The Barça basketball team suffered a costly 81-88 defeat against Zalgiris Kaunas in their Euroleague clash at the Palau Blaugrana, according to the sources. Holding a comfortable ten-point lead going into the final period, the home side watched victory slip away as the Lithuanian visitors engineered a decisive 33-16 fourth-quarter surge driven by sharp perimeter shooting and dominance on the glass.
The loss drops Barcelona’s record to 2 and 2 in the Euroleague regular season.
Justin Robinson Leads Offense as Evbuomwan and Nebo Make Returns
Playing in front of 4,346 spectators at the Palau Blaugrana, Barcelona entered the contest eager to reestablish rhythm following a stretch of three consecutive away fixtures and a five-day break. Point guard Justin Robinson immediately shouldered the offensive load, opening the scoring sequence with two three-pointers to counter an early 12-6 run by Zalgiris Kaunas that forced coach Sekulic to call an early timeout.
Tosan Evbuomwan made his official club debut, providing immediate physical presence and scoring inside, alongside fellow returning big man Josh Nebo.
Third-Quarter Surge Builds Ten-Point Advantage Before Final Collapse
Trailing 18-23 after the opening ten minutes, Barcelona shifted momentum in the second and third quarters. Center Olek Balcerowski anchored the defensive effort against Zalgiris center Jonas Valanciunas, blocking shots from Carsen Edwards and Valanciunas while drawing a charging foul. Punter and Martin added perimeter scoring to erase the deficit, sending the hosts into halftime ahead 41-39.
The momentum continued through the third period. Robinson kept the offense flowing, Umude connected from deep, and Dario Brizuela contributed five consecutive points. Combined with a basket from Nebo, Barcelona stretched their advantage to 65-55, holding a secure ten-point cushion as the fourth quarter began.
Carsen Edwards Sparks Zalgiris Kaunas Fourth-Quarter Comeback
The final period completely altered the trajectory of the match. Zalgiris erased the deficit through relentless outside shooting and second-chance points, finishing the night 13-of-27 from beyond the arc and out-rebounding Barcelona 36 to 26. Guard Carsen Edwards caught fire in the closing stanza, scoring 11 of his team-high 19 points down the stretch to anchor the Lithuanian surge.
Barcelona struggled to find answers against Edwards and Sleva, who finished with 14 points. As Kevin Punter struggled to find his shooting touch, the visitors snatched a 72-76 lead. Balcerowski eventually fouled out with under three minutes remaining, followed by Martin in the final minute, leaving the hosts unable to mount a meaningful response as Zalgiris closed out the 81-88 victory.
Justin Robinson Leads Barcelona Scoring
The match was officiated by referees Milan Nedovic, Saso Petek, and Hugues Thepenier. Final statistics from the fixture record the starting lineups and individual scoring: for Barcelona, Justin Robinson scored 20 points, Martin added 6, Kevin Punter contributed 9, Parra had 4, and Olek Balcerowski finished with 7. Barcelona’s reserves included Gibson with 3 points, Umude with 6, Dario Brizuela with 7, Nkamhoua with 3, Núñez with 4, Tosan Evbuomwan with 8, and Josh Nebo with 4. For Zalgiris Kaunas, the starting five featured Carsen Edwards with 19 points, Lee with 5, Butkevicius with 5, Sleva with 14, and Jonas Valanciunas with 12 points and 9 rebounds. The Lithuanian bench contributions included Brown with 2 points, Giedraitis with no scoring recorded, Tubelis with 8, Lo with 4, Blazevic with 0, Grigonis with 12, and Ulanovas with 7.
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