The Lithuanian side led by 20 points at halftime after a dominant first-half performance
Zalgiris overpowers Maccabi, 78-63
Zalgiris Kaunas extended its winning streak to three games by defeating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 78-63 in Round 5 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague at a packed Zalgirio Arena on Thursday evening. The hosts led from start to finish, despite Maccabi’s efforts to get back into the game. With its second home victory of the campaign, Zalgiris improved its record to 4-1. Meanwhile, Maccabi’s second consecutive loss means that it dropped to 2-3.
Edgaras Ulanovas paced Zalgiris with 14 points, with Dovydas Giedraitis going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to end the game on 13 points. For the visitors, Saben Lee led all scorers with 17 points, while Jasiel Rivero and Levi Randolph scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Game Videos
Zalgiris started the game in style, with the hosts going on a 12-0 run. Ignas Brazdeikis got Zalgiris’s offense up and running with a triple before buckets from Matthew Mitchell and Bryant Dunston, as well as a three-pointer from Giedraitis allowed their team to hit the ground running. Maccabi netted its first points 4:18 minutes into the game, with Jaylen Hoard nailing one from deep. Yet, a triple from Ulanovas and 2 free throws from Mitchell set a 17-5 Zalgiris cushion. Laurynas Birutis came off the bench to net unanswered 5 points before Sylvain Francisco free throws extended Zalgiris’s lead to 26-7 after 10 minutes.
Zalgiris started the second quarter the way it kicked off the first, with Deividas Sirvydis and Francisco drilling one triple each for a 6-0 run. Maccabi responded with Rivero completing a three-point play before a bucket from Lee in transition and a Rafi Menco triple cut the difference to 32-15. Roman Sorkin and Brazdeikis exchanged long jumpers before put-back buckets from Dunston allowed his team to take a 44-22 lead into the second half.
Two Randolph baskets sandwiched a Giedraitis triple before Mitchell completed a three-point play to extend Zalgiris’s lead to 52-28. Yet, the visitors showed character and fought back, as 5 points from Sorkin and back-to-back triples from Lee, Randolph and 18-year-old Omer Mayer brought Maccabi within 59-46 after 30 minutes.
Randolph opened the fourth quarter with a layup, but Sirvydis made 3 of 3 from the line and Alen Smailagic completed a three-point play to create a 65-48 lead for the Lithuanian side. Yet, Maccabi didn’t give up, with Rivero and Lee netting 4 points each to bring the visitors within 65-55. An exchange of blows followed, with Zalgiris maintaining a double-digit lead, as Ulanovas sank a triple to reply to a Lee three-point play for a 74-62 cushion with 3:37 remaining. Then, five straight great defensive plays from Zalgiris held Maccabi scoreless for more than 3 minutes and practically finished the game off.