Zalgiris Kaunas guard Nigel Williams-Goss will miss 2–3 weeks with a calf strain suffered during the EuroLeague game against Crvena Zvezda. The injury halts a career-best season for the veteran playmaker.
Zalgiris Kaunas, Nigel Williams-Goss injury, EuroLeague news, calf strain, Crvena Zvezda, EuroLeague 2025-26, basketball injury update.

Zalgiris backcourt hit as Nigel Williams-Goss faces multi-week absence 

[Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) has suffered a blow to its backcourt with the news that [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) will miss the next two-to-three weeks with a calf strain. The guard first felt discomfort during Friday’s victory over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and, after consulting with the team's doctors, decided not to continue playing. Further evaluation over the weekend diagnosed the strain.

Williams-Goss only played 4 and a half minutes of that game before departing with the injury. In the three games before that, he had averaged 17.0 points on 50% three-points shooting and 5.7 assists for a PIR of 19.0. This season, his sixth in the competition and first with Zalgiris, Williams-Goss has averaged a career-high 12.1 points in 14 appearances. He is a single missed free throw away from a 50-40-90 shooting average and has also dished 3.4 assists and collected 1.0 steal per game.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nigel Williams-Goss is set to miss 2-3 weeks of action due to a calf strain suffered on Friday. 🚨<br><br>Get well soon, Nigel! 💪 <a href="https://t.co/HboSgzZ4En">pic.twitter.com/HboSgzZ4En</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/2010366594346881278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

More Zalgiris news

The veteran guard had been in peak form, averaging 17 points and 5.7 assists in his last three games

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Rounds 20 and 21 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 20 and 21

Another outstanding performance in a winning effort allowed Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus to earn Round 21 MVP honors and keep rewriting EuroLeague history. Vezenkov led Olympiacos to a 95-80 home victory over FC Bayern Munich with 25 points on 8-of-10 two-pointers, 2-of-2 three-pointers and 3-of-3 free throws, adding 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 35, the highest in Round 21. 

Round 21 MVP: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

Another outstanding performance in a winning effort allowed [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of Olympiacos Piraeus to earn Round 21 MVP honors and keep rewriting EuroLeague history.

Vezenkov led Olympiacos to a 95-80 home victory over FC Bayern Munich with 25 points on 8-of-10 two-pointers, 2-of-2 three-pointers and 3-of-3 free throws, adding 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 35, the highest in Round 21. It is the third MVP of the Round honor of the season for Vezenkov after achieving this award in Rounds 3 and 5. He is now second all-time in the MVP of the Round charts with 17 MVP of the Round awards, only trailing Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul (19) and ahead of Nando De Colo of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (16).

[Kenan Kamenjas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kenan-kamenjas/008325/) of Dubai Basketball reached a PIR of 34 in his team's 92-81 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. In Round 21, Kamenjas starred by amassing 20 points and 15 rebounds, hitting 6-of-10 two-point shots and 8-of-8 free throws. He also had 1 assist and drew 5 fouls.

[Armoni Brooks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/armoni-brooks/013384/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan reached a PIR of 31 in his team's 87-74 home win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Brooks had 31 points on 3-of-4 two-pointers, 7-of-12 three-pointers and 3-of-3 free throws, 8 rebounds and 3 fouls drawn.

[McKinley Wright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mckinley-wright-iv/012606/) of Dubai, with a PIR of 28, had the fourth-best index rating in Round 21. He posted 22 points on 9-of-11 two-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 6 fouls drawn in his team’s victory against Fenerbahce.

[Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) of Fenerbahce, [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) of Olympiacos and [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, each with a PIR of 26, complete the top individual performances in Round 21. Baldwin posted 21 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 7 drawn fouls in a loss against Dubai, Milutinov amassed 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 fouls drawn as Olympiacos beat Bayern, while Moneke had 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 5 fouls drawn in Zvezda’s 99-67 defeat at Zalgiris Kaunas.

### Individual highs: Kenan Kamenjas, Dubai, 15 rebounds

Armoni Brooks of Milan led all players in Round 21 with 31 points. Nadir Hifi of Paris Basketball remains the competition's top scorer with 20.4 points per game.

Kenan Kamenjas of Dubai Basketball was this round’s top rebounder with 15 boards. Nikola Milutinov of Olympiacos ranks first overall with 7.7 boards per night.

Mike James of AS Monaco dished 10 assists, more than any other player in Round 21. Sylvain Francisco of Zalgiris leads the overall standings with 7.0 assists per game.

As many as 12 different players had 3 steals this round. Alpha Diallo of Monaco is the 2025-26 EuroLeague steals leader with 1.7 per game.

