# 2018–19 LKL season

The 2018–19 Lietuvos krepšinio lyga, also called Betsafe-LKL for sponsorship reasons, was the 26th season of the top-tier level professional basketball league of Lithuania, the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga (LKL). The Betsafe LKL championship started on 22 September 2018 and ended on 1 June 2019.
Žalgiris achieved their 21st title overall, ninth consecutive.

## Competition format

During the regular season, all teams play 36 games. The top eight teams in the regular season standings, after playing their entire 36 game schedule, qualified for the playoffs in the quarterfinals, that was played in a best-of-three games format. The semifinals were played in best-of-three format.
The final round was played between the two winners of the semifinals. The finals series, for first place, as also games for third place were played in a best-of-five format.

## Teams
### Location and arenas

Ten teams were granted licences for the season.
| Team | Location | Arena | Capacity |
| Dzūkija | Alytus | Alytus Arena | 5,500 |
| Juventus | Utena | Utena Arena | 2,000 |
| Lietkabelis | Panevėžys | Cido Arena | 5,950 |
| Neptūnas | Klaipėda | Švyturys Arena | 6,200 |
| Nevėžis | Kėdainiai | Kėdainiai Arena | 2,200 |
| Pieno žvaigždės | Pasvalys | Pieno žvaigždės Arena | 1,500 |
| Rytas | Vilnius | Jeep Arena | 2,500 |
| Rytas | Vilnius | Siemens Arena | 10,000 |
| Šiauliai | Šiauliai | Šiauliai Arena | 5,700 |
| Skycop Prienai | Prienai | Prienai Arena | 1,500 |
| Žalgiris | Kaunas | Žalgiris Arena | 15,708 |

## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Žalgiris | 36 | 32 | 4 | 3153 | 2551 | +602 | Advance to play-offs |
| 2 | Neptūnas | 36 | 28 | 8 | 3045 | 2801 | +244 | Advance to play-offs |
| 3 | Rytas | 36 | 26 | 10 | 3018 | 2752 | +266 | Advance to play-offs |
| 4 | Lietkabelis | 36 | 23 | 13 | 2975 | 2840 | +135 | Advance to play-offs |
| 5 | Pieno žvaigždės | 36 | 16 | 20 | 2978 | 3146 | −168 | Advance to play-offs |
| 6 | Juventus | 36 | 15 | 21 | 2974 | 2955 | +19 | Advance to play-offs |
| 7 | Skycop Prienai | 36 | 13 | 23 | 2788 | 3036 | −248 | Advance to play-offs |
| 8 | Dzūkija | 36 | 12 | 24 | 2901 | 3009 | −108 | Advance to play-offs |
| 9 | Nevėžis | 36 | 8 | 28 | 2698 | 3096 | −398 | |
| 10 | Šiauliai | 36 | 7 | 29 | 2968 | 3112 | −144 | Relegation to NKL |

