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Martin Schiller put the same five players in the game’s starting lineup for the fifth straight game: Thomas Walkup, Steve Vasturia, Marius Grigon, Nigel Hayes and Joffrey Lauvergne.
As in the match with Panathinaikos, Marekas Blaževičius, Karolis Lukošiūnas and Patricio Garino, who are undergoing treatment for trauma, did not register in this duel. Tomas Dimša stayed on the margins of rotation for the second consecutive game.
In the first half of the game, “Žalgiris” attack did not look much like that hard-to-stop rocket of energy, which until then, in preparation for the season, played at lightning speed and with confidence.
Before the long break, Žalgiris’ attacks were very static and perfectly shattered the pillars of Olimpia’s defense. Many unprepared shots from Žalgiris, many shots in the last seconds of attacks or errors in equal places.
Former Žalgiris player Zach LeDay’s penalty kicks at the end of the first half allowed Milan’s designers to move a double-digit distance: 13:23.
In the second half, Žalgiris’s attack seemed even slower, at that time Milan’s attacks were doing well, and if they had to make unsuspecting shots, they caused no problems for defenders Malcolm Delaney or Kevin Punter.
Milan basketball players, who were caught in 8 of 14 long shots, confidently dominated after two halves in Kaunas: 46:23.
“We had a hard time attacking the defense when the opponents exchanged defenses, which happened especially in the first part of the match. Opponents take many shots from a distance. We need to defend ourselves better. I think the Milan basketball players took a lot of hard shots and we played little against such a defense. We can play better, “Lauvergne said.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Kaunas “Žalgiris” – Milan “Ax Armani”
Although Artūras Milaknis tried to push the ball into the basket a couple of times, albeit very rarely, in the middle of the third half the sniper recalled a well-known element of the game when he threw a 3-pointer through the hands of Jeff Brooks. .
The game was revived by the young Rokas Jokubaitis, who ran across the park and turned the mountains into a duel with the Athenian Panathinaikos. Žalgiris finished the third quarter with a 10: 2 streak, and during this stretch the player made 3 assists and scored a long shot.
Two long pitches by A. Milaknis and Lukas Lekavičius at the start of the decisive quarter reduced the deficit to 10 points, but it was all over. Olimpia easily collected points again and stopped Žalgiris at an unprecedented number of points.
With the exception of Steve Vasturi, all the people from Žalgiris who appeared on the floor scored points, but the total dowry was the lowest during the entire preparation stage. Žalgiris, who scored 94.3 points in the first four games, scored just 70 for the Milan guests.
“The rivals played very well, they attacked the basket with an amazing percentage. We need to keep growing together, to improve offensive defense when opponents swap defenders. It was an important control game. We play against a team that wants to win the Euroleague. It was an interesting match, “Lauvergne said after the loss.
The Žalgiris people won the fight for the balls (30-21), but were killed by mistakes (15 against 5) and by the Italians, who were incredibly far away.
Although the hosts sold 9 triples 22 (40.9%), 16 out of 29 (55.2%) on the Olympia account.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Kaunas “Žalgiris” – Milan “Ax Armani”
Kevin Punter, who scored as many as 26 points (3/5 double, 6/9 trit), stood out in the ranks of Olimpia.
The most useful player in “Žalgiris” was again the Frenchman Joffrey Lauvergne, who scored 9 points (4/7 doubles, 1/2 penalty) in just over 22 minutes, bounced 8 balls, made 2 assists and scored 17 points of utility.
In yesterday’s game against Panathinaikos, the tall man registered 23 efficiency points.
“I think we are doing a good job so far. New team, new coach, many positive things. We will play three games in the local championship until the start of the Euroleague. I think we are improving fast. There is no reason to think that we will not be better. before the start of the Euroleague “, said J. Lauvergne about the preparation stage.
“It’s fun to play. We all enjoy playing basketball, especially after all this quarantine. We just enjoyed it and that ”, the French estimated the time in Kaunas.
This was the last friendly match for “Žalgiris” before the official LKL season, which will start a week later, when basketball players from “Šiauliai” will visit Kaunas.
The Lithuanian champions led by Austin Martin Schiller defeated Riga VEF 92:59, handed Utena Juventus 102: 71, set up Panevėžys Lietkabelis 102: 78, 81:74 defeated Athens Panathinaikos and lost 70:88 against Olimpia.
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