Žalgiris flips the script: comeback win on the road against the leader

Hapoel Tel Aviv-Zalgiris Kaunas 80-93: top scorers Chris Jones 18 and Elijah Bryant 14; for the visitors Nigel Williams-Goss 15 and Moses Wright 15.
Down double-digits early (25-13), Zalgiris rallies and closes 2025 with a statement victory.

Playing in Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv started fast and built a 25-13 lead by the end of the first quarter. But Zalgiris gradually settled in, tightened up on both ends and erased the gap before halftime, going into the break up 40-39.

The turning point came right after the restart, as the Lithuanians grabbed control with a strong start to the second half and never let Hapoel fully respond. They had five players in double figures: Williams-Goss and Wright scored 15 apiece, Azuolas Tubelis posted 12 points and eight rebounds, and Sylvain Francisco added 13 points with eight assists.

Hapoel couldn’t recover despite Jones’ 18 and Bryant’s 14, and the visitors sealed the 93-80 win to end the year on a high. The home side is now 13-6 and will host Dubai next, while Zalgiris improves to 11-8 and will open 2026 in Bologna against Virtus.