By Eurohoops/ info@eurohoops.net
Both Žalgiris and Partizan suffered defeats in Round 16 of the EuroLeague, but only one managed to bounce back in the following round.
Žalgiris dominated from start to finish in Kaunas, recording team’s biggest victory in EuroLeague history and handing Partizan one of the heaviest defeats of the competition, cruising to a 109–68 win.
Sylvain Francisco led the way for Žalgiris with 22 points, followed by Moses Wright with 17, Ignas Brazdeikis with 15, Nigel Williams-Goss with 12, and Laurynas Birutis with 11.
For Partizan, Dwayne Washington finished with 17 points, Bruno Fernando added 16, and Isaac Bonga scored 12.
The Lithuanian side steadily extended its lead, first pulling away midway through the opening quarter and building a 20-point advantage by the end of the first half. Partizan failed to respond after the break, as the hosts surged to a 73–43 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter, effectively sealing the outcome in Žalgirio Arena.
Žalgiris showed no signs of slowing down, producing a record-breaking performance and stretching the margin to 42 points on several occasions late in the game, eventually cruising to a 41-point victory.
The hosts were highly efficient, shooting 34-of-46 from two-point range and 9-of-22 from beyond the arc. They also dominated the glass 41–18 and recorded nine more assists than the Belgrade side, 26–17.