The New Year tips off in style as faltering Zalgiris (10-8) looks to snap a two-game losing slide against in-form Olympiacos (12-6) searching for a fourth straight win.
Game Notes: Zalgiris vs. Olympiacos



Olympiacos, which has won the last seven games between the teams, could bolster its frontcourt by giving a debut to recent signing Nathan Mensah. One key will be whether the home team can slow down the Reds' ball movement: Olympiacos leads the league in assists with 20.6 per game, while Zalgiris has held opponents to a league low 16 helpers per night. The Greens’ offense has faltered in recent weeks despite strong performances from Sylvain Francisco, who has averaged 3.3 triples over the last four games, and needs more inside presence after attempting only 22 two-pointers in last week’s loss at Maccabi.
Game Videos
- Olympiacos has won seven straight against Zalgiris and leads 20-13 in their meetings this century. In Round 2, Olympiacos pulled out a 74-68 win with Sasha Vezenkov earning co-MVP of the Round honors with a PIR of 30, posting a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds.
- Last season the Reds beat Zalgiris in Kaunas 76-95 with Thomas Walkup scoring a career-high 22 points.
- Zalgiris's last win over Olympiacos was an 81-79 decision in January 2021 in Kaunas when Thomas Walkup, now with Olympiacos, scored with 1 second remaining to cap a 9-0 run in the last 2 minutes to win the game for Zalgiris.
- Zalgiris ousted Olympiacos from the 2018 EuroLeague Playoffs with a 3-1 series win without the home-court advantage.
- Zalgiris and Olympiacos faced each other in the 1999 Final Four in Munich, Germany. It was the first-ever official clash between these two sides. Zalgiris downed Olympiacos 87-71 in the semifinals behind 19 points from Anthony Bowie and went on to lift its first – and to date only – EuroLeague trophy.
- When Olympiacos beat Zalgiris 90-80 in October 2022, the win came behind 23 points plus a career-high 14 rebounds from Sasha Vezenkov, who earned MVP of the Round honor for that performance.
- Zalgiris forward Edgaras Ulanovas earned MVP of the Round honors against Olympiacos in Game 4 of the 2018 EuroLeague Playoffs. He had 20 points and 9 rebounds for a performance index rating of 27.
- Zalgiris big man Bryant Dunston played two seasons at Olympiacos, from 2013 to 2015, and in both seasons was chosen the EuroLeague Best Defender. He played under head coach Georgios Bartzokas.
- Dunston tied his career-high in offensive rebounds with 8 playing for Anadolu Efes Istanbul against Olympiacos in Game 4 of the 2017 EuroLeague Playoffs, which Olympiacos won in Istanbul 62-74.
- Olympiacos guard Naz Mitrou-Long moved from Zalgiris to Olympiacos ahead of Round 10 last season.
- Mitrou-Long had his career highs in points (19) and PIR (16) playing for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan against Zalgiris in November 2022.
- Zalgiris forward Ignas Brazdeikis spent last season with Olympiacos and helped the team reach the 2024 Final Four.
- Injured guard Keenan Evans joined Olympiacos this summer after spending the last two seasons with Zalgiris.
- Thomas Walkup joined Olympiacos from Zalgiris in the summer of 2021. He spent three years in Kaunas, never missing a EuroLeague game and appearing in all 96 games Zalgiris played over that span.
- Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou played under current Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trinchieri on the Greek national team at EuroBasket 2013.
- Zalgiris guard Sylvain Francisco has been a teammate of Olympiacos center Moustapha Fall and guard Evan Fournier on the French national team.
- Zalgiris big man Alen Smailagic posted his career highs in points (16) and PIR (17) for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade against Olympiacos in October 2023.
- Olympiacos center Moustapha Fall posted his career-high in offensive rebounds with 7 playing for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne against Zalgiris in October 2020.
- Fall dished a career-high 7 assists against Zalgiris in March 2023.
- In the 2022-23 season, Olympiacos guard Luca Vildoza had a career-high 27 points playing for Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in a home game against Zalgiris and tied a career-best with 5 steals in their game in Kaunas.
- Vildoza had a career-high 5 steals playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Zalgiris in January 2021.