Zalgiris beat Armani 86-83 as Banki's return ends in frustration

Zalgiris beat Armani Milano 86-83 away from home in Round 11 of the Euroleague. The Lithuanian side improved to 7-4, while Armani remained at 1-10. Luka Banki's return to Armani's bench, 10 years after his first spell from 2013 to 2015, did not go well.

Zalgiris controlled most of the game. With Zalgiris appearing to lead 77-86 in the final minutes, three-pointers from Ritchie and Bolmaro, along with two opponent mistakes, kept Armani within reach until the last seconds. Ritchie's last-second three-pointer, however, missed.

Jonas Valančiūnas made the difference for Zalgiris. He scored 17 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. That rebound total was the highest of his Euroleague career. For Armani, Gudurić stood out with 20 points and 4 rebounds, while Bolmaro added 12 points.

Armani had opened the first quarter with a 7-point lead. Zalgiris took control in the second quarter and went into the break ahead 41-45. In the second half, Zalgiris extended their advantage to 17 points.

Zalgiris will host Bayern Munich at home on November 17. On the same date, Armani will host Crvena Zvezda.