[ad_1]
The King Mindaugas Cup remains in Kaunas. The residents of Žalgiris win the national basketball cup for the second year in a row and for the fourth time in the club’s history.
For Lietkabel, this was the second final of the KMT. The residents of Panevėžys now have two silver and even three bronze KMTs in their medal collection.
Thomas Walkup had a great performance in the final in the championship team: 18 points, 8 assists, including 5 interceptions and 26 utility points on the American count.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Joffrey Lauvergne
Nigel Hayes added 14 points to Žalgiris, 11 – Joffrey Lauvergne, who was voted the most useful player in the last four.
The Frenchman stood out in the semifinal match, scoring up to 28 points and grabbing 10 balls.
Kyle Viñales scored 17 points for the owners of Cido Stadium, scoring the most in the fourth quarter.
If in the semifinal with Klaipėda “Neptūnas” the people of Žalgiris started the engine to full capacity only in the fourth quarter, in the battle for gold the guests changed the Euroleague mode from the first minutes of the match.
The Kaunas residents showed no miracles in attack, but they worked perfectly on defense, and the frozen Lietkabelis lost all 5 3-pointers in the first quarter, even made 9 errors and was 8:19 out of the first quarter.
In the second half, “Žalgiris” continued to hold the reins of the game in his hands. The residents of Panevėžys carried out mini-attacks in a few moments, but the guests of Kaunas also found a response very quickly. However, the hosts managed to end the fourth on a slightly more positive note, when Lietkabelis finally hit his first 3s, ran 5: 0 and took a break with a single-digit deficit (37:28).
The second half of the third quarter became the turning point of this final. Lietkabelis kept up the pace during the fighting distance, but lightning struck again in the hosts’ game, which Žalgiris, and exclusively Thomas Walkup, valued with very light points. Finally, Marius Grigonis, who scored several important triples, also shot, Žalgiris’ team finished with 13: 2 and led 58:41.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Kyle Viñales, who hit a triple, tried to start the last blast from the hosts of the Cido arena, but Nigel Hayes, a flying nail, struck the opponent’s coffin, creating perhaps the most beautiful final episode. At the end of the match, K. Vinales only nearly pulled Lietkabelis out of a 22-point deficit to a single mark, but the fast-adjusting time was an ally of Žalgiris: Kaunas triumphed 76:69.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Kaunas „Žalgiris“ – Panevėžys „Lietkabelis“
Both teams did not have solid accuracy from long range (Žalgiris – 30%, Lietkabelis – 23%).
Panevėžys’ team won the fight under the basket (31:27), but made up to 18 errors, after which the guests scored 10 easy points.
Kaunas “Žalgiris”: Thomas Walkup 18 (April 26), Nigel Hayes 14, Joffrey Lauvergne 11 (5/6), Augustine Rubit 8, Marius Grigonis (2/9) and Rokas Jokubaitis 7, Paul Jankūnas 6 (Art. 6), Artūras Milaknis 3 , Karolis Lukošiūnas 2, Martinas Gebenas 0, Steve Vasturia and Marekas Blaževičius did not compete.
Panevėžys “Waterproof”: Kyle Vinalesas 17, Gytis Masiulis 11 (6th ed.), Gabrielius Maldūnas 10 (9th ed., 4 res., 20 ed.), Margiris Normantas (13 ed.) And Vytenis Lipkevičius after 9, Paulius Valinskas 7, Troy Barnies 4, George Gagičius 2 (6th grade, 5th grade).
VIDEO: Match summary Citadele KMT: “Žalgiris” – “Lietkabelis” [2021-02-14]
The course of the match
Fourth quarter: Kaunas “Žalgiris” – Panevėžys “Lietkabelis”
40 min. The Žalgiris team wins the match with the result 77:69
39 min. That’s it: Hayes sends out a long-range bomb (75:65).
38 min. After V. Lipkevičius, the difference of three points is once again (72:63).
