Zalgiris’s offense is slowly catching up to its defense
Zalgiris’s 'disciplined' game was too much for ALBA
Article
3 Mins read
Zalgiris Kaunas’s game is a story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but the Lithuanian team’s good side was helped by its bad side in beating ALBA Berlin.
Zalgiris entered the game with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s worst offense and best defense, and in the end, they combined for a 66-86 road victory over ALBA - the team with the worst defense in the league.
“We controlled the game from the jump ball. We had some so-so moments, but overall I would say we executed, we were disciplined, we moved the ball and we played very good defense,” said Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trinchieri.
Game Videos
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Olympiacos Piraeus-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 17 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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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
- 00:58
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Lonnie Walker: 'It was a collective win'
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Real Madrid-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 15 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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ALBA Berlin-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 15 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Smailagic puts it back! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
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Birutis's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
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What a monster jam by Wetzell! Motorola Magic Moment
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AS Monaco-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 14 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:25
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Huge dunk by McCormack! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:12
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Lonnie Walker: 'Our defensive effort led our team'
- 00:26
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FANS go CRAZY for this dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Zalgiris Kaunas-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 14 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Smailagic's put-back slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
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Birutis throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:22
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Smailagic's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
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Virtus Segafredo Bologna-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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David McCormack: 'I play hard and I play with passion'
- 00:31
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Schneider's poster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:10
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McCormack's alley-oop dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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Schneider's poster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:14
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Procida's huge dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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ALBA Berlin-Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | RS Round 12 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Zalgiris Kaunas-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 12 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Lonnie’s lift-off!! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Zalgiris Kaunas-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Lonnie Walker: ‘I love the team, I love the organization’
- 00:12
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Francisco hustles back for the block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:20
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Lonnie’s lift-off!! Motorola Magic Moment
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Real Madrid-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Spagnolo's 360 layup! Motorola Magic Moment
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Zalgiris Kaunas-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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FC Bayern Munich–ALBA Berlin | RS Round 10 highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Trevion Williams's touchdown pass! Motorola Magic Moment
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Paris Basketball-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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ALBA Berlin-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:08
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Trevion Williams: 'We showed who we are as a team'
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Spagnolo dances with Mannion and scores! Motorola Magic Moment
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FC Bayern Munich-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Schneider throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:15
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Milos Magic! Motorola Magic Moment
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Procida's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:09
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Arnas Butkevicius: 'When you work hard, luck is on your side'
Zalgiris had held opponents to under 70 points four times this season - but all of them came in the first seven rounds of the season. Trinchieri’s team made it a fifth time against ALBA.
“We have a very high standard [on defense] because we know what our capabilities are. It’s very important - our defense transitions into our offense. We’ve got great offensive role players, players who can do their thing, but when we are locked in on defense I don’t think there is anyone who can beat us,” said Lonnie Walker, who amassed 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
One of the keys to stopping ALBA was not letting Martin Hermannsson get going - something Trinchieri stressed in a timeout late in the first quarter saying: “Don’t open his game.”
Hermannsson finished with a season-low 3 points in nearly 17 minutes of action - not scoring until hitting a three-pointer with les than 5 minutes left in the game.
While Zalgiris’s defense has stood strong all season, its offense has struggled - ranking dead last with just 76.7 points, an index rating of 76.6, 13.9 assists and 48.8% shooting on two-pointers. The Greens scored 85 and 92 in the last two games, but they were held below 80 points 10 times coming into the game.
“All the teams really focus on me and Lonnie, but they forget that all the players can shoot the ball pretty well,” said Sylvain Francisco, who scored a team-high 16 points.
Fortunately for the visitors, Zalgiris’s offense was facing ALBA’s defense - which had allowed 91.9 points and an average PIR of 109.1 coming into the game, both ranked last in the competition.
“We were focused enough. It’s a good way to start a double week - a win on the road … It’s always a very good feeling when you win on the road,” added Trinchieri, who is trying to best figure out the two sides of his team.