Zalgiris Kaunas fought until the very last second in the EuroLeague Round 12 thriller against Real Madrid, but ultimately fell just short, losing 99-100 in the Spanish capital on Thursday evening. This result moves Zalgiris to a 7-5 record in the standings, while Real Madrid improves to 6-6.
The outcome was decided in the final moments: with 2.5 seconds remaining, Facu Campazzo missed two free throws for Real, the second intentionally to run down the clock. Zalgiris managed to get off a last-gasp shot, but Ignas Brazdeikis’s attempt from beyond midcourt just missed the mark as the buzzer sounded.
Zalgiris was led by Sylvain Francisco, who delivered a stellar performance with 33 points and a career-high 11 assists, earning a personal best PIR of 37. Azuolas Tubelis also stood out with 19 points, while Dustin Sleva contributed 13, Moses Wright 11, and Ignas Brazdeikis added 10. Despite strong individual performances, it was Real Madrid who narrowly escaped with the win.
Theo Maledon led the winners with 25 points on 7-of-8 two-point shooting and 11-of-11 on free throws in less than 22 minutes. Trey Lyles added 21 points, Campazzo scored 20 while Walter Tavares tallied 12 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks for Real.
