[ad_1]
On Friday, teams from Lithuania and Greece met for the second time, and there were even more dramas in Kaunas than in October in Piraeus.
Only the result is the same: at the end of the match, Žalgiris’s team again snatched the victory from Olympiakos, winning 81:79.
“It is an impressive and very important victory. Wavy matches, we really had a place to stretch out on defense. The most important thing is that in the end we get involved in both defense and attack, eliminating the 7-point delay. We were just trying to close the gaps in Olympiacos defense, and we offered more contact in our defense, because the referees allowed us to fight today. Of course, he was a bit lucky, ”said R. Jokubaitis of the persistent duel.
The name of Friday’s hit was Thomas Walkup. American Žalgiris took the ball at a decisive moment in Olympiakos ‘attack on Kostas Sloukas’ ass and struck the victory colon in the final second of the match.
“I wouldn’t envy Slouk that second half of the game when Thomas strangled him most of the time. And for me in training, even the simple things, discovering, accepting the ball, become almost impossible when Thomas shifts to a higher gear. I imagine how Sloukas must have felt at the end of the fourth quarter. Even the tired Thomas was able to push the opponent towards the middle line and take over the ball “, – R. Jokubaitis admired the teammate.
Although Žalgiris didn’t seem at first to need such a heroic effort on defense, it was too easy for the hosts to go to the opponents’ basket.
However, Kaunas residents who suffered damage collapsed when faced with the defense system that eliminated them from the crayfish for the first time this season.
“We are not going to attack the defense much by changing all the covers. Olympiakos surprised us with that, – admitted R. Jokubaitis.” But the coaches prepared a good plan during the match, how to attack tall opponents, how to take advantage of situations of “mismatch”, we did a great job. “
He himself scored 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists on Friday.
By all parameters, R. Jokubaitis collected the seasonal average, although in the first part of the season the figures for 20 years were slightly higher.
Olympiakos himself, according to the defender, took a much more responsible look at defensive tasks before the second leg, holding back one of the Euroleague discoveries this season.
“I can say that I really felt more attention from my opponents during the season. Maybe the teams reached optimal form, but at the beginning of the season it was really easier for me, maybe it was still a kind of surprise for the opponents.
Now it is more difficult, but the concentration of the opponents only makes me a better player. I think my opponents are already paying attention to me in preparation for the match. That makes it difficult and fun, ”said R. Jokubaitis.
Marius Grigonis, the attacker of “Žalgiris”, experiences the same, only with more force.
The Olympiacos defense was left with 6 points, although the defender tried to help the team in another way and distributed 7 assists.
“It is really more difficult for me to play in the second round. Opponents change their defenses, but if I want to be a good reliable basketball player, I have to play better. I don’t have a game for a while … Maybe now someone else is the leader, pull. Happy that others found their way to the basket, we all believed, encouraged each other and won. We have probably had some success this season, “said M. Grigonis.
At that moment, when asked why “Žalgiris” took only two free throws before the break, the old team member sighed.
“I do not want to expand on this issue. But this season the treatment of the rules has changed a lot,” said the basketball player.
The victory against Oly on Friday allowed Žalgiris to get ahead in the balance of games. Throughout history, teams have met 27 times in the Euroleague and Kaunas has won 14 times. At home, they beat the guests of Piraeus for the sixth time in a row.
We remind you that last October in the first round match in Piraeus “Žalgiris” won 68:67.
Next week, Schiller’s students will play two games in Spain: Wednesday with Valencia and Friday with Baskonia de Vitoria. Olympiakos will visit Olimpia in Milan and host Barcelona.
Match stats Žalgiris – Olympiacos
It is strictly forbidden to use the information published by DELFI on other websites, in the media or elsewhere, or to distribute our material in any way without consent, and if consent has been obtained, it is necessary to cite DELFI as the source.
[ad_2]
