For the second consecutive year, Vilnius Rytas kicked off the Betsafe-LKL finals with a grueling victory on the opponent’s court that required extra time.
The defending champions overcame Kaunas Žalgiris 97:89 (19:15, 22:17, 17:20, 15:21, 9:9, 24:16) after 50 minutes of intense play and took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
A similar scenario unfolded in last year’s finals, when Rytas, having just escaped the semifinals, won in overtime on the temporary capital’s court and went on to claim the series.
Rytas led for most of the game, reaching a 15-point advantage in the third quarter. Žalgiris gradually closed the gap, coming within a point several times, but the Lithuanian champions managed to respond at crucial moments.
With 17 seconds left, R.J. Cole scored an important two-pointer to make it 73:70, but Sylvain Francisco hit a long-range three-pointer to tie the game at 73:73. After a timeout, Rytas failed to execute a scoring play, sending the contest into overtime.
In the first overtime, neither team could break away significantly, and Francisco gave the Kaunas side some hope with his hot hand (82:79). Meanwhile, Rytas had already lost both Artūras Gudaitis and Ąžuolas Tubelis due to fouls. Ignas Sargiūnas tied the game at 82:82, ending the first overtime.
During the second overtime, despite also losing Sargiūnas, Rytas stayed closer to victory. Demonstrating calm nerves and championship character, the visitors ultimately celebrated a hard-fought win in the series opener.
The most effective player for the winners was Ąžuolas Tubelis, who, despite fouling out, added 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 23 efficiency points. Key contributions also came from R.J. Cole with 19 points, Ignas Sargiūnas with 15 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 17 efficiency points, and Gytis Radzevičius with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 20 efficiency points.
Žalgiris’ efforts were not enough, even with a duo scoring more than half of the team’s points. Francisco scored 31 points (14/16 free throws) with 29 efficiency points, while Brazdeikis added 21 points.
By taking the lead in the finals, Giedrius Žibėnas’ team also ended Žalgiris’ remarkable home-winning streak in the domestic league, which had reached 35 consecutive victories.
The second game of the series will be held on Saturday, June 14, in Vilnius at the Twinsbet Arena. The game will be broadcast live on BTV and Go3 starting at 16:30.
Žalgiris: Sylvain Francisco 31, Ignas Brazdeikis 21, Isaiah Wong 12, Laurynas Birutis 9, Bryantas Dunston 8
Rytas: Ąžuolas Tubelis 21, R.J. Cole 19, Ignas Sargiūnas 15, Gytis Radzevičius 14, Margiris Normantas 11, Artūras Gudaitis 7