Zalgiris faced an unexpected and potentially serious setback during their third preseason game after Jonas Valanciunas’ injury.
Instead of a routine tune-up against Azerbaijan’s Sabah, the main topic in the Lithuanian camp became the injury to the team’s star player, Jonas Valanciunas. The friendly match, which was intended to help build rhythm and form, quickly turned into a cause for concern for the coaching staff and the “Green Forest” fanbase early in the contest.
First-quarter setback: How the injury happened
As reported by Lrytas and Basketnews, the incident that stunned the Lithuanian giant’s bench occurred in the closing moments of the opening quarter. With just 31.8 seconds remaining on the clock, the veteran center executed a set play to set a screen for his teammate Marius Grigonis. However, things took a turn for the worse. An unintentional and awkward collision between the two teammates sent Valanciunas stumbling, and he immediately grabbed the calf of his right leg.
Jonas Valanciunas got injured during the Zalgiris friendly game vs Sabah.
— Mindaugas Bertys (@the_mindaugas) September 6, 2026
He was setting up for a screen, but suddenly collapsed, grabbing his right calf.
JV hobbled to the bench and remained there without his right sneaker on. pic.twitter.com/tzc2OIct33
Ice on the bench and exit to the locker room
It was instantly clear that the big man could not continue. Limping visibly, he left the floor and headed to the bench. The medical staff reacted immediately by applying ice to the injured area, while Valanciunas watched the rest of the first half from the sidelines after removing his right sneaker.
The gravity of the situation was further highlighted as the game progressed, during halftime, the center walked to the locker room and did not return to the bench for the second half. As of now, Zalgiris has not released an official update regarding the extent of the muscle damage. The entire team and the fans in Kaunas nervously await the results of detailed medical evaluations, which will determine the final diagnosis and how long the team’s leader might be sidelined.