### Results

| Home \ Away | DZU | JUV | LTK | NEP | NEV | PIE | RYT | SIA | PRI | ZAL | DZU | JUV | LTK | NEP | NEV | PIE | RYT | SIA | PRI | ZAL |
| Dzūkija | — | 75–86 | 85–68 | 91–94 | 81–61 | 77–86 | 73–79 | 91–81 | 88–73 | 65–94 | — | 91–94 | 84–87 | 82–88 | 86–73 | 75–70 | 77–84 | 101–84 | 88–78 | 75–90 |
| Juventus | 86–77 | — | 70–76 | 88–80 | 88–61 | 82–79 | 68–79 | 83–78 | 78–67 | 80–87 | 81–84 | — | 78–96 | 88–89 | 90–86 | 107–72 | 87–92 | 96–67 | 89–90 | 80–98 |
| Lietkabelis | 71–69 | 81–77 | — | 76–100 | 87–66 | 94–63 | 73–95 | 81–73 | 73–81 | 69–73 | 85–78 | 74–89 | — | 69–73 | 101–60 | 89–86 | 83–74 | 95–83 | 92–74 | 76–81 |
| Neptūnas | 89–67 | 81–70 | 76–89 | — | 100–76 | 77–80 | 78–93 | 80–76 | 92–67 | 98–93 | 70–68 | 101–87 | 72–74 | — | 86–76 | 89–103 | 89–74 | 96–75 | 85–68 | 81–71 |
| Nevėžis | 68–74 | 97–93 | 68–83 | 69–83 | — | 80–86 | 70–80 | 78–71 | 80–78 | 55–79 | 98–88 | 55–87 | 80–97 | 70–78 | — | 90–86 | 74–75 | 76–85 | 91–96 | 70–102 |
| Pieno žvaigždės | 60–74 | 90–71 | 87–81 | 69–88 | 92–67 | — | 78–89 | 96–86 | 96–92 | 68–109 | 110–107 | 89–78 | 104–99 | 75–85 | 91–85 | — | 83–99 | 97–111 | 72–84 | 67–91 |
| Rytas | 89–79 | 87–57 | 83–94 | 66–78 | 100–61 | 89–82 | — | 90–63 | 95–66 | 69–76 | 92–69 | 93–82 | 75–96 | 70–52 | 68–70 | 80–74 | — | 100–96 | 84–57 | 59–85 |
| Šiauliai | 87–76 | 98–94 | 83–88 | 88–98 | 78–81 | 79–81 | 75–82 | — | 90–100 | 68–93 | 97–110 | 77–91 | 81–101 | 103–106 | 87–88 | 76–91 | 82–117 | — | 90–84 | 78–93 |
| Skycop Prienai | 85–72 | 85–80 | 93–78 | 72–83 | 96–93 | 93–88 | 71–81 | 80–88 | — | 53–74 | 83–82 | 69–82 | 70–78 | 68–75 | 81–78 | 82–91 | 68–75 | 88–90 | — | 81–76 |
| Žalgiris | 88–75 | 72–69 | 71–58 | 60–75 | 81–68 | 103–66 | 95–86 | 102–61 | 93–48 | — | 100–68 | 82–68 | 85–63 | 90–80 | 82–79 | 88–70 | 91–75 | 109–83 | 96–67 | — |

## Play–offs

Quarterfinals and semifinals were played in a best–of–three games format, while the finals in a best–of–five format.

### Bracket

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Žalgiris | 2 | | |
| Dzūkija | 0 | | |
| Dzūkija | 0 | Žalgiris | 2 |
| | | Lietkabelis | 0 |
| BC Lietkabelis | 2 | Lietkabelis | 0 |
| Pieno žvaigždės | 0 | | | | |
| Pieno žvaigždės | 0 | | | Žalgiris | 3 |
| | | | | Rytas | 0 |
| Neptūnas | 2 | | | Rytas | 0 |
| Skycop Prienai | 1 | | | | |
| Skycop Prienai | 1 | Neptūnas | 0 | | |
| | | Rytas | 2 | Third place | Third place |
| Rytas | 2 | Rytas | 2 | Third place | Third place |
| Juventus | 1 | | | | |
| Juventus | 1 | | | Neptūnas | 3 |
| | | | | Lietkabelis | 0 |

### Quarterfinals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Žalgiris | 2–0 | Dzūkija | 89–70 | 81–62 | 0 |
| Neptūnas | 2–1 | Skycop Prienai | 102–78 | 85–94 | 77–71 |
| Rytas | 2–1 | Juventus | 93–91 | 83–92 | 84–63 |
| Lietkabelis | 2–0 | Pieno žvaigždės | 95–87 | 105–98 | 0 |

### Semifinals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Žalgiris | 2–0 | Lietkabelis | 78–58 | 84–63 | 0 |
| Neptūnas | 0–2 | Rytas | 46–75 | 70–83 | 0 |

### Third-place series

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 |
| Neptūnas | 3–0 | Lietkabelis | 89–77 | 88–75 | 84–77 | 0 | 0 |

### Finals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 |
| Žalgiris | 3–0 | Rytas | 79–64 | 85–67 | 92–54 | 0 | 0 |

## Awards

All official awards of the 2018–19 LKL season.

