Kaunas enjoyed a memorable night. Zalgiris defeated Paris Basketball 85-79 in the final game of the regular season and clinched direct qualification for the EuroLeague playoffs, ending a four-year absence from the tournament's top eight.
The Lithuanian side depended on itself and responded in front of its home crowd with a hard-fought victory, built on interior dominance and the ability to execute in crucial moments. The team coached by Tomas Masiulis closed out the regular season with a 23-15 record and now awaits to see if they will finish in fifth or sixth place.
The standout performer of the game was Moses Wright, who delivered an outstanding performance with 16 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, along with a rating of 43. Alongside him, Sylvain Francisco shined, proving decisive down the stretch with 21 points and several key plays, while Maodo Lo added another 21 points.
Paris put up a fight for much of the contest. Justin Robinson led the visitors with 17 points, Lamar Stevens contributed 16, and Nadir Hifi added 14 in a game where the French team competed until the final minutes.
Zalgiris took the lead before halftime thanks to a high-scoring first half and went into the break with a 53-45 advantage. Although they maintained control during the second half, Paris mounted a comeback and pulled within two points (75-73) with four minutes remaining.
That's when local experience took over. Sylvain Francisco and Arnas Butkevicius Sleva punished from beyond the arc to cool off the visiting comeback and secure a victory that sparked celebrations in Kaunas.
With this result, Zalgiris returns to the playoff race for the title and confirms its competitive growth this season. Paris, meanwhile, closes its European campaign in sixteenth place with a 15-23 record.