Basketball’s return is marked by a dramatic defeat for the national team in Estonia / News

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Kerr Kriisa scored 26 points and made 7 assists, and the Estonian national team led by him scored a dramatic victory in a friendly match in Tallinn. The hosts on Friday in the first game of the “Baltic Way” tournament 92:85 (24:21, 23:23, 16:18, 14:15, 15: 8) outperformed Lithuanian basketball players.

The victory for the Estonians was assured by Kriisa’s three-point game 36 seconds before the end of extra time, when the result became 90:85 in favor of the hosts.

We will continue with the Lithuanian national team leading 85:82, but Kerras Kriisa twice found free partners and after 5 consecutive points his hosts went ahead 87:85, with 76 seconds to play.

After the sixth Crisis three-point game in the 36th minute of the match, the Estonians led 73:68, and had the same advantage just over 3 minutes to go: 77:72.

Lukas Lekavičius then realized all three points, and in the next attack Laurynas Birutis equalized the result with a shot from the basket: 77:77. The two teams exchanged without fail until Janari Joesaaro’s triple with 25.9 seconds to play. He did not touch the bow and left a decisive attack against the Lithuanians.

Marius Grigonis had a smile on his face as he ran across the field, almost oblivious to the rain, however Kriisa made a spectacular stop.

The Estonian team won the fight for balls 48-42 and made up to 28 assists. Lithuanians successfully helped each other 19 times.

Lithuanians reached 41 percent. colon (12/29), 35 percent. three points (12/34) and 78 percent. penalty kicks (25/32). Estonians scored 53 percent. colon (17/32), 34 percent. three points (15/43) and 65 percent. penalty kicks (13/20).

Tomorrow at 7.30 p.m. Lithuania will play with Latvia and end the tournament.

Estonia: Kerras Kriisa 26 (8/12 trit., 7 res.), Sanderis Raieste 17 (6/9 shots, 9 reb.), Siimas Sanderis Vene 13, Kristjan Kitsingas 9.

Lithuania: Marius Grigonis 14 (11/12 fines), Lukas Lekavičius 12, Laurynas Birutis (8 rebounds) and Tomas Dimša after 11, Arnas Butkevičius 10.

Comments after the game:

Party progress:

4: 0, 1 min: The first points are scored by Raieste, and the colon is added by Vene.
4: 1, 2 min: After playing the first Lithuanian points for almost two minutes, Butkevičius wins a free kick.
7: 4, 3 min: The three-point crisis is the same answer for Bendius.
10: 6, 4 min: Butkevičius lost both fines. Vene gains a fifth point. Jokubaitis executes both free throws.
12: 9, 6 min: Birutis colon with a fault after a beautiful passage of Jokubaitis. Placing the corner.
12:11, 7 min: The first points of Ulanov.
14:14, 8 min: Ulanov adds a triple and Lithuania goes ahead for the first time. Raieste applied fines.
19:19, 9 min: Sedekerskis, who appears on the field, takes both penalties, but Estonians soon compare the result. Dimša’s long shot, to which Raieste responds with two points with a foul.
24:21, 10 min: Birutis and Nurger colones. Half ends with the three-point crisis.

Estonia: Sanderis Raieste 7, Kerras Kriisa 6 (2/2 trit.).
Lithuania: Edgaras Ulanovas and Laurynas Birutis 5 each, Eimantas Bendžius and Tomas Dimša 3 each.

Jonas Miklovas, journalist for BasketNews.lt in Tallinn
Mantas Kalnietis was the only basketball player in the Lithuanian national team who did not rise from the bench in the first half. Rokas Jokubaitis started the match in the player’s position, and after 5 minutes of the game he was replaced by Lukas Lekavičius. Darius Maskoliūnas registered 11 players for the duel.

27:21, 11 min: Estonia begins the second half with a precise fourth advantage of three points.
27:27, 12 min: Dimsa very remote possibility. Mantas Kalnietis is the last of the Lithuanian national team to appear on the field and immediately gains a three-point lead.
31:27, 13 min: Vene wins two points.
31:30, 14 min: The second three-point Kalnietis.
32:33, 15 min: Suttas throws one well, Grigonis stands out from a distance.
35:35, 16 min: Butkevičius colon.
38:35, 17 min: Drello’s long shot.
38:37, 18 min: Grigonis is not mistaken when making free throws.
42:40, 19 min: This time Grigonis hits one well, Hermet’s two. Butkevičius throws fines and halves the deficit.
47:44, 20 min: Triple Kitsing, to which Grigonis responds with the corresponding fines. Kitsing imposes fines. Half ends with Blaževičius’s colon.

