Olimpia Milano 83, Zalgiris Kaunas 86 — Zalgiris Kaunas secured a hard-fought 86-83 EuroLeague road win over Olimpia Milano, using a late 8-2 run and timely defensive stops to silence the Mediolanum Forum crowd.

Zalgiris answer every Milano run

Milano started brightly behind Nikola Mirotic’s scoring, but Zalgiris stayed connected through Keenan Evans’ penetration and Edgaras Ulanovas’ physical play on the wing. The first quarter ended 22-19 in Zalgiris’ favor, and the teams traded the lead throughout a competitive second period. Milano took a 41-39 advantage into halftime after Shavon Shields converted a transition layup at the buzzer.

The third quarter followed a similar pattern. Zalgiris moved ahead 64-61 heading into the final period, but Milano responded with a 7-0 run to reclaim the lead. With the game hanging in the balance, Zalgiris turned to its half-court defense and found just enough offense to escape.

Key moments in the final minutes

Milano led 81-79 with just over two minutes remaining after Mirotic hit a contested turnaround jumper. Zalgiris answered on the next possession when Evans drilled a step-back three-pointer from the top of the key. After a Milano miss, Laurynas Birutis scored on a put-back to extend the lead to four.

Milano had chances to tie in the closing seconds, but Shields’ three-point attempt was contested and fell short. Evans iced the game at the free-throw line, and Zalgiris’ defense forced a final turnover to seal the result.

Tactical story: defense and second-chance points

Zalgiris won the offensive rebounding battle 13-8 and generated 15 second-chance points, a crucial edge in a game decided by fine margins. The Lithuanian side also limited Milano to 9-of-28 shooting from beyond the arc and forced 13 turnovers.

Milano’s half-court offense became too reliant on Mirotic and Shields late in the game. Zalgiris switched aggressively on screens and crowded the paint, daring Milano’s role players to beat them from the perimeter. The approach worked, as Milano managed just 17 points in the final quarter.

Standout performers

• Keenan Evans (Zalgiris): 24 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds — the engine behind Zalgiris’ late surge.
• Edgaras Ulanovas (Zalgiris): 14 points, 7 rebounds — delivered tough defense and timely baskets.
• Laurynas Birutis (Zalgiris): 12 points, 8 rebounds — controlled the offensive glass.
• Nikola Mirotic (Milano): 23 points, 8 rebounds — carried the scoring load in defeat.
• Shavon Shields (Milano): 17 points, 5 assists — efficient but quiet in the final minutes.

What the result means

Zalgiris improves to 5-4 in the EuroLeague standings and picks up a valuable road win against a direct playoff rival. Milano falls to 4-5 and will be frustrated by another close loss decided in the final possessions. The head-to-head result could matter when tiebreakers are calculated later in the season.