2025–26 King Mindaugas Cup
2025–26 season of the Lithuanian basketball cup competition
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The 2025–26 King Mindaugas Cup, also known as the Citadele Karaliaus Mindaugo taurė for sponsorship purposes, was the eleventh edition of the King Mindaugas Cup. The final four was hosted by Šiauliai Arena in Šiauliai on 21–22 February 2026.[1]
CountryLithuania
CityŠiauliai
VenueŠiauliai Arena
Dates1 October 2025 – 10 December 2025
(Group stage)
20 December 2025 – 18 January 2026
(Quarterfinals)
21–22 February 2026
(Final four)
(Group stage)
20 December 2025 – 18 January 2026
(Quarterfinals)
21–22 February 2026
(Final four)
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Lithuania |
| City | Šiauliai |
| Venue | Šiauliai Arena |
| Dates | 1 October 2025 – 10 December 2025 (Group stage) 20 December 2025 – 18 January 2026 (Quarterfinals) 21–22 February 2026 (Final four) |
| Teams | 9 |
| Defending champions | Žalgiris |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Žalgiris (9th title) |
| Runners-up | Rytas |
| Third place | Lietkabelis |
| Fourth place | Neptūnas |
| Awards | |
| MVP |  Moses Wright |
Žalgiris successfully defended the title for the 6th time in a row after defeating Rytas in the final; 101–85.
Format
All 9 teams from 2025–26 LKL season will participate in this tournament. Four teams that participates in Euroleague Basketball and FIBA tournaments, have received bye's to the quarterfinals stage, while the remaining teams will participate in the round-robin stage, with the Top 4 teams advancing to the quarterfinals.[2]
For a place in the King Mindaugas Cup final four, clubs will play two matches each. The first matches will be played at the home arena of the club that finished lower in the previous 2024–25 LKL season. Second matches will be played at home arena of the club that finished higher in the previous LKL season.[3]
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification | NEV | JUV | SIA | JON | GAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevėžis–Paskolų klubas | 8 | 5 | 3 | 704 | 703 | +1 | Advance to Quarterfinals | — | 88–84 | 83–78 | 92–74 | 72–94 | |
| 2 | Juventus | 8 | 4 | 4 | 704 | 676 | +28 | 100–102 | — | 96–87 | 97–83 | 90–73 | ||
| 3 | Šiauliai | 8 | 4 | 4 | 699 | 705 | −6 | 95–92 | 93–85 | — | 86–76 | 89–83 | ||
| 4 | Jonava Hipocredit | 8 | 4 | 4 | 676 | 702 | −26 | 88–101 | 82–80 | 88–80 | — | 97–82 | ||
| 5 | Gargždai | 8 | 3 | 5 | 676 | 673 | +3 | 90–74 | 68–72 | 102–91 | 84–88 | — |
Source: LKL.LT
Quarterfinals
Four teams Žalgiris, Rytas, Lietkabelis and Neptūnas have received byes to the Quarterfinals stage due to participating in FIBA and Euroleague Basketball competitions. Mentioned teams make up the first quarterfinals basket according to their position in 2024–25 LKL season. The second quarterfinals basket will consist of the four best teams from the group stage.
The teams in the first basket will be paired with the teams in the second basket in the following order:[2]
- Žalgiris will play the team that finished fourth in the group stage.
- Rytas will play the team that finished third in the group stage.
- Lietkabelis will play the team that finished second in the group stage.
- Neptūnas will play the team that finished first in the group stage.