Moses Wright of Zalgiris and Kai Jones of Efes each had a round-high 3 blocks. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid ranks first overall with 1.9 blocks per night.

There were two players who had a double-double in this round: Kamenjas (20 points, 15 rebounds) and James (14 points, 10 assists).

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul announced on Saturday morning that it will be without services of Bonzie Colson in upcoming weeks. Colson suffered a knee injury during Thursday's 92-81 road loss against Dubai Basketball, and the test confirmed a strain of the patellar tendon of the right knee, the club confirmed.

Fenerbahce's Bonzie Colson to miss time with knee injury

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/) announced on Saturday morning that it will be without services of [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) in upcoming weeks. Colson suffered a knee injury during Thursday's [92-81 road loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/dubai-basketball-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2025/201/#boxscore) against Dubai Basketball, and the test confirmed a strain of the patellar tendon of the right knee, the club confirmed.

This type of injury usually has players sidelined from three to six weeks, which means Colson is likely to be back some time in February for the defending EuroLeague champions.

Colson has been averaging 9.2 points on 51.8% three-point shooting this season, and pulling down 3.1 rebounds. A loss in Dubai snapped Fenerbahce's four-game winning streak as the team now sits in fifth place with a 13-7 record.

Colson suffered an injury during Round 21 loss in Dubai

Overcoming some apparent tiredness, Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz defeated a stubborn LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne squad, 78-73, in Friday night action.

Baskonia bests ASVEL in team-first triumph

“We won against a tough team,” said Paolo Galbiati. “I am very happy and proud of the players.”

The [Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) head coach’s pride is hardly surprising. Overcoming some apparent tiredness, his team defeated a stubborn [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) squad, 78-73, in Friday night action.

Both teams scrambled around for an advantage at the start of the game, with Baskonia eventually taking hold of the contest and boasting a 9-point advantage at halftime. However, the team talk Pierric Poupet gave at the break definitely landed, as his team came flying out of the gates, swarming Baskonia on defense and hurting them in transition to take a short-lived lead.

A tense, cagey fourth period played out, with neither side able to take the reins for a while. The game remained tied for an extended period, before Baskonia snatched the lead back with some crucial late buckets, securing the dub and improving its record to 8-13.

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | Round 21 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Former ASVEL man [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/) shone for the hosts, scoring 21 points at a clip of 6-for-11 shooting from the field. He attributed the vibrant home crowd and strong team chemistry to the important win.

“I think the fans, the belief,” Luwawu-Cabarrot said. “We are a good group, we are cheering for each other, we love each other, we love to play with each other.”

Outside of TLC, the Spanish team really shared the offensive load. [Trent Forrest](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/trent-forrest/013367/) and [Kobi Simmons](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kobi-simmons/014152/) also finished in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively, while every active player marked the scoring column in a true team display. [Eugene Omoruyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/eugene-omoruyi/014207/) commanded the glass, logging 8 boards and 7 points of his own.

“We knew they were coming to play hard, like they always do,” Luwawu-Cabarrot shared. “They lost [Nando \[De Colo\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) but they still have great talent and great players. We kind of lost it in the third quarter, but we stayed focused and got it back. Very glad we got this win.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Omoruyi nuestro MVP del partido con 7 puntos y 15 de valoración 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/PX79bJoZdC">pic.twitter.com/PX79bJoZdC</a></p>&mdash; Kosner Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/2009747306665398512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As mentioned, the presence of veteran De Colo was certainly missed by ASVEL. [His departure to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul earlier this week](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nando-de-colos-return-provides-experience-and-excellence-for-fenerbahce/) left a hole in ASVEL's offense and leadership that they’ll have to work hard to fill. Much like its opponents, the French team remains winless on the road in this year’s contest, moving its record to 6-15.

Things don’t get much easier for Pierric Poupet’s men next week, as they prepare to face table-topping Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv in a tough matchup next Friday. Baskonia, on the other hand, will travel to Turkiye to face Anadolu Efes Istanbul just one day prior. 

Game News

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot top scored for the winners

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2026-01-09T19:30:00.000Z)

Sasha Vezenkov went on to score 10 consecutive field-goal attempts, finishing the game on a team-high 25 points. Having given Bayern nightmares again almost one year after netting a career-high 45 points in a 112-69 thrashing of the German side, Vezenkov led his team to a 95-80 victory – its ninth straight at home against this rival.

Unstoppable Sasha Vezenkov downs Bayern in first home victory of 2026

Halfway through the first quarter against [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/), [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) had yet to connect with the basket as a slow start saw the [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) forward miss both his first shots of the game.

