ZALGIRIS KAUNAS (LITHUANIA)

Founded in 1944
Team colors: green and white
Honors: Euroleague (1999), Saporta Cup (1998), Intercontinental Cup (1986), NEBL (1999), Lithuanian National League (1946, 1950, 1952-1955, 1957, 1958, 1991-1999, 2001, 2003-2005, 2007, 2008, 2011-2019), Lithuanian National Cup (1990, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018), Lithuanian Supercup (2012), Baltic Basketball League (2005, 2008, 2010-2012), Baltic Basketball League Cup (2009), USSR championship (1947, 1951, 1985-1987), USSR Cup (1953)
Arena: Zalgirio Arena (capacity – 15552)
Head coach: Sarunas Jasikevicius
President: Paulius Motiejunas
Official website: zalgiris.lt

Where to watch

LIVE: Match TV (19:30), Match! Igra (replay at 22:20, 04:05), Match! Strana (replay at 02:10), EuroLeague TV, matchtv.ru
Text online: EuroLeague website

GAME NOTES

Khimki has a 7-1 record against Zalgiris, including 4-0 on home floor, and is on a seven-game winning streak against the Lithuanian champion.

Khimki head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis was a Zalgiris superstar in the 1980s and played the EuroLeague final with the club in 1986.

Zalgiris forward Paulius Jankunas has played his entire professional career with Zalgiris except for the 2009/2010 campaign, which he spent with Khimki. He was a teammate of Petr Gubanov and Vyacheslav Zaytsev that season.

Janis Timma of Khimki and Zach LeDay of Zalgiris were teammates with Olympiacos Piraeus last season.

Gubanov and Zalgiris sharpshooter Arturas Milaknis were teammates at UNICS Kazan during the 2015/2016 season.

PRE-GAME QUOTES

Rimas Kurtinaitis, Khimki Moscow Region head coach:

“Zalgiris is a well-organized team. They play all 40 minutes, regardless of the result. At the moment, they do not take a high place in the standings, but they are a dangerous team. In the EuroLeague they lost some games with a minimum difference of two or three points. Zalgiris is dangerous both at home and on the road, as their players give their best, so the game will not be easy. They have a well-balanced team, players create good situations, but they just didn’t have enough luck. They play good defense; everyone is fighting for themselves and for the team. I would like to highlight not individual players, but their spirit. This is their most important quality”.

Vyacheslav Zaytsev, Khimki Moscow Region head guard:

“Zalgiris is a great team that always fight till the final buzzer. They have a good roster and a great coach, who proved that he can achieve big results with not the strongest teams. We have to pay big attention on our defense because if we defend well, we’ll make more fast breaks and the game will be ours. We’ll try to win because of that”.