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R. Kurtinaitis does not usually look for a word in his pocket, but this time before the game in Kaunas “Chimki” announced in advance that the Lithuanian coach will not speak to journalists.
“For safety reasons, neither the coach nor the team will communicate directly with the media before the game,” the Russian club reported during “Žalgiris”.
According to the official Euroleague regulations, communication on the eve of the match is also mandatory this season, so the real reason for the reluctance to speak could have been another.
Chimki arrived in Kaunas in a bad mood, finishing the first round of the Euroleague with 2 wins and 15 losses in the last – 18th – place of the tournament.
Photo from Getty Images / Euroleague.net/Rimas Kurtinaitis
In the Euroleague, “Chimki” is stuck in a series of eight defeats, and on Friday in Kaunas he meets a team of hosts, who travel in a series of five consecutive wins.
This was also emphasized by R. Kurtinaitis, whose thoughts were quoted by the Khimki Club on their official website before the match.
“Now” Žalgiris “is on a good wave,” said R. Kurtinaitis. – The team plays free basketball, attack plan, with patience they pass the ball to the correct player. And also wait for a mistake in the opponent’s defense and punish him immediately. We know their style, they know our style. “
Photo from Getty Images / Euroleague.net/Martin Geben and Sergei Monia
For the first match in Khimki, the hosts barely assembled the full line-up. Then the game started well but lost 70:84.
“In the first game, we couldn’t give them a fight because we didn’t have a full line-up. Now there are also problems, but compared to the beginning of the season, we are in better sporting shape. We remember how difficult it is to always play in Kaunas.
One of the factors in favor of Žalgiris was the spectators, but now this factor is taking off. However, “Žalgiris” always plays hard at home, so it won’t be easy. “
Getty Images / Euroleague.net nuotr./Martinas Schilleris
Before the match, the Chimki club recalled that R. Kurtinaitis himself had played for Žalgiris for almost ten years: in 1982-1989, 1992 and 1995-1996.
With the Kaunas club, he had reached the final of the then Champions Cup competition in 1986, when “Žalgiris” landed at the “Cibona” in Zagreb at the head of the strongest European team.
Photo by Alfredas Pliadis / Rimas Kurtinaitis
Two current Žalgiris players have played for Chimki club: Paulius Jankūnas spent the only season of his career away from Žalgiris at Pamaskve club in 2009-2010.
Joffrey Lavergne represented Chimki in 2014-2015.
In introducing “Žalgiris”, it was Chimki of the French team who called the French center forward the “star” of the rivals. And Thomas Walkupp, Augustine Rubitas and Marius Grigonis were included in the trio of the most important players of “Žalgiris”.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Joffrey Lauvergne
In the Euroleague, Chimki and Žalgiris met 11 times. The Russian club won 8 times, “Žalgiris” three times.
After Kaunas defeated the Khimki team in 2010, other victories had to wait a decade. However, Kaunas Club has won the last two matches against the wealthy Russian club, in February and October 2020.
On Friday, the Euroleague match between Chimki and Žalgiris will start at 8:00 p.m.
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