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oct 30 2026Žalgiris Arena witnessed a complete performance. Tomas Masiulis's team, fresh off a dominant win in Bologna, capped off a double-header week with victory over Partizan and surpassed the 50% win mark for the first time this season. The crowd also had its moment with Keenan Evans, who played his first game in Kaunas since returning to the club and was greeted with an ovation.
A Fast Start
Žalgiris came out running and scored 15 points in the first four minutes, with fast breaks and easy baskets near the rim. The first quarter closed 27-21. Partizan, very inaccurate from three-point range in the first half, recovered in the second quarter to tie at 34, but Sterling Brown, facing his former team, scored seven points in six minutes and the Lithuanians went into halftime ahead (44-40).
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Valančiūnas Opens the Gap
The third quarter belonged to Žalgiris (25-17). Valančiūnas dominated the paint and fouled out Serbian big men, and Partizan's offense stalled. The lead reached 14 points and the final quarter began at 69-57.
Partizan Presses, Edwards Closes It Out
Partizan didn't give up. Ethan Thompson led a run that brought the Serbs within four points with four minutes remaining, but missed an open three-pointer that would have cut it to one. Two consecutive fouls on Carsen Edwards resulted in four made free throws, the lead returned to eight points, and Partizan had no answer.
Edwards was Žalgiris's leading scorer with 17 points and 4 assists, and Valančiūnas posted 16 points, 8 rebounds, and a 25 efficiency rating. Keenan Evans distributed 6 assists. For Partizan, Nikola Tanasković scored 19, Thompson 15, and Luca Vildoza 14.
