Gargždų SC 74 – 84 Neptūnas Klaipėda | Lietuvos krepšinio lyga | May 24, 2026

Neptūnas Klaipėda traveled to the seaside town of Gargždai and delivered a composed second‑half performance to defeat Gargždų SC 84–74 in a Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) showdown on Sunday night. The win pushed Neptūnas closer to the top four in the standings, while Gargždai remained rooted near the bottom.

First Half Battle

The opening two quarters were tightly contested. Gargždai, playing in front of a passionate home crowd at the Gargždai Sports Center, matched Neptūnas basket for basket. The hosts’ American guard Jalen Brown (22 points) used his quickness to penetrate and create scoring opportunities, while Neptūnas relied on a balanced attack led by veteran forward Rokas Mačiulis (14 points, 8 rebounds). The score was tied 40–40 at halftime.

Neptūnas Takes Control

The decisive stretch came early in the third quarter. Neptūnas head coach Mindaugas Brazys adjusted the defense to a 2‑3 zone, which disrupted Gargždai’s rhythm. Point guard Ernestas Kurauskas took over the game, scoring 12 of his 20 points in the period and dishing out four assists. Neptūnas outscored Gargždai 28–16 in the third, building a lead they never relinquished.

Late Gargždai Push Not Enough

Gargždai fought back in the fourth, trimming the deficit to six points with three minutes left, but Neptūnas’ experience showed. Free‑throw shooting and a crucial steal by Kurauskas sealed the victory.

• Leading Scorers:
  • Jalen Brown (GAR) – 22 pts, 5 ast
  • Ernestas Kurauskas (NEP) – 20 pts, 9 ast, 4 reb
  • Martynas Varnas (NEP) – 16 pts, 7 reb
  • Adas Juškevičius (GAR) – 14 pts, 3 stl

Standings Picture

Neptūnas improved to 16‑9, solidifying fifth place and keeping pressure on Žalgiris and Rytas in the upper half. Gargždai fell to 7‑18, remaining in 11th place, but their spirited performance showed they are capable of causing problems for any opponent.

The LKL regular season continues to deliver drama, and Neptūnas’ road win highlighted their growing confidence ahead of the playoffs.