The Spanish side is now just one win behind the Lithuanian outfit in the EuroLeague standings
Baskonia grinds out win over Zalgiris, 66-65
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 28 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz gave its play-in hopes a major boost by defeating Zalgiris Kaunas 66-65 in a hard-fought clash at Buesa Arena. Pablo Laso’s men improved to a 12-16 record but remain in 14th, while 13th-placed Zalgiris dropped to a 13-15 mark. By doing the double over Zalgiris, Baskonia holds the head-to-head advantage in any tiebreaker situation that may arise.
Donta Hall was Baskonia’s star performer with 11 points and 8 rebounds, as well as 3 blocks, while Markus Howard and Chima Moneke both chipped in with 13 points apiece. Zalgiris’s Ignas Brazdeikis netted 17 points and Alen Smailagic added 11 points.
Baskonia outscored Zalgiris in each of the first two quarters, taking a 38-30 lead into halftime, and that eight-point advantage proved crucial as the visitors held the hosts to 28 second-half points. Still, Zalgiris’s hopes of a comeback win were spurned when Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot moved to 7 points by scoring a turnaround mid-range jump shot with 21 seconds to go to put Baskonia back ahead at 66-65.
Game Videos
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ALBA Berlin-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 29 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:33
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/13/aY6ZuSHQ1ckQI5JESBa6iX64VHfSkg5D-1741901436853.jpg]()
Francisco for the win! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 01:59
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/13/wQHQCvSu3j71zNl41U5hGuEcrx6FXY2N-1741899200577.jpg]()
Sylvain Francisco: 'I knew I was gonna make it!'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/005ea570-3a38-4dbf-8483-c9324e93d388.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-Paris Basketball | RS Round 29 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:14
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Diop swats Wetzell! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:07
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What a block by Isaiah Wong! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:09
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Howard flashes his passing for Diop dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:08
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Sweet Howard assist for Hall hammer! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:14
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Butkevicius and Birutis shine for Zalgiris! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:14
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Smailagic denies at the rim! Motorola Magic Moment
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Chima Moneke co-hosts this week's Fantasy Challenge Podcast
- 01:04
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Markus Howard: 'This time of year, it's so important to close games'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e0fa80ee-8cb7-4406-9226-a53e66774730.jpg]()
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 28 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
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Rogkavopoulos ends the first half in style! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e76ad50d-6c72-4629-b07c-3cba95fa7f1b.jpg?crop=4000%3A2250%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
Leo Bolmaro stops by The Fantasy Challenge Podcast
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/08e757ad-6be1-4fae-9f0f-76231fca9cb9.jpg]()
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 27 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:59
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/02/27/BB5Pmh1HLORXCyHVCm6XXUn8OcMxhxMw-1740694559595.jpg]()
Alain Smailagic: 'We did everything that needed to be done to win'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3c5e7350-5e5b-4f28-952d-efcc090d35de.jpg]()
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 27 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:48
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/02/07/rgwscQlfpwkVto0druWwtE5RWfWPRk4C-1738972220995.jpg]()
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: 'We stayed together'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/19241d10-486b-47f8-b443-36baaf7bae53.jpg]()
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | RS Round 26 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:22
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e724fa10-c47a-4c7a-ace4-4f2f2e70066e.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A87%3A45]()
Hall blocks Rivero with force! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3470684f-50fe-4d66-bbbf-dd11119c7cdc.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 26 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:24
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6b5c252c-9786-4617-9a18-c7bb7788b3fe.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A86%3A48]()
Walker’s circus bucket! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/44590f8c-ce63-4fb7-ade4-32ffbcfe4d25.jpg]()
AS Monaco-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 25 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:37
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e724fa10-c47a-4c7a-ace4-4f2f2e70066e.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A58%3A22]()
Donta Hall does it on both ends! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/134dd91f-2e85-4493-84c1-81d2f8670290.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A51%3A91]()
Donta Hall erupts for the slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:42
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/02/04/zqdcXhxP94bn1s1NrWKgzKmZLx8JaYOb-1738702991317.jpg]()
Bryant Dunston: 'Our defense has to be what we hold our hat on'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/37195cde-0beb-4439-a38c-3b16904a0455.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 25 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/330affeb-f5a7-4c6d-afe6-2ccfd653398b.jpg?crop=1333%3A749%3Anowe%3A0%3A65]()