Estonia: Kerras Kriisa 9 (3/3 trit.), Siim Sander in Vene and Sander in Raieste after 7.
Lithuania: Marius Grigonis 8, Tomas Dimša and Mantas Kalnietis 6 each, Arnas Butkevičius, Laurynas Birutis and Edgaras Ulanovas 5 each.

Jonas Miklovas, journalist for BasketNews.lt
The Lithuanian national team threw and connected more triples (7/18) than two (5/11) in two halves and joined the penalty line 19 times. All this vanishes against a punctual defense in which the Estonians easily score points and have almost half of them midway through the match. Northern neighbors made up to 16 assists in two quarters, and Kerras Kriisa, who knows Lithuanian basketball well, plays more effectively (9 points).

50:44, 21 min: The crisis reaches the triple quarter.
53:46, 22 min: Raieste increases Estonia’s lead to 9 points. Birutis corrects the Kalnieitis shot.
55:49, 23 min: Estonians retrieve the ball in attack and Vene charges the basket. Butkevičius from three points.
55:51, 24 min: Birutis defeats the opponent’s defense one on one.
57:54, 25 min: Raieste wins the 12th point. Dimša shoots a triple.
59:54, 26 min: Kits shot from the edge of the field.
60:54, 27 min: Drell issues a fine.
63:57, 28 min: Lekavičius’ three points, to which Drell responds at the same time.
63:57, 29 min: Sedekersky halves the deficit.
63:62, 30 min: Lekavičius hits both fines and reduces the delay to 1 point.

Estonia: Kerras Kriisa (4/5 trit.) And Sanderis Raieste 12 each, Siimas Sanderis Vene 9.
Lithuania: Tomas Dimša 9 (3/4 trit.), Marius Grigonis and Arnas Butkevičius 8 each, Laurynas Birutis 7.

65:62, 32 min: Vene wins two points.
65:64, 33 min: Dimša scores two points with a foul but misses a penalty.
68:66, 34 min: The fifth Kriisa with three points and Blaževičius with two points.
70:68, 35 min: Butkevičius compares the result. Raieste pulls from under the basket.
73:68, 36 min: The sixth crisis requires three points.

Jonas Miklovas, journalist for BasketNews.lt in Tallinn
If a basketball player, Siimas Sanderis Vene, who played in Lithuania for a long time, made three shots in a row, then another, Kerras Kriisa, does not forgive us today. He has already scored 6 of 7 points and has scored 18 points. In our ranks, Eimantas Bendžius scored only 1 of 8 triples.

75:72, 37 min: Birutis is not wrong about the free throw line, Vene responds with two points. Grigonis imposes fines.
77:75, 38 min: Joessar’s colon gets dirty, but the extra serve fails the goal. Lekavičius responds with three points.
77:77, 39 min: Birutis easy points below the basket comparing the score.
77:77, 40 min: During the decisive attack, Grigonis was caught defending opponents from under the basket, and Kriisa’s shot from his side of the field missed the goal.

Estonia: Kerras Kriisa 18 (6/8 trit.), Sanderis Raieste 14 (8th rec., Siimas Sanderis Vene 13.
Lithuania: Tomas Dimša and Laurynas Birutis after 11, Marius Grigonis and Arnas Butkevičius after 10.

79:79, 41 min: We will extend the first points by Kriisa, gain by two points and Grigonis.
79:81, 42 min: Lekavičius’s foray under the basket.
82:85, 43 min: The Seventh Three-Point Crisis. Lekavičius hits both fines, Grigonis, too.
87:85, 44 min: Raieste compares the result, Kriisa leads the Estonians forward.
92:85, 45 min: Kriisa sets another three points, Kitsing adds two penalties.

The match will take place at the Saku Suurhall Stadium in Tallinn, which seats 7,000 people during basketball games. Spectators However, in this tournament, the sale of a maximum of 1.5 thousand was allowed in one game. Tickets.

Jonas Miklovas, journalist for BasketNews.lt in Tallinn
Although spectators were asked to keep a safe distance in the stands, they sat as if there was nothing. This is not surprising: 0 to 3 cases of coronavirus per day have been reported in the past two weeks. Admittedly, the tickets sold for much less than the capacity of the arena, so most of the chairs remain empty.