### Regular Season MVP

| Pos. | Player | Team |
| C | Martinas Geben | Juventus |
Source:

### LKL Finals Most Valuable Player Award

| Pos. | Player | Team |
| SF | Edgaras Ulanovas | Žalgiris |

### LKL Defensive Player of the Year

| Pos. | Player | Team |
| PG | Thomas Walkup | Žalgiris |

### All-LKL Team

| Pos. | Player | Team |
| PG | Žygimantas Janavičius | Skycop |
| SG | Marius Grigonis | Žalgiris |
| SF | Edgaras Ulanovas | Žalgiris |
| PF | Arnas Butkevičius | Rytas |
| C | Brandon Davies | Žalgiris |
Source:

### Player of the week

| Round | Player | Team | PIR |
| 1 | Mindaugas Lukauskis | Skycop | 29 |
| 2 | Emmanuel Omogbo | Pieno žvaigždės | 26.5 |
| 3 | Jerai Grant | Neptūnas | 20,5 |
| 4 | Mike Bruesewitz | Skycop | 31 |
| 5 | Emmanuel Omogbo | Pieno žvaigždės | 37 |
| 6 | Lorenzo Williams | Neptūnas | 40 |
| 7 | Vaidas Čepukaitis | Juventus | 30 |
| 8 | Arnas Butkevičius | Rytas | 30 |
| 9 | Marius Grigonis | Žalgiris | 25 |
| 10 | Alex Hamilton | Juventus | 30 |
| 11 | Jerai Grant | Neptūnas | 33 |
| 12 | Žygimantas Skučas | Pieno žvaigždės | 25 |
| 13 | Mike Bruesewitz | Skycop | 38 |
| 14 | Brandon Davies | Žalgiris | 25 |
| 15 | Kyle Weaver | Neptūnas | 38 |
| 16 | Nate Wolters | Žalgiris | 32 |
| 17 | Žygimantas Skučas | Pieno žvaigždės | 32 |
| 18 | Tomas Lekūnas | Pieno žvaigždės | 30 |
| 19 | Saulius Kulvietis | Lietkabelis | 34 |
| 20 | Leo Westermann | Žalgiris | 22 |
| 21 | Martynas Echodas | Rytas | 32 |
| 22 | Cedrick Bowen | Šiauliai | 26 |
| 23 | Mindaugas Girdžiūnas | Rytas | 37 |
| 24 | Jay Threatt | Pieno žvaigždės | 25 |
| 25 | Kerem Kanter | Dzūkija | 28,5 |
| 26 | Derek Needham | Rytas | 31 |
| 27 | Deividas Gailius | Neptūnas | 28 |
| 28 | Martinas Geben | Juventus | 22,5 |
| 29 | Gytis Masiulis | Neptūnas | 32,5 |
| 30 | Zaid Hearst | Nevėžis | 32,5 |

### Player of the month

| Month | Player | Team | PIR |
| September | Ignas Vaitkus | Šiauliai | 24 |
| October | Emmanuel Omogbo | Pieno žvaigždės | 20,6 |
| November | Arnas Butkevičius | Rytas | 20,8 |
| December | Jerai Grant | Neptūnas | 24,7 |
| January | Tomas Lekūnas | Pieno žvaigždės | 22,3 |
| February | Kerem Kanter | Dzūkija | 31 |
| March | Martinas Geben | Juventus | 22,5 |
| April | Gytis Masiulis | Neptūnas | 19,8 |

### Player of the playoffs stages

| Round | Player | Team | PIR |
| Quarter-Finals | Arnas Butkevičius | Rytas | 30 |
| Semi-Finals | Brandon Davies | Žalgiris | 23,5 |
| Finals | Edgaras Ulanovas | Žalgiris | 20 |

## Lithuanian clubs in European competitions

| Team | Competition | Progress |
| Žalgiris | EuroLeague | Quarterfinals |
| Rytas | EuroCup | Quarterfinals |
| Neptūnas | Champions League | Round of 16 |
| Lietkabelis | Champions League | Regular season |
| Šiauliai | Champions League | First qualifying round |