Zalgiris Kaunas suffered their second road loss in the EuroLeague playoffs, falling to Fenerbahce Istanbul 74-86 (14-26, 19-25, 14-15, 27-20). The best‑of‑five quarterfinal series will now move to Zalgirio Arena on May 6.
Moses Wright scored the first four points for Zalgiris in transition following assists from Sylvain Francisco and Arnas Butkevicius. However, the Kaunas side then went scoreless for several minutes, while Fenerbahce capitalized on nearly every possession. Wright and Nigel Williams-Goss ended the quarter with Zalgiris trailing 14-26.
Zalgiris continued to struggle defensively, allowing the hosts to extend their lead through second‑chance points. Although Azuolas Tubelis and Francisco tried to keep the visitors within range, Fenerbahce pushed the margin to as many as 20 points. Ignas Brazdeikis’ dunk closed the half with Zalgiris down 33-51.
The pattern remained largely unchanged after the break, as Zalgiris continued to miss from long range. Edgaras Ulanovas hit the team’s first three-pointer of the night, but Nando De Colo responded to maintain a comfortable lead for the hosts. Zalgiris entered the final quarter trailing 47-66.
Zalgiris showed improved energy and offensive flow, with Francisco scoring seven straight points and Tubelis converting second‑chance opportunities. Despite the late push, Fenerbahce answered with timely baskets to protect their advantage. Zalgiris’ comeback effort fell short, ending in a 74-86 defeat.
Wright paced Zalgiris on 16 points, scoring 9 in the first quarter, while Francisco netted 11.
