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Photo: Author: Zuma Press – Scanpix
Photo Author: Zuma Press – Scanpix
Kaunas “Žalgiris” and Šarūnas Jasikevičius have won the first game of the Euroleague after the national cups break for the last four years. This year one of these series will end.
Fines are being issued this season
On Thursday, these teams will meet in the Euroleague match at the Palau Blaugrana Arena and this will be their second match this season.
For both teams, it will also be the first match after a winning weekend. “Žalgiris” triumphed in the Mindaugas King’s Cup competition on Sunday, and “Barcelona” won the Spanish King’s Cup.
Only one can win tomorrow, so the Shar or Žalgiris series will end.
Before the next game, Jasikevičius did not say good words to his former team.
“Žalgiris” is one of the teams that plays the best basketball in the Euroleague, – spoke Jasikevičius on the eve of the duel. – Their numbers are also good in defense. They have character and they know how to fight, they have experienced players who know how to build. Grigonis is playing a great season and his percentage is a high-level player ”.
In early December, Barcelona won the first duel between these teams in Kaunas 73:62. Then for the residents of Kaunas it was the sixth successive failure, but then the rise of “Žalgiris” began, helping them climb to the top eight in the Euroleague.
According to Jasikevičius, the second duel of these teams should be similar to the first.
“We have defended well in Kaunas. Both teams played physical basketball and now the same game can be expected,” said the Barcelona coach.
Shar will duel “Žalgiris” without his assistant Darius Maskoliūnas, who left for his hometown to lead the Lithuanian team in the selection window of the European Championship, which will be played this weekend.
It is unclear if another familiar face will appear before “Žalgiris”. France’s Leo Westermann injured his ankle in the Copa del Rey final and his chances of appearing on the pitch are in doubt.
Víctor Claver, who is still in rehabilitation after injury, will not play either.
Lukas Lekavičius, still unable to play due to coronavirus protocols, will not be in the ranks of Žalgiris
“Luke is on the mend, but he won’t be there on Thursday. And he wouldn’t have been able to play because of the Euroleague rules, which require a certain number of days after a positive case was recorded,” said Martin Schiller, strategist at Žalgiris .
Barcelona, who have won 17 games in 24 games, are the leaders of the Euroleague, and Žalgiris, with 13 wins and 10 losses, is in ninth place.
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