Revenge and much-needed victory: Lithuania, tense with muscles, suppressed Belgium

Eimantas Bendžius’s 3-pointers and Laurynas Birutis’s muscles and the experience of Lithuanian basketball veterans determined the winners of the match in Vilnius.

E.Bendžius, who scored 19 points, L.Birutis and M.Kuzminskas, who scored 13 points each, received the support of the entire team on the field and on the bench and defeated Belgium.

“It is important that this time we are more involved and support each other a lot,” said L. Birutis after the game.

For the team trained by Darius Maskoliūnas, it was a major victory before the group jumped.

It would be difficult to imagine before the national team, but in the 37th world ranking Belgium won the first three matches and still ranks first in Group C, where each match became important for the Lithuanian team to reach the 2022 championship.

In group C, the Lithuanian team has won a match against the Czech Republic, which will enter the Eurocup as hosts.

So the Lithuanians have to overtake Belgium or Denmark, and these teams lost in the first round of the group competition.

Furthermore, on Sunday, Danish basketball players led by the unstoppable Gabriel Lundberg broke the Czech Republic by 91:90, which is an unfavorable result for Lithuania.

Group C table

1.	Belgium	3	1	+53
2.	Lithuania	2	2	-4
3.	Denmark	2	2	-fifteen
Four.	Czech Republic	1	3	-33

On Sunday, from the start of the match, the defense-focused Lithuanian team broke through the rivals step by step with a game under the baskets and found E.Bendžiai on the three-point line.

This hit 5 3-pointers out of 9 and, more importantly, the Lithuanians worked from the heart on defense.

The Lithuanians won the fight by the balls 37-30, and the Belgians were only able to shoot 13 3-pointers, of which the guests hit 5.

Furthermore, Lithuanian basketball players made 19 assists (Belgians, only 10) and made mistakes only 9 times.

By the end of the match, the Lithuanian team had gained a 22-point lead, but in the end the Belgians smoothed the gap. This was not good as the point difference could lead to the teams deciding in February 2021, in the last window of the competition, who will receive the tickets for the European Championship.

Lithuania: Eimantas Bendžius 19 (5/9 trit.), Laurynas Birutis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas 13 each, Jonas Mačiulis 11, Mindaugas Girdžiūnas 8, Mantas Kalnietis and Arnas Velička 6 each, Martynas Echodas 4, Regimantas Miniotas and Tomas Dimša 2 each ( Marekas Blaževi David Gailius).

Belgium scored the most points: Retin Obasohan 21, Alexandre Libert 11, Emmanuel Lecomte 10.

The most important events of the match were recorded from the sand15 minutes portal.

Fourth trimester

40 min. Although the Belgians narrowed the gap, the most important thing was that the Lithuanians recovered after Black Friday – 84:71.

38 min. D.Maskoliūnas urges his relatives to work in the plaza and stay focused, but victory is without question.

37 min. E.Bendžius can no longer lose. He has already scored the fifth triple and, after 19 points, leads the Lithuanian team to the second victory in the group competition. 82:64.

35 min. The youngest player of the twelve, Marekas Blaževičius, also appeared on the field. 79:57.

33 min. “51 on Mindė”, – D.Maskoliūnas points the combination to M.Girdžiūnas and played a big picnic with L.Birutis. When the tall man scored two more points, the difference reached 20 points for the first time. 77:57.

32 min. E.Bendžius is great tonight. Another of his triples and the biggest advantage: 73:54.

Third quarter

28 min. R.Miniotas appeared today for the first time in the square, where M. Kalnietis also returned. Your experience in driving the game is much needed. 59:47.

26 min. D.Maskoliūnas raises his voice. This time his reproaches were against A.Velička, who got stuck in the attack and later reproached the judges for the untimely foul. “Run home!” The coach asked for a quick return to defense. I was angry when the difference narrowed: 57:44.

25 min. The three teams began exchanging three points. E.Bendžius shot the third: 57:42.

22 min. Lithuania is as concentrated as at the beginning of the match. After the colon of M. Kalnieitis – 54:36.

During the break

During the break, the best Lithuanian basketball player of 2020 was announced remotely. Domantas Sabonis was elected for the third year.

He wouldn’t be in the square tonight by the way, would he?

Second half

During the first part of the match, the Lithuanian team scored the most points: M.Kuzminskas 11, L.Birutis and E.Bendžius after 8, J.Mačiulis and M.Girdžiūnas after 6. Even more important is defense. – Belgians scored only five triples and only one. .

In the Belgian national team, Retin Obasohan is the most productive: 12 points.

20 minutes. After M.Kuzminskas ‘3-pointer and M.Echod’s place after J.Mačiulis’ excellent pass, the biggest advantage in this match so far. 49:36.

18 min. “For another two minutes, they gave us more aggressiveness on defense”, exhorts the players D. Maskoliūnas. Lithuanian lead is double digit again 44:34.

18 min. The Lithuanians continue to take advantage of every calmer minute of the attack, taking penalties, agreeing on the combination they will make during the next attack. “Line 23, Minde, go under the bag”, D.Maskoliūnas advice to M.Kuzminskas to focus during the next attack. And then, “Picnic first!”

17 min. There is no shortage of adversity. Belgium’s Šiauliai team legionnaire Andy van Vlietas managed to recover the ball several times and score points. 40:32.

15 minutes. The two 3-pointers by M. Girdžiūnas caused euphoria on the Lithuanian spare bench, and the Belgians calmly sing their defense. It is less in the second half. 36:30.

15 minutes. “Minde, you will attack the defender if he plays picenrole,” J.Mačiulis advised M.Kuzminskas.

14 min. With L.Birutis and J.Mačiulis, it is easier to attack under the baskets, but there is a lack of coherence in Lithuanian actions on defense. 28:21.

12 min. “Where are you going? Deivi, don’t run away,” J.Mačiulis and others reminded D. Gailis to help A.Velička play the ball. This is not easy for this player. Only the second game in the national team Lithuanian, and he is so responsible.

The first half

10 minutes. “No fines, no fines! Barrier! Horns on the side! ”- the advice of coaches and players is heard well in a persistent match without spectators. The first trimester is over 20:15.

8 min. The Lithuanian men are very focused on defending themselves, the Belgians have almost no chance to shoot from now on. It is not easy to attack, but after the two fines issued by J.Mačiulis – 18:10.

6 min. Echod’s mistakes on defense and attack allow the Belgians to make two quick attacks and squirts. Suddenly, there are 4 points left of the double digit advantage: 14:10.

5 minutes. E.Bendžius flew the second triple. He has already added 8 points and has already surpassed his performance on Friday. After Eimantas’ shots, Lithuania goes ahead 14: 4.

5 minutes. L. Birutis worked from the heart at the start of the match and asked for a change himself. His place in the square was taken by Martin Echod, who did not register on Friday.

4 min. A completely different energy can be felt in the Lithuanian team: lots of advice and encouragement from the bench and concentration in the square. Help lead 9: 2.

1 minute. L.Birutis broke under the basket and scored the first points with two points.

Lithuanian initial five: Mantas Kalnietis, Tomas Dimša, Deividas Gailius, Eimantas Bendžius, Laurynas Birutis.