Valaitis powers Žalgiris past Zvezda: two-time champion Trba suffers second straight loss

The Lithuanian champion makes a winning start to his Cyber EuroLeague campaign, handing two-time champion Ivan "Trba" Trbušković his second consecutive defeat.

October 10, 2026 | Cyber EuroLeague 2K27 – Regular Season, Round 1

Žalgiris Kaunas opened its Cyber EuroLeague 2K27 campaign in impressive fashion on Saturday evening, defeating Crvena Zvezda Belgrade 73-86 in a highly anticipated clash between two established names in European NBA 2K esports.

Martynas Valaitis, a former Cyber EuroLeague champion who has dominated Lithuania's competitive NBA 2K scene for years, delivered a commanding performance against Serbian national team representative Ivan "Trba" Trbušković, himself a two-time Cyber EuroLeague winner and an eSportsBattle 2K coach.

The result gives Žalgiris a perfect 1-0 start to its campaign, while Crvena Zvezda falls to 2-2 after suffering back-to-back defeats.

Žalgiris takes control early

Valaitis wasted little time establishing his authority, guiding Žalgiris to a 13-9 advantage after the opening quarter.

The Lithuanian maintained his momentum throughout the second period, outscoring Trbušković 21-15 to extend the visitors' advantage to 34-24 at halftime.

Despite Zvezda's efforts to find a way back into the contest, Valaitis continued to dictate the scoreboard in the third quarter. Another 26 points pushed Žalgiris ahead 60-46 heading into the final period.

Trbušković produced his strongest offensive quarter of the evening in the fourth, scoring 27 points, but the damage had already been done. Valaitis answered with 26 of his own, comfortably protecting the advantage and sealing an impressive 86-73 road victory.

A battle between Cyber EuroLeague champions

Saturday's encounter brought together two competitors with three Cyber EuroLeague championships between them.

Trbušković, widely known throughout the competitive NBA 2K community as "Trba," is among the competition's experienced veterans. Alongside his two Cyber EuroLeague titles, the Serbian represents his country in NBA 2K international competition and works as a coach in eSportsBattle 2K.

On the opposite side, Valaitis has established himself as one of Lithuania's most successful and consistent competitive NBA 2K players, having dominated the country's domestic 2K leagues for several years.

With one Cyber EuroLeague championship already to his name, the Lithuanian demonstrated that he remains a serious contender at the highest level of European competitive NBA 2K.

Second consecutive setback for Trba

For Crvena Zvezda, the defeat raises questions about the team's early-season consistency.

Trbušković began his campaign with two victories, edging Anadolu Efes 57-52 after overtime before recording a remarkable 86-37 triumph over Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv.

However, that promising start has now been followed by two consecutive losses.

A 67-55 defeat against Dubai BC on October 9 was followed just one day later by Saturday's 86-73 setback against Žalgiris.

With Zvezda now sitting at 2-2, the Serbian veteran will be looking for an immediate response as the competition continues.

Meanwhile, Valaitis has made an early statement with Žalgiris, showing that the Lithuanian contender has every intention of challenging Europe's elite once again.

What's next?

Crvena Zvezda faces a quick turnaround, with Trbušković scheduled to take on LDLC ASVEL on October 13 before facing Paris Basketball on October 16.

For Valaitis, the victory provides an ideal foundation for the campaign ahead as he looks to add a second Cyber EuroLeague title to his collection.

Three European titles between them, but on Saturday night, it was the Lithuanian who came out on top.