Unbeaten Žalgiris Prevails in Clásico, Gargždai’s Phenomenon Continues, and Nevėžis Finally Breaks Free

The second month of the 2026–2027 Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) sponsored by Betsson season delivered high-stakes rivalries, unbelievable individual feats, and dramatic shifts across the standings.

Žalgiris Holds Perfect Record After Thrilling Rivalry Victory

Žalgiris Kaunas extended their flawless domestic run, standing tall at 8–0 atop the league table. The green-and-whites pushed their historic LKL winning streak to an extraordinary 43 games, though they had to weather tough tests along the way—including a narrow escape in Kėdainiai (80–76).

The highlight of the month came on November 2, when Žalgiris visited Rytas Vilnius in front of a season-high 8,223 fans at Arena Vilnius. In a high-octane battle, Žalgiris overturned a seven-point halftime deficit to claim a 94–89 victory. Dustin Sleva delivered a career-best performance with 24 points (6/8 3PT), 9 rebounds, and a 31 efficiency rating, while Jonas Valančiūnas contributed 15 points and 7 rebounds in his first derby appearance against his former club.

JaQuan Carlos Named September–October MVP as Gargždai Holds Second Place

Despite their eventual November 2 roadblock, Gargždai remained the ultimate story of the early season. Sitting 2nd in the standings with a 5–3 record, the coastal squad continued their fearless run by knocking off Lietkabelis Panevėžys 83–80 and Tauragė 102–82.

Point guard JaQuan Carlos was officially named the September–October LKL MVP. The 24-year-old American posted remarkable averages over the two-month stretch: 20.9 points, 8.1 assists, 2.0 steals, and a league-leading 26.3 efficiency rating. Rejecting the notion of a temporary "Cinderella story," Carlos insisted Gargždai's success stems from mutual trust, methodical game planning, and a complete team effort.

Nevėžis Snaps Half-Year Winless Drought

After starting the domestic season 0–6 and absorbing 15 consecutive official losses dating back to April, Nevėžis-Paskolų klubas Kėdainiai finally got off the mark. After breaking their overall drought in the Citadele King Mindaugas Cup (Citadele KMT) preliminary round against Jurbarkas-Karys-Manvesta (93–69), Kėdainiai earned their first LKL victory on November 2 by defeating Gargždai 87–76. Xander Rice (21 points) and Flynn Boardman-Raffet (20 points) led the attack, while Nevėžis defensively held MVP JaQuan Carlos to just 6 points and 2 efficiency.

Competitive Chaos Across the Table

Behind Žalgiris and Gargždai, the rest of the standings remain tightly packed:

Rytas (4–2) holds 3rd place, picking up road wins over Šiauliai (95–88) and Utena (94–76) before their hard-fought home derby defeat.
Lietkabelis (4–4) and Neptūnas Klaipėda (4–4) sit side-by-side in 4th and 5th. Lietkabelis engineered a dramatic 18-point comeback to top Neptūnas 99–79 on October 31, fueled by Alexander Schumacher’s 29 points.
Hipocredit Jonava (3–4) surged into 6th behind a historic performance from Nick Johnson, who set the season's single-game efficiency record (39 EFF: 29 points, 11 fouls drawn) in a 94–82 victory over Juventus Utena.
Juventus (3–5), Šiauliai (3–5), and Tauragė (3–5) round out the bottom half, with Tauragė closing out October on a high note by coming back from 14 points down to beat Šiauliai 91–81.