The second was a floater that went short, with the guests leading 8-9. Yet, that would also be the last one he would fail to make on an extraordinary night at Peace and Friendship Stadium.

Vezenkov went on to score all his next 10 field-goal attempts, finishing the game on a team-high 25 points.

Having given Bayern nightmares again almost one year after netting a career-high 45 points in a 112-69 thrashing, Vezenkov led his team to a 95-80 victory – its ninth straight at home against the German giant.

Olympiacos Piraeus-FC Bayern Munich | Round 21 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Two straight victories under new head coach Svetislav Pesic helped Bayern enter the game with confidence, and it started strong in Piraeus by netting 47 first-half points as Olympiacos led by just two points at halftime.

After ending the first half on a game-high 14 points, Vezenkov caught fire with seven points in a space of three minutes in the third quarter to open a 65-54 lead. Yet, Bayern fought back and went on a 2-9 surge that brought them within 85-78 with 02:22 left on the clock.

Vezenkov came in to replace [Alec Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/), with the former finishing inside after a dish from [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/) to open a 10-2 run as Olympiacos killed the game off. Averaging 19.6 points over his last eight games, the Bulgaria international is pulling off another MVP-caliber season.

“We had three very demanding games on the road, we managed to win the two of them and we came back at home after so long and we had a must-win game in front of us,” Vezenkov told EuroLeague TV. “Bayern changed their coach, they had two wins in a row. We didn’t approach the game as we wanted in the first half. We received 47 points, but at the end of the day we took the W and we look forward.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">👏Sasha Vezenkov became Olympiacos’ all-time leader in EuroLeague PIR after the game against Bayern <br><br>A historic milestone that highlights his consistency, excellence and impact at the highest level of European basketball 🪄🔴⚪️ <a href="https://t.co/SVWichFqCh">pic.twitter.com/SVWichFqCh</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/2009738391227682883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The turning point came in the third quarter, with Olympiacos holding Bayern to just 14 points and opening a 70-61 lead heading into the fourth.

The hosts forced their opponent to commit as many as 21 turnovers, and the 10 steals they recorded allowed them to hit in transition with easy buckets. They also dominated the boards by outrebounding Bayern 35-23, with their 14 offensive rebounds leading to 29 second-chance points. Meanwhile, staying true to its philosophy, Olympiacos circulated the ball well in yet another game, ending the duel with 28 assists.

“It was very important for us to win this game,” head coach Georgios Bartzokas said in the post-game press conference. “And as you probably saw it wasn’t easy at all. We had to increase our intensity on defense in the second half because in the first we allowed 78% for twos and 46% for threes. There is no team in the EuroLeague without talent, without a game plan, without good coaching. The second half was way better for us defensively. We had lots of deflections, we forced them to make 21 turnovers and at the same time we had 28 assists.”

Having celebrated its first home victory of 2026, eighth-placed Olympiacos will look to go on a winning streak that would allow it to climb up the standings in pursuit of home-court advantage. And with Vezenkov being in such spectacular form, the Reds should have nothing to fear moving forward.

The Olympiacos forward bagged 25 points, having gone 10-for-12 from the field

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Bayern Munich (2026-01-09T19:15:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona continued to be a bogey team for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade as the Catalan giant coasted to an emphatic 88-70 home win, making it 13 in a row against the Serbian side and improving to 14-7 on the season while the visitors dropped to 6-15 following a sixth straight loss.

Toko Shengelia celebrates milestone as Barcelona dismantles Partizan

[FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) continued to be a bogey team for [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) as the Catalan giant coasted to an emphatic 88-70 home win, making it 13 in a row against the Serbian side and improving to 14-7 on the season while the visitors dropped to 6-15 following a sixth straight loss.

It was a perfect night for [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/), who was named player of the game after scoring 13 points to go with 2 boards and 3 assists. However, it was a sour return to the Palau Blaugrana for Joan Penarroya, who parted ways with Barcelona earlier this season and later took over as head coach at Partizan.

Barcelona endured a jittery start and trailed 13-20 at the end of the first quarter, struggling for the best part of the first half before a 17-0 run late in the second quarter and early in the third turned a 31-35 deficit into a 48-35 lead.

Barca never looked back and strolled home as [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/) racked up 16 points and 8 boards, shooting 7-of-8 shooting from the floor, while [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) underlined the home team’s dominance in the paint as he amassed 14 points having shot 7-of-9 from inside.

