Zalgiris Kaunas opened the Lithuanian Basketball League finals with a convincing win. Coached by Tomas Masiulis, Zalgiris defeated Juventus Utena 107-75 (27-13, 18-21, 30-26, 32-15) at home to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 will be played in Utena on Tuesday, while Game 3 will take place in Kaunas on Friday.

Nigel Williams‑Goss scored the first points of the finals for Zalgiris, followed by seven consecutive points from Moses Wright, 9-6. Laurynas Birutis made an immediate impact off the bench with a dunk, while Azuolas Tubelis, Arnas Butkevicius, and Williams‑Goss added points to extend the lead, 17-8. Birutis continued to score, Dovydas Giedraitis hit from mid-range, and Dustin Sleva closed the first quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer for a 27-13 lead.

Sylvain Francisco added two impressive mid-range baskets and assisted Wright for a powerful dunk early in the second quarter, 33-20. Francisco hit a three-pointer, while Tubelis contributed six points to keep Zalgiris in control, 42-24. However, the hosts slowed down late in the half, with Maodo Lo scoring the team’s only three-pointer in the final minutes, as Zalgiris led 45-34 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Tubelis, Wright, and Francisco scored inside, while Williams‑Goss added seven points to maintain a solid lead, 58-43. Sleva knocked down a three, Sirvydis hit two from long range, and Ulanovas added points inside as Zalgiris extended their advantage. Late baskets from Lo, Ulanovas, and Sleva secured a 75-60 lead heading into the final quarter.

Zalgiris opened the fourth quarter strongly, with Tubelis scoring seven straight points, 82-65. Williams‑Goss and Giedraitis added to the tally, while Wright dominated inside with six more points, 93-68. Tubelis and Francisco pushed the team closer to 100, which was reached by Sirvydis with an and‑one play. Birutis added a dunk, and Francisco sealed the game with a fast-break three-pointer, securing a dominant 107-75 victory.

Tubelis and Wright dominated under the basket finishing with 19 and 17 points respectively. Francisco added 16 points and 6 assists in the win.