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Giedrius Žibėnas He started his career as the Vilnius Rytas head coach with two victories. Following the win in the Lithuanian Basketball League (Betsafe-LKL), the FIBA Champions League knocked on the door, where the SIG club from Strasbourg knocked down 81:77.
After the game, G.Žibėnas thanked his students, listening to them for the good episodes, and took responsibility for the poor sections.
“We dedicate this victory to the fans of the team, they deserve it. We won in defense because we controlled this component throughout the game, although we did not do it in previous games. This time we lacked front-line players, but we managed to win the fight under the baskets. The last three minutes could have been played much better, but the boys played out of position and the players got lost somewhere. It probably couldn’t have been, but we will solve it in the near future, ”said the strategist.
– Why were the first halves so different?
– First of all, we did not make mistakes in time. We risked rival number 23 (Jean-Baptiste Maille) and he was right several times. It felt like we could break the match and there was no panic, all credits go to the players.
– Ryan Boatright often plays individually, will you be able to stop him?
– That’s his style of play. You want me to take the initiative in the last stage of the attack, not at the beginning, but we will try to fix it. We are not currently playing in our positions, so things will improve.
– At the end of the game, you scored 11 points, then there were mistakes and inaccurate shots, why did this happen?
– And we tried to lengthen the time, and we relaxed a little, and the opponent played the bench. I take the last three minutes for myself. We take a minute off and draw a simple combination, but it will be great material before the next game in the local league.
– How can you summarize your performance in the Champions League?
– First of all, I would highlight mounting problems, change my leg and COVID-19. We made a lot of mistakes and we admit it, but we learned from them and we will definitely get stronger in the Champions League next season. We haven’t settled on Keith Benson yet, because we don’t know when and when Martin Echod will find a newcomer, so we’ll stick with it for now. We will be waiting for the rookie after the FIBA ”windows”, but there are still many things to discuss within the club. We first want to find out Echod’s situation and then react. On the positive side, it will return to the “windows”, on the negative side, later.
– Were the first two victories the most important psychologically for you or for the team?
– For the players, for us as an organization, for the fans themselves, for the administration. We all long for. In the last ten days, we have recovered what belongs to us: the pride in what we play, the help of those around us and the confidence that is seen on the field. When the coaches feel the support of the players, they feel our support, it points everything in the right direction. I don’t want to take any laurel. In weak teams no one leads, in medium teams – coaches, in elite teams – one player. We want to travel to an elite team where the player is the leader on and off the field. I think we have players who can do that.
– What did Donatas Zavackas tell you after fighting loud and clear with the judges?
– It was a bit hot due to judging, for a few moments. Yesterday he contributed, and today there is already a momentum, I think it will encourage this to continue. He connects with us and will definitely help us, he will be present both in trainings and in watching videos. We needed someone who was into basketball and knew it and had advice on how things should be.
Keith Benson (17 points, 9 rebounds), who became the most productive player on the team, also remained modest after the game.
“I tried to be aggressive and help the team. I knew we couldn’t go on to the next stage, so we tried to give it our all. Now we feel better about each other and, I think, we are getting better every day, ”said the tall man. “Rytas” finished this match in the FIBA Champions League, ranking fourth in group E. Now Vilnius residents will compete only in LKL until the end of the season.
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