FC Barcelona-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | Round 21 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Asked if he was inspired by the milestone, Shengelia refused to speak about his own individual performance and focused on a collective effort which saw Barca keep its foot on the gas throughout the second half, giving Partizan no chance of forcing a late twist.

“It’s about the team,” Shengelia said in his postgame comments. “We’re doing a great job and like I said many times, we’re heading in the right direction but we still have so much room to improve. We’re fighting every day to be in the best possible position and we’re very happy with where we are in the standings.”

Hernangomez also looked the part as, after the first quarter, Barcelona’s ironclad defense forced a barrage of tough shots from Partizan, which finished on 21-of-40 from inside after netting 10-of-14 in the opening 10 minutes, having also committed 15 turnovers against just 13 assists.

The big man was frank about head coach’s Xavi Pascual’s impact on his displays since taking over from Penarroya, with Barcelona winning seven of its last nine to stay firmly in contention for a playoff spot.

“It was a difficult game from the beginning until the end but we got a very important win,” Hernangomez said. “Pascual has brought discipline, structure and joy to my game, all the things helping me improve as a player and become a better person. I work hard every day and do whatever it takes to help the team win. For me the most important thing is that I am really enjoying what I am doing.” 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE 𝐌𝐀𝐍 OF THE 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 🌟 <a href="https://t.co/kGlsYHmnUR">pic.twitter.com/kGlsYHmnUR</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/2009758330881998903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pascual, in his second stint with Barcelona after leading the Spanish outfit to the 2010 title during his first spell in charge (2008-2016), was prudent in assessing that his team was grinding out wins despite not firing on all cylinders at this stage of the season.

“We were better and a little bit more concentrated in the second half,” he said. “We controlled the rebounds a bit better and only had one turnover in the second half. We achieved a very important win despite not being brilliant. In general, we are solid both offensively and defensively.”

It was another disappointing outing for Penarroya, who is still winless with Partizan in the EuroLeague. It seems the Serbian club’s passionate fans will have little to cheer about for the remainder of the season as the 1992 champs remain rooted to the bottom of the standings.

Having said it was difficult to be optimistic after seeing Partizan mauled 87-112 by Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv on his coaching debut for the Serbian club, Penarroya’s words were vindicated in his fourth successive defeat at the helm as [Duane Washington](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/duane-washington/013370/) was a solitary beacon of light for Partizan with a game-high 20 points.

“In the third quarter we committed around five or six turnovers in a row and Barcelona punished us,” Penarroya said. “We need to control the bad moments because good teams take advantage.”

The Georgian forward shined in his 300th EuroLeague appearance as the hosts stretched their winning streak

FC Barcelona v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2026-01-09T19:30:00.000Z)

All is right in the world for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan right now, as the team came up with a thrilling comeback victory to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the club with Armoni Brooks shining bright. 

Armoni Brooks show, Milan’s refusal to lose give club a present for 90th anniversary

All is right in the world for [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) right now, as the team came up with a thrilling comeback victory to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the club with [Armoni Brooks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/armoni-brooks/013384/) shining bright. 

Brooks drained 7 three-pointers in scoring a career-high 31 points, which allowed Milan to rally from 14 points down to collect an 87-74 victory over [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/) and complete a sweep of the double-round week. 

After giving up 49 points in the first half, Milan allowed just 8 points in the third quarter. Brooks put the game to bed with four three-pointers in a span of 2:43 minutes in the fourth quarter, sparking the Allianz Cloud crowd to serenade him with MVP chants.

“It’s beautiful to hear that. I’ve never gotten that in my life. So it’s a great feeling. I’m happy the team won more than anything,” said Brooks, who finished with 7-of-12 three-pointers as well as 8 rebounds for a career-high index rating of 32. 

“We were a little lackadaisical in the first half. We tried to clean up the defense and offensive rebounding in the second half. We stuck together and fought through a little bit of adversity. It feels good to come back and get this win.”  

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Round 21 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Milan’s two wins this week improves its record to 11-10, thanks to [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) adding 15 points, [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) tallying 13 points and [Leandro Bolmaro](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/leandro-bolmaro/008985/) chipping in 12 points and 4 assists in his first game since Round 15. 

“The second half is the way we have to play. Great energy, great togetherness. And when you have a guy like Armoni, it’s much easier to play,” said Guduric. 

“Super happy, super proud of this team. After a slow start, down 11 after the first quarter, we bounced back with defense, with togetherness – an unbelievable will to win. Or refusal to lose, which is more important,” said Milan head coach Peppe Poeta.

“I am also super happy we kind of gave a gift for the 90th anniversary of Olimpia and its great history for the ownership and our fans. It’s a little gift for them. They support us all the time. And today they were a factor in the game.”

