-27 EuroLeague regular season.
Carsen Edwards led Zalgiris with 19 points, while Dustin Sleva added 14 and Marius Grigonis and Jonas Valanciunas scored 12 apiece. However, the decisive factor was head coach Tomas Masiulis’ tactical adjustment to use power forward Azuolas Tubelis at center, helping the visitors dominate the final period 33-16.
Valanciunas contributed 12 points and nine rebounds in just over 19 minutes, but Tubelis’ smaller lineup helped Zalgiris stretch the floor and change the momentum when Barcelona appeared to be taking control.
Justin Robinson opened the game with consecutive three-pointers for Barcelona, but Zalgiris responded with a 7-1 run and used Tubelis’ versatility to compete on both ends. The visitors controlled the rebounding battle during the first half, although Barcelona found an answer in the second quarter.
With Olek Balcerowski on the floor, Barcelona packed the paint and opened the period with a 13-2 run. The Polish center made his presence felt defensively, blocking Valanciunas twice in succession and drawing the Lithuanian big man’s second foul.
Zalgiris responded from beyond the arc, hitting three consecutive three-pointers to stay within reach. Barcelona nevertheless carried a narrow 41-39 advantage into halftime, with neither side having managed a lead greater than six points in the opening 20 minutes.
The hosts maintained their defensive intensity after the break, holding Zalgiris to 16 points in each of the second and third quarters. Dario Brizuela provided an offensive spark off the bench, scoring five straight points as Barcelona established its first double-digit lead at 65-55 after 30 minutes.
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Masiulis responded by returning to the smaller lineup, and the adjustment transformed the game.
Tubelis blocked Josh Nebo at one end before completing a three-point play at the other. Sleva then connected on his fourth three-pointer of the night as Zalgiris launched an 11-2 run to close the gap and build momentum heading into the decisive stretch.
Edwards and Grigonis each finished with four three-pointers, helping the visitors punish Barcelona from the perimeter. Zalgiris also tightened its defense, limiting the hosts to just two points over the final 2:14 to complete the comeback.
The result lifted Zalgiris to 2-2, while Barcelona also stood at 2-2 after four rounds. Zalgiris will visit Fenerbahce next Tuesday, with Barcelona hosting Maccabi Tel Aviv on the same day.
