Zalgiris Kaunas traveled to Tel Aviv, where they will play their last EuroLeague regular season first round game against Hapoel on Tuesday.

Before leaving for Israel, Zalgiris player Maodo Lo shared his thoughts on the upcoming challenge, and the birth of his daughter.

“There were a lot of emotions. The birth of my daughter was a Christmas gift. The delivery went smoothly and my daughter was born healthy. I am very happy about that. We were well taken care of at the hospital, the people were very nice. Everything went very well," said Lo about the birth of his daughter Cleo during the holidays.

With the addition to his family, Lo spent the weekend watching the Lithuanian Basketball League game in Vilnius, where Zalgiris defeated Rytas Vilnius, 90-81.

“Yes, of course, I watched the game while I was in the hospital,” smiled the guard.

In Tel Aviv, Zalgiris faces the barrier of Hapoel, the leader of the EuroLeague. The club, which made its debut in the tournament this season, has won 13 games and lost 5. In the last five games, Dimitris Itoudis’s team has lost only once.

“They simply play excellently and have a good feel for each other on the court. Hapoel not only plays well-organized basketball, but also maintains a high level of aggressiveness. They play simply, making use of their talent and skills. We are in for a tough test,” said Lo about Hapoel’s strengths.

The match between Zalgiris Kaunas and Hapoel Tel Aviv will begin on Tuesday at 9:05 p.m. Lithuanian time.