By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
With consecutive makes from beyond the arc, Rytas surged ahead in the second quarter and dominated after the halftime break to cruise past the Shanghai Sharks 107–66 at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium on Thursday.
Capturing the top spot in Group A of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2026 with a 2–0 record, the Vilnius side used a balanced attack to overwhelm the Chinese Basketball Association champions. Gytis Masiulis packed a game-high 17 points, including 4/4 out of a team total of 14/21 three-pointers. Kay Bruhnke and Augustas Marciulionis followed with 15 and 14 points, respectively, and Arturas Gudaitis posted a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double. Shanghai struggled to keep up despite a 14-point effort from towering center and former NBA draft pick Wang Zhelin.
The victory was impressive given the roster limitations for the Basketball Champions League champions. Head coach Nedas Pacevicius remained with just 11 players after Oskaras Pleikys returned to Lithuania for medical tests. The 25-year-old wing had already sat out the tournament opener with an injury.
On Saturday, Rytas will face whichever Group B team loses the upcoming matchup between G League United and Boca Juniors.
The bracket is now taking shape. The RSSB Tigers finished second in Group A at 1–1 and will advance to play the Group B winner.
Meanwhile, the winless Sharks fell to 0–2. They drop into a classification game against the host Beijing Royal Fighters on Saturday to play for fifth place.
The event wraps up on Sunday with the third-place game and the final championship match.
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