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Last August, J. Valančiūnas played the Raptors in the NBA bubble, but then he burned out.
After receiving the defenses from the reptilian doubles, the JV missed a single shot throughout the game and had zero points on the score, and the Raptors won against the grizzly.
This time J.Valančiūnas did not give discounts to former teammates. After almost 34 minutes, Uteniškis scored 27 points, bounced up to 20 balls and played the best game of the season.
VIDEO: Jonas Valančiūnas’ monstrous performance against Toronto Raptors
The Lithuanian scored at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game for just the third time in his career. He did it all three times as a “brown bear.”
It is symbolic that J.Valančiūnas played impressively exactly two years after one of the most important moments of his career.
2019 On February 8, JV was already preparing for a trip with the team when he received word that he was being traded from Toronto to Memphis. Thus, a Lithuanian who spent six and a half years in one team was forced to carry his bags and move on to another team.
The change was not easy. In Toronto, where he reached the age of 20, J. Valančiūnas matured as a basketball player, his children were born there, and the largest city in Canada had become his second home.
“Toronto and Canada were my second home,” Valanoun said in a Toronto media address before the game with the Raptors. – It wasn’t just basketball. There were many important moments in my life there. I will always remember Toronto as an important part of my life. “
Reuters / Photo by Scanpix / Jonas Valančiūnas
The one career swap was not easy for the joint venture. Not only did he have to move to another country and city, but also adjust to new teammates, a coach and a completely different organization.
“I had never been traded before, I spent about seven years in a team. At that moment I was surprised because you don’t know what will happen now, everything is new – recalled the Lithuanian. – But I adapted. I feel good now. I’m a basketball player, I just want to play. This is my chance to do it, and that’s all I need. I play for many minutes so I am blessed. “
I was surprised at the time because you don’t know what will happen now, everything is new. But I adapted.
Raptors strategist Nick Nurse also spoke about the fact that his former student managed to find a warm spot in Memphis.
“It just came to our notice then. I remember hanging out. I remember briefly joining him and talking about what was going on in this league. I told him to stay positive. I was sure he would find a good new home,” the American said. – As we can see, he found a good place for him. He got a new contract, which is great. “
Photo by Scanpix / Nick Nurse and Jonas Valančiūnas
Although after the match he calmly answered about the former student, during the match N.Nurse probably uttered many curses towards J.Valančiūnas.
The Lithuanian simply dominated the Raptors penalty area and had two points and 14 rebounds after two halves. He was the first to record such an achievement among all basketball players who ever played for the Grizzlies.
One of the Raptors fans on Twitter in the heat of the game even wrote that if J.Valančiūnas finished the game with 30 points and 30 rebounds, the Toronto club would have no choice but to give him the championship ring for 2018-2019. season, when a Lithuanian who spent half a season in Toronto failed to get a ring for the Raptors NBA Finals.
After the game, the Toronto media once again recalled the legal loophole that is hitting the Raptors team the hardest this season: the lack of a midfielder position.
Marc Gasolis, who came to Toronto in exchange for J. Valalančiūnas, left for the Los Angeles Lakers during the preseason, and Australian Aron Baynes, who replaced him, has yet to live up to expectations and has received much criticism.
Against the giant of the Australian national team, J. Valančiūnas had no problems either, and N. Nurse, who was not hated for the performance of the students and a few whistles, was sent off the field in the third quarter after the second technical foul.
It is true that he seems to have helped his team, as by eliminating the double-digit delay, he won 128: 113. But it would be difficult to find fault with J.Valančiūnas, because the Raptors took the initiative just as the Lithuanian was sitting in the bench: Toronto accelerated 19: 4 and turned the 10-point deficit into a 5-point lead. in the fourth trimester.
After a match in which no defensive scheme of his choice worked against J. Valančiūnas, N. Nurse responded kindly to the Lithuanian.
“It just came to our notice then. It seems to me that they are doing a great job exploiting it. They give him combinations and throw the ball to the back of the field. He works hard and is a huge force under the basket,” said the Toronto strategist. “To control it you have to try to keep it away from the basket and not let it accumulate easy points.”
J.Valančiūnas accumulates an average of 15.9 points this season and bounces 10.9 balls.
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