Dunston with a one-handed slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:25
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/30/PsYRoGirgvlUg2fZck5gyWF0ufv71tD7-1738278540426.jpg]()
Hall stops Hernangomez! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 01:13
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/30/iAwzlEO9h2gQmmH1qkWF34Y9oGsanw5U-1738274908306.jpg]()
Chima Moneke: 'We will never stop believing'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/vDhzVCttW94/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-FC Barcelona | RS Round 24 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/f092609f-cf51-48d5-9ce3-669d577f6805.jpg?crop=879%3A495%3Anowe%3A0%3A27]()
Trent Forrest wins it! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:14
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/70d0a86d-5502-4469-8b4d-ca4b50a1ffee.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A270%3A73]()
Hall's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/n69KDNToJ7w/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-FC Bayern Munich | RS Round 24 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:08
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7b61257e-b9ee-44d2-91d4-46d0e1c150a4.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A220%3A29]()
Hall stops Hernangomez! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:26
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/52ec91fa-74c0-499f-b2b0-2bfc268d6de4.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A201%3A94]()
Birutis with the big slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/f7be3dc3-a477-4b45-8135-50b5160d96d2.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
Sirvydis’s chase-back block on Obst! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/29c1c972-dd9e-422e-9635-546573a46fb3.jpg]()
Real Madrid-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 23 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/iwIr28zeA8Q/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 23 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:24
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e15d17f5-abbc-4f4b-8d39-6eb9b31ee952.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A88%3A116]()
Samanic posterizes Tavares! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/134dd91f-2e85-4493-84c1-81d2f8670290.jpg?crop=1240%3A698%3Anowe%3A55%3A56]()
Hall's alley-oop slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:23
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/8fcb4970-fc4f-437b-8efc-8ee08d82772b.jpg?crop=1276%3A718%3Anowe%3A37%3A36]()
Francisco and Birutis light it up! Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3d36482a-eae2-41ff-ac8e-04f91d1d4901.jpg?crop=1920%3A1080%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
EuroLeague & Friends Episode 13: It's an Italian thing!
- 01:02
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/18/PMk8wy1Hp5ye8TOkEDer6JxuEuAtKcKs-1737162915594.jpg]()
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: 'We have great talent in this team and great potential'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/f2lSCiFqFIY/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 22 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:22
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/17/wFxAn51A3tPXpoakbCpFjVPU6qgaOnGq-1737152709414.jpg]()
Luwawu-Cabarrot dishes it behind the back! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/irJYaVXjUhw/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 22 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:17
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e724fa10-c47a-4c7a-ace4-4f2f2e70066e.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A47%3A51]()
Donta Hall slams it! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:29
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9ba88a30-a74f-47fb-965b-b9914f63a093.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A138%3A12]()
Francisco beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment
Baskonia started hot and opened a 7-2 lead thanks to baskets by Moneke, Khalifa Diop and Tadas Sedekerskis, but Zalgiris soon tied it up after Smailagic’s offensive rebound and score made it 7-7. A Laurynas Birutis finish handed Zalgiris its first lead at 10-11, yet a strong finish to the period, capped by a block and a layup by Hall, ensured it was 18-12 after 10 minutes.
Sylvain Francisco, who didn’t make a field goal in the first quarter, netted from mid-range to start the second, then Brazdeikis kept his impressive start going by scoring five points in quick succession as Zalgiris cut Baskonia’s lead to two points at 23-21. Birutis and Bryant Dunston tied it at 23-23 and 25-25, but a couple of threes by Trent Forrest gave Baskonia breathing room at 33-28. Another triple, this time by Nikos Rogkavopoulos, to end the half gave Baskonia a 38-30 advantage at the break.
Zalgiris came into this game as the best-ranked defense in the EuroLeague and it showed why in the early stages of the third, going on a 6-1 run inside the opening four minutes to reduce the margin to three points, 39-36. Luwawu-Cabarrot and Hall combined to put Baskonia 44-38 ahead, but back-to-back scores by Isaiah Wong, making his Zalgiris and EuroLeague debut, made it 44-43. However, a put-back layup by Moneke and a couple of free throws by Hall gave Baskonia a 48-43 lead entering the fourth.
The game looked like it was going to get away from Zalgiris when Markus Howard, who had gone 0 for 4 from deep through the first three quarters, drained two three-pointers in a row to put Baskonia in control at 56-47. Zalgiris responded, though, as Dovydas Giedraitis scored a layup, Alen Smailagic converted a three-point play and Francisco made a deep three to make it 57-55. Luka Samanic hit back, but another three, this time from Smailagic, made it a one-point ballgame at 59-58. Zalgiris ended up taking the lead at 61-62 for just the second time on the night thanks to Brazdeikis’s offensive board and stick-back, but Howard’s three off the glass at the end of the shot clock calmed down any nerves at 64-62. Smailagic split free throws and then scored a layup to put Zalgiris 64-65 ahead, but Luwawu-Cabarrot’s turnaround jumper from mid-range ended up being the final score with 21 seconds remaining.
