The hosts held the German side to a season-low 53 points
Consistent defensive intensity was key to Zalgiris’s win over ALBA
Article
3 Mins read
It wasn’t the first time Zalgiris Kaunas proved why numbers have crowned it the stingiest defense in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season and it will most probably not be the last one. Heading into Tuesday evening’s clash against ALBA Berlin, Zalgiris conceded a league-low average of 79.0 points per game. Yet, in basketball, there’s always room for improvement and some extra sessions on defensive intensity this week paid off against the German side.
Zalgiris strangled ALBA with its defensive intensity, holding the visitors to a season-low 53 points. This win allowed Andrea Trinchieri’s side to get back to winning ways after losing their previous three duels.
“It was a must-win game for us,” Ignas Brazdeikis told EuroLeague TV after the game. “Especially with a few tough [losses]. We came out aggressive. We were really focused on defense. This whole week we were focusing on just the fundamentals of defense and locking in together and it showed tonight.”
Game Videos
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ALBA Berlin-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | RS Round 26 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Walker’s circus bucket! Motorola Magic Moment
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McCormack smashes home an alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
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Dunston with a one-handed slam! Motorola Magic Moment
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Wetzell dunks after nice dish! Motorola Magic Moment
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Zalgiris Kaunas-FC Bayern Munich | RS Round 24 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Birutis with the big slam! Motorola Magic Moment
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Sirvydis’s chase-back block on Obst! Motorola Magic Moment
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Carsen Edwards: 'It was a 15-point win? Playing against ALBA, it never feels like that'
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ALBA Berlin-FC Bayern Munich | RS Round 23 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Olinde swats Yebo! Motorola Magic Moment
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Francisco and Birutis light it up! Magic Moment
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McCormack with the nasty alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
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Butkevicius shows his range! Motorola Magic Moment
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Smailagic's put-back dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Wetzell dunks off a smooth ALBA play! Motorola Magic Moment
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McCormack's put-back slam! Motorola Magic Moment
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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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ALBA Berlin-Real Madrid | RS Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Smailagic takes off! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:33
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McCormack's big put-back dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:20
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Delow dunks by Tavares! Motorola Magic Moment
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Zalgiris Kaunas-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | RS Round 17 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Smailagic with a big two-handed slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
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Dunston's big swat! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:58
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Lonnie Walker: 'When we're locked in on defense, I don't think there's anyone who can beat us'
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ALBA Berlin-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Birutis skies for the dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Ziga Samar joins the EuroLeague Fantasy Podcast!
Brazdeikis pulled off his finest performance this term, netting a season-high 21 points. Yet, more importantly, he fulfilled the role of being just one of Trinchieri’s warriors on the other end of the floor.
Bryant Dunston was the one to set the tone with a game-high 3 blocks and a team-high 7 rebounds. Zalgiris recorded 9 blocks, the highest tally of any EuroLeague side so far this season. The hosts also registered 9 steals, forcing ALBA into a total of 21 turnovers. Hustle, stops, deflections and blocks have been the key words that have sculpted Zalgiris’s mentality this season.
“This is the kind of game I actually think is best for us,” Dunston told EuroLeague TV. “Defensively, even when the shots are not going down, we are still there, physically imposing our way on the game on the defensive end. And that’s important, especially when we play against teams that have a lot of offensive weapons.”
Zalgiris held the visitors to 12 and 10 points in the first and second quarter, respectively, taking a 37-22 lead into the second half. It took a frustrated ALBA more than 5 and a half minutes to score a field goal in the third quarter, with Zalgiris not even letting its guard down in the fourth, when the game was practically over.
Having opened the last double-round week of the season in style, Zalgiris is set to host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Thursday. And should it maintain the same defensive intensity, it could open a winning streak that would serve as a major boost in morale.