| Team | Pos |
|---|---|
| Žalgiris | 1 |
| Rytas | 2 |
| Lietkabelis | 3 |
| Neptūnas | 8 |
| Team | Pos |
|---|---|
| Nevėžis–Paskolų klubas | 1 |
| Juventus | 2 |
| Šiauliai | 3 |
| Jonava Hipocredit | 4 |
The club with better overall cumulative score after two quarterfinals matches will advance to the King Mindaugas Cup final four.[3] On 11 December 2025, the schedule of quarterfinals has been announced.[4]
Žalgiris vs. Jonava Hipocredit
| 21 December 2025 Game 1 |
Jonava Hipocredit | 73–118 | Žalgiris | Panevėžys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 21–33, 10–25, 19–35, 23–25 | |||
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Pts: Slavinskas, Ashton-Langford 12 Rebs: Henry 4 Asts: Ashton-Langford 6 PIR: Slavinskas 16 |
Boxscore | Pts: Tubelis 20 Rebs: Birutis 8 Asts: Butkevičius 6 PIR: Tubelis 25 |
Arena: Kalnapilio Arena Attendance: 535 Referees: Gintaras Mačiulis, Dovydas Kairys, Ignas Kutka |
| 17 January 2026 Game 2 |
Žalgiris | 89–63 | Jonava Hipocredit | Garliava |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:30 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 17–16, 26–13, 26–19, 20–15 | |||
|
Pts: Rubštavičius 16 Rebs: three players 7 Asts: Lô 4 PIR: Rubštavičius 18 |
Boxscore | Pts: Carter III 13 Rebs: Kirves 6 Asts: Ashton-Langford 5 PIR: Krikke 14 |
Arena: Garliava Arena Attendance: 711 Referees: Juozas Barkauskas, Aurimas Borusas, Jonas Lazauskas |
Rytas vs. Šiauliai
| 23 December 2025 Game 1 |
Šiauliai | 82–97 | Rytas | Šiauliai |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 25–32, 17–27, 24–19, 16–19 | |||
|
Pts: Henderson 15 Rebs: Pleikys 9 Asts: McKnight 7 PIR: Pleikys 16 |
Boxscore | Pts: Walker 25 Rebs: Gudaitis 10 Asts: Walker 10 PIR: Walker 31 |
Arena: Šiauliai Arena Attendance: 3415 Referees: Juozas Barkauskas, Andžej Urbanovič, Jonas Lazauskas |
| 15 January 2026 Game 2 |
Rytas | 99–94 | Šiauliai | Vilnius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:00 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 33–22, 23–26, 24–24 | |||
|
Pts: Sargiūnas 18 Rebs: Gudaitis 7 Asts: Smith 7 PIR: Smith 26 |
Boxscore | Pts: Henderson 26 Rebs: Simanić 6 Asts: McKnight 9 PIR: Fofana 26 |
Arena: Twinsbet Arena Attendance: 2158 Referees: Gintaras Mačiulis, Dovydas Kairys, Tomas Stankevičius |
Lietkabelis vs. Juventus
| 20 December 2025 Game 1 |
Juventus | 76–73 | Lietkabelis | Utena |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:30 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 18–15, 23–15, 14–18, 21–25 | |||
|
Pts: Vraneš 20 Rebs: Uleckas 6 Asts: Valinskas 4 PIR: Vraneš 24 |
Boxscore | Pts: Flowers 22 Rebs: Danusevičius 8 Asts: Maldūnas, Kullamäe 3 PIR: Flowers 25 |
Arena: Utena Arena Attendance: 1864 Referees: Artūras Šukys, Aurimas Borusas, Darius Šomka |
| 18 January 2026 Game 2 |
Lietkabelis | 81–68 | Juventus | Panevėžys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:00 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 14–9, 18–20, 22–17, 27–22 | |||
|
Pts: Kullamäe 24 Rebs: Maldūnas, Aimaq 6 Asts: Kullamäe 6 PIR: Kullamäe 32 |
Boxscore | Pts: Diarra 15 Rebs: Uleckas 9 Asts: Diarra 5 PIR: Diarra 16 |
Arena: Kalnapilio Arena Attendance: 1979 Referees: Gytis Vilius, Gvidas Gedvilas, Gabrielius Simonavičius |
Neptūnas vs. Nevėžis–Paskolų klubas
| 23 December 2025 Game 1 |
Nevėžis–Paskolų klubas | 76–87 | Neptūnas | Kėdainiai |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:00 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 15–26, 28–15, 13–23, 20–23 | |||
|
Pts: Miguel 17 Rebs: Marcinkevičius 8 Asts: Miguel 3 PIR: Muila 17 |
Boxscore | Pts: Kozys, Lomažs 17 Rebs: Majauskas 8 Asts: Velička 4 PIR: Waterman 23 |
Arena: Kėdainiai Arena Attendance: 918 Referees: Gytis Vilius, Gabrielius Simonavičius, Deividas Mačiulskis |
| 17 January 2026 Game 2 |
Neptūnas | 87–67 | Nevėžis–Paskolų klubas | Klaipėda |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:00 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 17–13, 21–24, 30–15, 19–15 | |||
|