Efes had a great start to lead 2-13, and a three-pointer to start the second quarter pushed the cushion to 14 points at 16-30. The hosts were able to close within five points midway through the quarter but trailed 38-49 at the break. 

Milan came up with the perfect start to the second half with the first 12 points to claim the lead 50-49. That was the first of seven lead changes in the quarter, and Milan was up 62-57 after 30 minutes. 

Efes scored the first points in the final frame, but Brooks got red-hot with the three-point barrage in a 17-2 run to make it 79-61. Efes did manage to pull within seven points but could not finish the comeback.

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Efes dropped its fifth straight game for a 6-15 record despite recent addition [Saben Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/saben-lee/013389/) leading the way with 19 points and [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) amassing 12 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

“I think our first half was very complete – nothing special but very solid. The second half, we disappeared,” said Efes head coach Pablo Laso.

“We talked in the locker room that in the situation we are in – a lot of injuries, players in and out. We need to be stable. And from the first play of the second half we were not stable. We looked behind them all the time. They played with a lot of energy and they came back and had a great victory with Armoni Brooks having a great game.”

The sharpshooting guard hit 7 three-pointers and scored a career-high 31 points

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2026-01-09T19:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas showed its true potential and depth in Round 21, thrashing visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 99-67 in front of an amazing crowd at Zalgirio Arena. Coach Tomas Masiulis got a solid contribution from most of his players, which led to an easier-than-expected victory.

Zalgiris's team-oriented offense seals the deal against Zvezda

[Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) showed its true potential and depth in Round 21, thrashing visiting [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) 99-67 in front of an amazing crowd at Zalgirio Arena. Coach [Tomas Masiulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/masiulis-tomas) got a solid contribution from most of his players, which led to an easier-than-expected victory.

[Azuolas Tubelis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/azuolas-tubelis/008192/) was the first Zalgiris player to step up, hitting a corner three-pointer and adding a pair of free throws before a backdoor slam in a 13-3 opening run which made Zvezda call its first timeout.

When Tubelis cooled off, other players stepped up. [Maodo Lo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/maodo-lo/007032/) came off the bench to provide instant offense, [Moses Wright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/moses-wright/012878/) had two blocks in quick succession on [Ebuka Izundu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ebuka-izundu/014029/), and S[ylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) was simply all over the place, finding good shots everywhere and creating for others. At halftime, Francisco had 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a PIR of 16. Zalgiris made half of its 14 shots from beyond the arc, while Zvezda also took 14 three-point shots, converting just one.

Zalgiris Kaunas-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | Round 21 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

"I'm happy with my performance individually, but I feel wonderful that we got a win. This is the most important tonight," Tubelis said after the game. "I think \[this win gives us\] more confidence because of the way we share the ball. Sometimes we don't and then we look kind of stupid on TV. Just to share the ball, just enjoy team basketball... everything is working when we share the ball."

After shooting well in the first quarter (54.5% 2FG, 75% 3FG), Zalgiris was less accurate in the next 10 minutes but pulled down 5 offensive rebounds in the second period. In short, Zalgiris led 47-28 at the break and was well on its way to add its 12th victory.

Far from being done, Zalgiris kept rolling after the break as a huge two-handed dunk by Wright made it a 24-pont game, 60-36. Zvezda eventually gave up early in the fourth quarter and all Zalgiris fans had plenty of time to celebrate one of the biggest wins of the season. Even Zalgiris legend [Arvydas Sabonis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arvydas-sabonis/ayo/) was all smiles in the stands late in the game when his face was shown in the jumbotron.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let’s talk about 𝐒𝐈𝐗 baby. 😉 <a href="https://t.co/INFWEQJ1sZ">pic.twitter.com/INFWEQJ1sZ</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/2009716952793509997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Zalgiris's second unit worked to perfection, getting 55 points off the bench against Zvezda's 23. The guests finished the game with 4-of-26 three-pointers, 19 assists and 16 turnovers. Zalgiris did much better in all three categories, hitting 13-of-26 triples, getting 27 assists to match its season-high effort and limiting its turnovers to just 11.

In short, a good night in the office for Zalgiris and a great start to the weekend for its fans.

"After every loss in the EuroLeague, to be able to bounce back and win is huge. We protected our home court in one of our few home games this month, so this was huge for us," Lo said. "It always goes hand in hand: you play good defense, it translates to offense. You are able to run if you get stops and rebound."

Coach Masiulis's team had six players score in double digits in Round 21

Zalgiris Kaunas v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2026-01-09T18:00:00.000Z)