Zalgiris Kaunas produced a commanding performance in a 98-81 win over Rytas Vilnius, taking control from the opening minutes and maintaining a dominant tempo throughout.
The game opened with a powerful offensive surge as multiple Zalgiris shooters connected from beyond the arc and the ball moved freely through the hands of Sylvain Francisco, Edgaras Ulanovas and Dustin Sleva. Interior dominance from Moses Wright, Laurynas Birutis and Maodo Lo pushed the margin over 20 points before the first break, punctuated by Lo’s buzzer‑beating three for a commanding 35-9 lead.
Momentum continued as Deividas Sirvydis and Mantas Rubstavičius added perimeter offense and Birutis finished strong plays created by well-timed passes. Wright and Ulanovas imposed themselves physically near the rim, and additional three-pointers kept the pressure on Rytas as Zalgiris widened the gap to 58-33 by halftime.
The second half began with more efficient scoring: Ulanovas struck again from long range, Sleva converted a three‑point play, and Wright added consistent production inside. A strong stretch highlighted by Sleva’s five straight points and a Sirvydis three maintained the cushion, while Ignas Brazdeikis and Dovydas Giedraitis contributed valuable baskets to send Zalgiris into the final quarter leading 83-57.
Control of the evening never slipped away, even as rotations opened up and the pace settled. Francisco delivered a dunk, Rubstavicius capitalized at the line, Wright added another emphatic finish, and the closing minutes featured contributions from Arnas Butkevicius, Birutis and Sirvydis, sealing a confident 98-81 result.
Wright led Zalgiris with 16 points, Sleva and Sirvydis scored 11 each, and Francisco added 11 points along with 6 assists. Birutis posted 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Rytas was led by Gytis Masiulis with 20 points, followed by Jared Harding with 15 and Ignas Sargiunas with 14.