Pts: Lomažs 19 Rebs: Kozys, Waterman 7 Asts: Velička 6 PIR: Lomažs 21 |
Boxscore | Pts: McLaughlin 16 Rebs: Marcinkevičius 7 Asts: Vaitkus, Chargois 3 PIR: McLaughlin 13 |
Arena: Švyturys Arena Attendance: 1856 Referees: Artūras Šukys, Andžej Urbanovič, Darius Šomka |
Final four
| Semifinals 21 February | Final 22 February | ||||||
| Žalgiris | 119 | ||||||
| Neptūnas | 81 | ||||||
| Žalgiris | 101 | ||||||
| Rytas | 85 | ||||||
| Rytas | 106 | ||||||
| Lietkabelis | 89 | Third place 22 February | |||||
| Neptūnas | 73 | ||||||
| Lietkabelis | 94 | ||||||
Semifinals
| 21 February 2026 | Žalgiris | 119–81 | Neptūnas | Šiauliai |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:15 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 25–22, 35–20, 28–17 | |||
 |
Pts: Sleva 23 Rebs: Tubelis 7 Asts: Lô 9 PIR: Tubelis 29 |
Boxscore | Pts: Lomažs 17 Rebs: Šiliņš 5 Asts: Velička 5 PIR: Lomažs 16 |
Arena: Šiauliai Arena Attendance: 5380 Referees: Artūras Šukys, Gvidas Gedvilas, Andžej Urbanovič |
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| 21 February 2026 | Rytas | 106–89 | Lietkabelis | Šiauliai |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:45 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 29–20, 27–17, 26–22, 24–30 | |||
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Pts: Sargiūnas 29 Rebs: Gudaitis 7 Asts: Smith 7 PIR: Sargiūnas 31 |
Boxscore | Pts: Morris 16 Rebs: Maldūnas 6 Asts: Radičević 8 PIR: Furmanavičius 20 |
Arena: Šiauliai Arena Attendance: 3,963 Referees: Gytis Vilius, Saulius Račys, Juozas Barkauskas |
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Third place game
| 22 February 2026 | Neptūnas | 73–94 | Lietkabelis | Šiauliai |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:15 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 24–16, 12–31, 21–24, 16–23 | |||
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Pts: Lomažs 27 Rebs: Velička 5 Asts: Velička, Lomažs 6 PIR: Lomažs 31 |
Boxscore | Pts: Danusevičius 23 Rebs: Maldūnas 12 Asts: Danusevičius, Kullamäe 6 PIR: Danusevičius 32 |
Arena: Šiauliai Arena Attendance: 5380 Referees: Gvidas Gedvilas, Juozas Barkauskas, Gintaras Mačiulis |
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Final
| 22 February 2026 | Žalgiris | 101–85 | Rytas | Šiauliai |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:00 (EET) | Scoring by quarter: 25–21, 37–16, 22–27, 17–21 | |||
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Pts: Wright 27 Rebs: Wright, Lô 6 Asts: Francisco 10 PIR: Francisco 33 |
Boxscore | Pts: Sargiūnas 16 Rebs: Gudaitis 6 Asts: Smith 6 PIR: Smith 18 |
Arena: Šiauliai Arena Attendance: 5450 Referees: Gytis Vilius, Artūras Šukys, Saulius Račys |
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Three-Point contest
| Pos. | Player | Team | Height (m) | Weight (kg) | First round | Semifinal | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Olin Carter III | Jonava Hipocredit | 1.90 | 86 | 18 | – | – |
| SG | Trenton McLaughlinREP | Nevėžis–Paskolų klubas | 1.98 | 91 | 13 | – | – |
| G/F |  Nojus Mineikis | Gargždai | 2.01 | 90 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| SG | Evaldas Šaulys | Juventus | 1.91 | 87 | 12 | – | – |
| F/C | Dovydas Romančenko | Šiauliai | 2.06 | 100 | 20 | 15 | – |
| G | Nojus Kulieša | Lietkabelis | 1.93 | 88 | 9 | – | – |
| F | Vitalijus KozysREP | Neptūnas | 2.01 | 97 | 19 (5) (7)AS | 22 | 16 |
| SG | Gantas KrižanauskasREP | Rytas | 1.94 | 91 | 19 (5) (6)AS | – | – |
| SG | Mantas Rubštavičius | Žalgiris | 1.98 | 84 | 18 | – | – |
| G | Zigmas Petraitis | Tornado KM | 1.86 | 73 | 17 | – | – |
| G | Jordan Walker | Rytas | 1.80 | 77 | 22 | 16 | – |
^REP Trenton McLaughlin replaces Nedas Montvila due to injury.[6] Gantas Križanauskas from Rytas replaces Simonas Lukošius and Vitalijus Kozys from Neptūnas replaces Harrison Cleary due to injuries.[7]
^AS The numbers in parentheses indicate the additional series that was needed after the participants scored the same number of points.