“Success bought”: how “Žalgiris” came out of the needle hole / News

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Five seconds. On Friday, three attacks by Kaunas “Žalgiris” lasted, snapping and breaking the spine of Piraeus “Olympiakos” in a tense thriller on the island of Nemunas.

The ball taken by Thomas Walkup and the two points in the final second of the match will be deservedly called in every review of this match, but as in all winning stories, there was more than one component of victory in this one.

It all started with a successful smile. When Shaquille McKissic left Marius Grigonis behind in the final minute of the game and exploded under the basket, he landed the easiest shot possible to close the game.

Had he struck, the Olympiacos athletic defender would have increased his lead to 81:72 and everything would have been clear.

Yes, the 9-point advantage is wiped out in 2 minutes, but the entire course of the match was so tilted towards Olympiacos that it seems that such a shot would have solved all the problems.

However, McKissicas managed to grab the rebound and put the ball into the empty net. After a short fight with the defender, Joffrey Lauvergne finally got the ball into goal. The attack lasted only 5 seconds and during this short section “Žalgiris” recovered as if it were connected to a life apparatus.

After Olympiakos failed to attack for 24 seconds in the next attack, Artūras Milaknis flew a three-point shot from eight meters and Kaunas residents took a breath – 77:79.

Olympiacos then had three chances to increase their lead, but two pitches by Vassilio Spanouli and one by Kostas Slouk flew past, and Žalgiris made another ultra-fast 5-second attack: Augustine Rubit noticed Lauvergne, running for a quick attack, and this lying, 21 seconds from the end, equalized the score.

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It was Lauvergne’s 21st point in the match, the 17th after a long break and the fourth in the final two minutes of the match, both on top of a quick attack.

“He’s not like most centers,” Walkup said of the Frenchman after the game. – The way he dances, runs, makes decisions on time: it is a pleasure to play with him. We like to play with him because we can throw the ball anywhere and he will put it in. “

Lauvergne, who won three fouls in the first half of the match, shone after a long break, when he scored 11 of the team’s 18 points in the third half, using the opponents’ changing defense, which left him behind the shorter opponent. .

“The coaches prepared a good plan, we knew how to attack their tall people, how to take advantage of their advantages. We did a great job, “said Rokas Jokubaitis.

“The main change was looking for more of a man on the court,” said coach Schiller. – To do this, you need to get out of the barrier faster, because otherwise there is no advantage. We tried to slide quickly from the barriers, we were looking for someone to pass the ball to ”.

Following Lauvergne’s launch, coach Bartzok decided not to take a minute off and Kostas Sloukas took the initiative into his own hands.

It started this week with a three-point takeoff in Vilerbana, where Olympiakos ultimately won, and on Friday in Kaunas, Sloukas was the leading candidate to close out the match.

Only Thomas Walkup had his own plans.

Knowing he still had one more team foul in reserve, Walkupas aggressively knocked the ball out of the opponent’s hands, stripped naked in an attempt to take control of the ball, ran to the basket, and somehow avoided the error of trying to hit. the ball. de Vassilius Spanoulis tried to take the lead when a ball that entered from the right left Liivio Jeano-Charleso completely alone with goalkeeper Alessandro Ciccio, who made a spectacular block.

This attack reflected all that incredible stripping of Žalgiris in the last two minutes through the needle hole. It was enough somewhere for something to happen differently, and the outcome of the duel would be completely different.

“We have bought some success this season,” Grigonis said after the match with Žalgiris TV.

Walkup’s colon was the ninth point in a row for Žalgiris: 81:79, after which Olympiaka’s attack had 0.8 seconds to play.

That crazy attack lasted only 5 seconds, but it seemed much longer than Lauvergne’s quick attacks.

“Before taking control of the ball, I knew we had a foul in reserve and we had to play hard, try to take control of the ball. If there is a foul, the judges will whistle and no fines will be applied yet. It just so happened that I managed to touch the ball with my hand, I took it, it took me a long time to get up normally and before I did, Sloukas reached me. I hit the ball to the ground a couple of times, Vasillis Spanoulis was behind me, I dribbled again, I looked at the clock that showed three seconds, I took a shot and everything ended well.

“This is the most memorable moment of my career,” added Walkup.

After a minute of rest, Olympiacos tried to throw the ball to Jeane Charles, but Grigonis raised his hand and Žalgiris triumphed.

After the final siren, Bartzok was quick to argue with one of the match officials, but it was too late to change anything. Olympiakos lost to Žalgiris for the second time this season in the closing seconds and overall in the last 12 mutual duels, Kaunas lost for the tenth time.

“In the end, you also need some luck,” Schiller said. – I think we made a couple of hard shots and then Thomas played very well on defense. However, our success must come through hard work, so we congratulate the team on that. “