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For both teams, last week was a true marathon match.
For the court hosts, it will be the third game for Lietkabelis basketball players in the last five days, and the third game for Žalgiris in the last six days.
Multiple LKL champions and former Euroleague leaders scored two major victories against Vitoria’s Baskonia (92:73) and Istanbul’s Fenerbahce (99:63), and now they come to Panevėžys with one clear goal: to retaliate for the failure in the first round.
The Kaunas were then slapped painfully in their home fortress with a score of 61:72, but have since won seven straight LKL championship victories.
Lietkabelis, meanwhile, tried to hold on to the European Cup playoffs this week, but to no avail: Andora’s MoraBanc (77:69) did not exceed the required number of points, and in the undefeated match 64:88 they did not he opposed the Monaco basketball players.
On the home front, the Panevėžys folks haven’t stumbled lately either: they’ve won the same seven wins in a row, and after the match won against Vilnius “Rytas” last weekend, they moved up to second place.
“It is difficult to compare what it was at the beginning of the season and now it is difficult for all teams to play a little differently. “Žalgiris” is now better played, after understanding the coach a bit, he plays more freely. At the beginning, they were more on the search path, and now they have already identified good places, they are playing the last matches very well, there is a lot on the rise, ”said LytLis Vkenis Lipkevičius before the match.
Match progress:
Second part: Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” – Kaunas “Žalgiris”
11 min. When M.Blaževičius entered the field, “Žalgiris” has already used the rotation of 11 basketball players, and the only player still waiting for his chance is the young Mantas Rubštavičius.
After the first half: Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” – Kaunas “Žalgiris” 13:27
9 min. P.Valinskas hits the first triple of the hosts, but L.Lekavičius answers on the other side of the square “2 + 1” (12:27).
8 min. This is at least the exit to the square! K. Lukošiūnas, who got up from the bench, shakes a triple, gains light points under the basket in a quick attack and “Žalgiris” keeps running (9:24).
6 min. K. Vinalesas breaks the ice in attack with great strides, but in defense Panevėžys people seem sleepy – if not some completely free 3-pointers from Kaunas, the difference could be even bigger (7:15).
4 min. N.Hayes could have blown Kaunas 3-pointers without any obstacles, but the ball wanders away. LKL champions find other ways to stand out and after M. Grigonis “Lietkabelis” colon calls for a meeting – 2:13.
3 min. 3/3 – this is Žalgiris’s greeting from a distance, and the difference between the teams is almost double digits (2:11). Milas fouls his opponents mercilessly.
2 minutes. D.Gagičius opens the score count for the hosts, but they should be alarmed: the residents of Kaunas hit their first two long shots (the author of the second A.Milaknis).
1 minute. We’ve seen it somewhere, haven’t we? Hayes immediately hits a triple (0: 3).
Lietkabelis starting five: Kyle Vinales, Paulius Valinskas, Troy Barnes, Gytis Masiulis and Djordje Gagičius.
Žalgiris starting five: Thomas Walkup, Marius Grigonis, Artūras Milaknis, Nigel Hayes, Joffrey Lauvergne.
The duel begins at 5:20 pm
Martin Schiller will give Augustine Rubitas a break in this match, and 18-year-old Mantas Rubštavičius is included in the team’s last twelve, having played only on Žalgiris’ reserve team in the NKL championship.
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