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They became the last 24th participants in the Old Continent Championship scheduled for September next year in the Czech Republic, Georgia, Italy and Germany.
The Lithuanians started the match with concentration and determination: after Tomas Dimša, Jonas Mačiulis and Marekas Blaževičius, the leader was 14: 6, but the opponents were thrown by the tall Jonas Zohore – 18:14.
Although the first half was won by 25:19, the second was started with much more success by the opponents, who soon tied the score – 27:27. During the difficult moment, Mantas Kalnietis scored two 3-pointers, Mindaugas Kuzminskas successfully crossed and the hosts regained the straight advantage – 41:37.
The perfect possession?
There is nothing more beautiful than that! 😍#EuroBasket | @ltu_basketball pic.twitter.com/6N09iDu9AT
– FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) February 22, 2021
After the big break, the Lithuanians’ problems did not end: the Danes, who were hit by three points, drove both Darius Maskoliūnas and the whole team to despair – 50:55.
Lagging 58:60 in the fourth quarter, the hosts opened with a streak of 8: 0 and took control in their hands – 66:60. G. Masiulis brought his friends even closer to victory with a powerful bet: 75:66.
Still, everything was determined by the last minute and even the last attack: Adam Darboe could have snatched the victory from the Danes, but his shot from under the basket was blocked by M. Kalnietis – 77:76.
Mantas with 11 points and was the most productive. Vaidas Kariniauskas, Jonas Mačiulis and Tomas Dimša each scored 10 points.
Kalnietis blankets with the HUGE BLOCK to ship @ltu_basketball 🇱🇹 to #EuroBasket 2022! pic.twitter.com/lIQJvYrJrC
– FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) February 22, 2021
Matches:
Lithuania – Denmark 77:76 (25:19, 16:18, 17:23, 19:16).
Lithuania: Mantas Kalnietis 11 (3/6 triples, 6 res.), Vaidas Kariniauskas, Jonas Mačiulis (2/3 triples, 6 rebounds) and Tomas Dimša (2/4 triples) 10 each, Gytis Masiulis and Marekas Blaževičius (6/6 fines) after 8, Arnas Butkevičius and Mindaugas Kuzminskas after 6, Laurynas Birutis 4, Eimantas Bendžius and Šarūnas Vasiliauskas 2 points each. Arnas Velička (5:30 min.) Did not score.
Denmark: Kevin Larsen 21 (5/8 colon, 3/3 three points, 6 sec.), Adam Darboe 20 (6 res.), John Zohore (10 reps) and Philip Hertz) 12 each, Sebastian Aris 6, Daniel Andreas Mortensen 3, Mathias Bak Christensen 2 points.
In the first meeting between them 76:80, the Danes were more capable. It is true that in the most important duel they have neither Gabriel Lundberg, who has been promoted to the Euroleague in half a season, nor Shavon Shields, who has been playing in it for a long time.
At the time, Darius Maskoliūnas included Arnas Veličkas and Marekas Blaževičius in the twelve, with whom they replaced the 94:74 victory against the Czechs who helped reach Mindaugas Girdžiūnas and Regimantas Miniotas.
Lithuania – Denmark
The Danes could have snatched the victory in the last attack, but M. Kalnietis heroically blocked Adam Darboe’s shot, which fell under the basket. https://twitter.com/EuroBasket/status/1363932743734714370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1363932743734714370%7Ctwgr%5E%W3CFE2BTWT %5CIT3G370E2BTW
However, the Danes kept up the intrigue until the last minute: 77:76.
G. Masiulis roared loudly and pushed the ball from above – 75:66.
When the Danes responded with a three-point attack, M. Kalnietis flew a triple – 69:63.
The Lithuanians started the decisive quarter with maximum concentration: Gytis Masiulis fouled on two points, Vaidas Kariniauskas broke under the basket and Arnas Butkevičius fired a long shot – 66:60.
He stabilized the situation and helped the Lithuanians catch up with their opponents, but with the siren of the third quarter, they were still ahead – 58:60.
The Lithuanians’ annoyance did not end there: Kevin Larsen started the Denmark jet, after which D. Maskoliūnas had no choice but to take another break – 50:55.
However, it was not possible to break again, because in a short time J. Mačiulis and T. Dimša violated the rules twice against three-year-old rivals: 48:47.
L. Birutis opened the second half with two successful attacks in a row – 45:39.
However, the fighting Danes lost nothing until the big jump – 41:37.
In an important moment, M. Kalnietis struck twice in a row from distance, M. Kuzminskas successfully collected points and the Lithuanian team regained the initiative – 39:31.
Although Mindaugas Kuzminskas pushed the ball from above after the match, the Danes did not fold and tied the score with three points – 27:27.
The second quarter started at 0: 5 and Darius Maskoliūnas was asked to take a minute break: 25:24.
The Lithuanians won the first quarter 25:19.
J. Mačiulis stabbed another long arrow, and M. Blaževičius continued to successfully carry out the fines – 24:16.
After the Scandinavian attack, Jonas Zohore threw, one shot 9 points – 18:14.
J. Mačiulis ‘3-pointer and Marekas Blaževičius’ half-talk and appropriate fines created a slightly higher lead for the Lithuanians – 14: 6.
T. Dimša started the match with five straight points, but the Danes did not let the hosts get too far ahead: 5: 4.
The starting team of the Lithuanian national team: Mantas Kalnietis, Tomas Dimša, Arnas Butkevičius, Jonas Mačiulis and Laurynas Birutis.
The winners of Group C were the Belgian basketball players (4/2), and the Czechs (2/4), as one of the hosts of the finals, had a place in it without a fight. They beat the Belgians 91:86 in the final round.
For the Lithuanians, this selection was very changeable: during it, not only the Danes (for the first time in history), but also the Belgians were completely lost, and the Czechs broke at home only after a very successful fourth quarter. .
Unsurprisingly, the president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF), Arvydas Sabonis, who had been in the country in 1995 in his jersey, delivered a harsh speech against the decisive window for the national team.
In general, after the restoration of independence, the Lithuanians only missed the 1993 tournament: they participated in 12 consecutive European championships.
This summer, the Lithuanian team faces another equally responsible challenge: the team in Kaunas and the fight for the Olympic ticket, where Slovenian NBA superstar Luka Dončičius should be among the competitors.
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