Žalgiris Kaunas (15-2), struggling in the EuroLeague, showed a completely different side on the domestic stage. Andrea Trinchieri's squad comfortably handled Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (11-5) at home, securing a 97-84 (28:29, 36:16, 20:17, 13:22) victory and handing the visitors their second consecutive defeat.
For Žalgiris, this win marked their 11th straight in the Betsafe-LKL. Their last league loss came back in October against the same Wolves Twinsbet team.
These two teams might meet again on February 16th, either in the Citadele King Mindaugas Cup (Citadele KMT) final or the third-place game.
The match began as a high-scoring and intriguing battle. Led by Matas Jogėla and Marek Blaževič, the visitors built a 16-10 lead midway through the first quarter. Žalgiris quickly caught up, and after 10 minutes, they trailed by just one point—28-29.
The second quarter saw a rapid shift in momentum. Three consecutive three-pointers from Lonnie Walker helped the hosts pull away to a double-digit lead (39-29). While Wolves Twinsbet managed to stabilize momentarily, Žalgiris regained control, dominantly closing the half and coming close to a blowout—64-45. The first half was defined by Žalgiris' impressive offensive display, including 10 made three-pointers.
After halftime, Kaunas showed no signs of slowing down. A three-pointer from Arnas Butkevičius extended the lead to a commanding 76-49. By the end of the third quarter, the visitors had managed to slightly cut the deficit to 84-62. The intensity dropped significantly in the final period, allowing Wolves Twinsbet to narrow the gap further, but they never truly threatened to turn the game around.
Paradoxically, despite being far from victory, the Vilnius team set new season highs in both free throw attempts and makes. Wolves Twinsbet converted 38 of 42 attempts (90%).
For Žalgiris, standout performances came from Ignas Brazdeikis (20 points, 22 efficiency rating) and Lonnie Walker (17 points, 16 efficiency rating).
On the Wolves' side, the lone bright spot was Marek Blaževič. Facing his former team, the big man delivered an impressive 21-point performance (5/6 two-pointers, 11/11 free throws), adding 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and drawing 7 fouls for a game-high 30 efficiency rating.
Žalgiris rested Sylvain Francisco and Brady Manek for this game, while Dovis Giedraitis remained sidelined after suffering an injury last week. Wolves Twinsbet were without Tre’Shawn Thurman and long-term absentee Daniel Baslyk.
Wolves Twinsbet: Marek Blaževič 21, Anthony Cowan, Garrison Brooks, and Andrew Andrews 12 each, Jeffery Taylor 11, Matas Jogėla 10, Kristupas Žemaitis 4, Arnoldas Kulboka 2. Vaidas Kariniauskas, Regimantas Miniotas, and Justinas Marcinkevičius did not score.
Žalgiris: Ignas Brazdeikis 20, Lonnie Walker 17, Arnas Butkevičius 11.
Coaches' comments:
(Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius/LKL)