Three standout takeaways from Žalgiris’ emphatic victory

Žalgiris produced its most dominant win of the preseason, beating Baku Sabah 112-78 at Žalgiris Arena. The 34-point margin gave coach Tomas Masiulis’ team its biggest victory of the exhibition campaign so far.

The game also brought national-team returnees Ąžuolas Tubelis, Maodo Lo and Marek Blaževičius into the team’s rotation. Masiulis said Tubelis and Lo needed little time to settle in because they were not newcomers, while Blaževičius should fully integrate within a couple of weeks.

Tubelis scored 12 points in just under 12 minutes, making all five of his two-point attempts and adding two dunks. Lo began in the starting five and contributed a two-pointer, a three-pointer and an assist during his second spell before halftime. Blaževičius posted the best statistical line, scoring 17 points, grabbing six rebounds and recording a 24 efficiency rating. He also played more than 20 minutes, alongside four other Žalgiris players.

The team’s long-range shooting stood out. After making eight three-pointers against Zelli and six against Juventus in its first two exhibition games, Žalgiris hit 19 against Sabah. Marius Grigonis and Sterling Brown each attempted seven, while Brown made four. His fourth three-pointer also gave Žalgiris its 100th point of the season, after which teammates introduced him to the locker room’s sushi tradition.

Žalgiris last reached such a total of three-pointers during the 2024-25 season, when it made 21 of 29 against Utenos Juventus in a 128-67 Lithuanian league victory.

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Ąžuolas Tubelis and Maodo Lo are not newcomers, so it is not difficult for them to get going.