Milaknis is surprised by the endless talk about the percentage of his success: as if it were more important than a pandemic

Before him, A. Milaknis was left without a long-range throw: three years ago, a sniper threw 6 packs of 9 attempts at the Brose basket of Bamberg.

However, there were eight artillery players in Žalgiris on Tuesday, and together they shot as many as 18 3-pointers, more than any other Euroleague team this season.

For Kaunas residents, this is the second best result in modern Euroleague history. Only last February, in a duel with Istanbul’s Anadolu Efes, did they score one more long shot.

In turn, the match with “Baskonia” raised A. Milaknis’ average accuracy this season to 43 percent.

– Paulius Jankūnas said that I should be grateful to him for most of his 3s today, because he created comfortable opportunities. It is true? – after the game we asked A. Milaknis

– If true. Thanks to Paul. As a supporter of the old school basketball, build good barriers. And the ball bounces, passes. For as long as possible, but I trust Paul one hundred percent.

I’m glad he hit triple as well. He has a hard time “opening” every season, so we are always waiting. We joked that they usually “open” only after New Years, but this time they gave everyone a treat before the holidays. It was a matter of time before he hit, because during training we both worked on this element of the game: there are days when he throws a very serious challenge.

– Only one shot was missed for a career-high three points in the Euroleague. So maybe not everything that P. Jankūnas did to the end?

– Let’s blame Paul, probably not everything. If seriously, maybe we broke the game early, we would have to sit on the spare bench first. Anyway, I felt good, maybe the records had fallen, who knows.

– What is your routine when a longer stretch of the season in three points does not fall as you would like?

– Another question … You can take out old articles, both from last year and from last year. You will save time for you and me. It is repeated every year and everyone responds like news bigger than a pandemic.

There is no single recipe, each game is a separate story. There are all kinds of passages, they all tend to notice the bad ones. What will you do? I work as I worked. I know there will come a good time, only once it will take longer, next time it will be shorter. This is how we live. But even without me, there are those who impose three points, even the records are falling.

– Karolis Lukošiūnas was the one who in his last launch improved the record of three points this season in the entire Euroleague. What did you think of the movements with which you accompanied your successful shots?

– I especially liked the way he buckled or unbuckled that belt. As the name suggests, it was a fun episode. Before I came off the bench I said I would throw the ball right away, not much to think about. In the first 20 points difference, nothing will change in that minute or two. Anyway, the boy is working, trying, his time should come. I know firsthand how difficult and unfortunate the way forward is before I win a pitching spot on the team. I wish that it does not stop, that it passes through those wells; somewhere in the distance there is still a smooth road waiting.

– How important was the team meeting, which spoke of effort, communication in defense, and after which you won twice in a row?

– In the first place, that conversation did not have to leave the locker room. For years, everything was left behind closed doors. And there was a lot of talk, not just about basketball. I don’t want to go into details.

On the tournament table, Kaunas (7/7) beat Baskonia (6/7), climbing to ninth place, leaving the Basques in eleventh place.

Steve Vasturia and former Baskonia legionnaire Patricio Garino from Argentina did not help “Žalgiris” on Tuesday, the guests had their strongest lineup.

In mutual encounters in the Euroleague, Baskonia is still superior at the ratio of 16:13.

The “Žalgiris” will continue the double week of the Euroleague on Thursday with the confrontation with Edgars Ulanovs returning to Kaunas for the first time and at the “Fenerbahche” in Istanbul, the Basques will travel to Bayern Munich.