Zalgiris Fortify Playoff Position with Hard-Fought Win Over Paris

Sixth Place Within Reach

With the regular season drawing to a close, Zalgiris Kaunas entered Round 38 fighting to solidify their playoff positioning. Sitting sixth in the standings at 22-15, the Lithuanian side needed to protect home court against a Paris Basketball squad still clinging to postseason hopes at 15-22. For the visitors, every loss pushed them closer to the abyss—a bottom-four finish would end their debut EuroLeague campaign in disappointment. The stakes were clear: Zalgiris aimed to lock down a top-six seed and secure home-court advantage in the Play-In round, while Paris needed a statement road win to keep their fading playoff dreams alive.

Home Side Prevails in Tense Affair

The battle for survival produced the drama both sides needed, but it was Zalgiris who emerged with an 85-79 victory, their 23rd win securing a firmer grip on sixth place. Sylvain Francisco torched the visitors for 21 points on four triples, matching Maodo Lo's 21-point outburst as the home backcourt repeatedly punished Paris's perimeter rotations. The triumph extended Zalgiris's cushion over the chasing pack, while Paris—now 15-23—saw their postseason window shrink to a sliver. In a game neither team could afford to lose, the hosts' veteran poise and depth proved decisive.

Wright's Dominance Fuels Victory

Zalgiris built their foundation on the glass, where Moses Wright was omnipresent. The American forward's 18 rebounds—coupled with 16 points, three steals, and three blocks—gave the home side a 43-36 edge on the boards that translated into critical second-chance opportunities. Their dominance in the paint was no accident: Wright's relentless energy forced Paris into uncomfortable perimeter contests, and when the visitors missed, Zalgiris converted loose balls into transition buckets. The backcourt tandem of Francisco and Lo capitalized on the open floor, combining to shoot 8-of-16 from deep and exploiting every defensive lapse Paris offered. Meanwhile, Justin Robinson kept the visitors afloat with 17 points and eight assists, but his supporting cast—particularly Jared Rhoden, who managed just 4 points on 1-of-13 shooting—simply couldn't generate the complementary scoring Paris needed.

Third-Quarter Surge Seals the Deal

The game's defining stretch arrived midway through the second quarter, when Zalgiris transformed a narrow 35-34 lead into a commanding 53-40 advantage by halftime. Lo erupted for 11 points in a four-minute window, drilling back-to-back triples at 1:49 and 1:09 that stunned the visitors and forced a Paris timeout. The Lithuanian crowd sensed blood, and Wright capitalized on the chaos with a pair of muscular interior finishes that left Paris scrambling for answers. The visitors never recovered: a sluggish third quarter saw them manage just 16 points, and though Lamar Stevens sparked a late rally with a three-pointer at 4:05 in the fourth to cut the deficit to 75-73, Francisco answered immediately with his fourth triple at 2:44. That dagger, assisted by Lo, extinguished Paris's final hopes and sent the home fans into raptures.

Paths Diverge in Final Stretch

With one regular-season round remaining, Zalgiris now sits firmly in sixth at 23-15, their superior point differential (+184) providing a buffer against any late-season stumbles. The win positions them to lock in home-court advantage for the Play-In round, a critical edge as the postseason looms. Paris, meanwhile, faces an uphill climb: at 15-23, they're clinging to 16th place, needing a miracle combination of results to avoid missing the playoffs entirely in their maiden EuroLeague voyage. The visitors' inability to generate consistent secondary scoring—Rhoden's nightmarish 1-of-13 outing epitomized their offensive struggles—leaves them vulnerable in a final week where margin for error no longer exists. For Zalgiris, the path forward is clear: protect home court one more time, and let the postseason begin.