Zalgiris (11-18) will attempt to boost its fading postseason hopes against a Virtus team (17-12) that has similarly faded away from contention for the top four.
Game Notes: Zalgiris vs. Virtus
The Lithuanian champion has lost three in a row with a struggling offense, failing to score more than 76 points in any of those games, and will hope that Rolands Smits can rediscover his usual standards after scoring 0 and 5 points in the last two games. Similarly, Toko Shengelia will aim to get back to his best for Virtus, which has lost three of its last four. Zalgiris is also looking to complete a season sweep after winning in Bologna 79-82 on opening night, powered by 25 points from backcourt leader Keenan Evans.
- Last season was the first time Virtus and Zalgiris played each other since 2007. Zalgiris has won all three games between them over the past 18 months, including a 79-82 win in this season's opener.
- Zalgiris beat Virtus 82-74 in the 1999 championship game to lift its only EuroLeague crown.
- Zalgiris forward Rolands Smits played under Virtus coach Luca Banchi and was a teammate of Virtus's Rihards Lomazs on the Latvian national team at the 2023 Basketball World Cup.
- Virtus forward Achille Polonara spent the second half of last season with Zalgiris and helped the team reach the EuroLeague Playoffs.
- Virtus guard Daniel Hackett played under Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trinchieri at Brose Bamberg during the 2017-18 EuroLeague season.
- Virtus forward Awudu Abass made his EuroLeague debut with Pallacanestro Cantu in the 2013-13 season under current Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trinchieri.
- Zalgiris point guard Keenan Evans and Virtus center Ante Zizic were teammates at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv during the 2021-22 season.
- Zalgiris center Kevarrius Hayes set his career-high with 9 rebounds against Virtus in Round 1.
- Virtus's Isaia Cordinier had a career-high 9 assists in Round 1 against Zalgiris.
- Efes center Bryant Dunston matched his career-high in blocks with 5 playing for Anadolu Efes Istanbul against Zalgiris in November 2017.
- Virtus forward Awudu Abass amassed a career-high index rating of 22 playing for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan against Zalgiris in March 2017.
- Virtus guard Daniel Hackett collected a career-high 6 steals playing for CSKA Moscow against Zalgiris in December 2021.
- Ognjen Dobric established a career-high in PIR with 23 while playing for Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade against Zalgiris in Kaunas in April 2022.