37 min. N.Čanakas resents the work of the secretariat and receives a technical foul (70:57).
36 min. Kaunas residents should not relax. K. Vinales only scores the seventh point in a row and brings his club closer to 13 points (68:55). Martin Schiller asks for a meeting.
35 min. The hosts want to lose by at least a decent margin and turn 6: 0 (68:52).
33 min. “Žalgiris” is +20 for the first time, and D.Gagičius (68:46), who has collected five personal penalties, ends the performance in the final.
32 min. Vaidas Čeponis’s traditional “ohoho” plays after the crushing N. Hayes hit the basket (62:46).
31 min. When, if not now? Viñales finishes off a triple and tries to start the last round of the hosts (60:46).
After the third quarter: Kaunas “Žalgiris” – Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” 58:41 (19: 8, 18:20, 21:13)
30 minutes. Kaunas’ team ends the fourth with a 13: 2 streak.
29 min. Another mistake by the hosts when the ball is delivered directly to the opponents. R. Jokubaitis creates a record advantage for Žalgiris at the top of the attack (56:41).
28 min. Errors, errors, errors … It is not the first time after the errors of the rival Th.Walkup wins easy points under the basket. M. Grigonis also added the second triple in no time, and “Žalgiris” escaped (54:41).
25 min. The attack begins to dominate: M. Grigonis, who is playing a modest match so far, hits the triple and D.Gagičius shakes the basket on the other side of the field (47:39).
24 min. And again, only Lietkabelis comes close, his opponents give a quick response (44:32).
22 min. A. Milaknis, who did not shine during the three-point competition, relentlessly punishes his opponents during the match, but at the start of the quarter, several hosts of the “Cido” arena also organize several effective attacks (40:32).
After the second quarters: Kaunas “Žalgiris” – Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” 37:28 (19: 8, 18:20)
19 min. V. Lipkevičius finally breaks Panevėžys ice cream from a long distance, G.Maldūnas adds two points – “Lietkabelis” also responds with a 5: 0 (37:28) stream.
18 min. The people of Žalgiris start a mini 5: 0 streak and set a new lead record (37:23)
17 min. Lietkabel manages to stabilize the situation and accumulate points faster in attack (32:23).
16 min. G.Masiulis finds a rare hole in the defense of Kaunas and loads the ball into the basket (30:20).
15 minutes. There are elements of volleyball in the match: G.Maldūnas passes the ball to the basket through J.Lauvergne (28:18).
14 min. Lietkabelis continues to be killed by mistakes, which Kaunas residents mercilessly translate into easy points. Th.Walkup already has 9 points on his account (26:14).
13 min. The bag gradually separates for both clubs: Th.Walkupas hits the triple and M.Normantas (24:14) responds with a two points on the other side of the square.
12 min. Perhaps the surprise factor is T. Barnes, who scored 4 unanswered points (21:12).
11 min. The hosts’ defensive defense and two easy points from K. Lukošiūnas (21: 8).
After the first part: Kaunas “Žalgiris” – Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” 19: 8
9 min. Hayes causes Gagičius’ third foul. Will the final be completed after the first half? (19: 6)
8 min. P.Valinskas, who has risen from the bench, brings much-needed energy to Panevėžys’s game, hitting only the second pitch from the game’s hosts.
However, “Žalgiris” responds with a quick five points, and the advantage of the greens is already in the double digits (15: 4).
7 min. The error chains on both sides of the square and the quality so far are few, and the result does not change.
5 minutes. It seems that the Lietkabelis team has not yet reached the final. All the hosts’ pitches fly by (10: 2).
4 min. The people of Panevėžys finally open – M. Normantantas (8: 2) wins the first points for them.
3 min. The game “Žalgiris” “two against two” has already become a classic, when M. Grigonis hangs the ball for J. Lauvergne in the air. The guests in front are already 8: 0 and N. Čanakas is forced to ask for a break from the first minutes.
2 minutes. The first points of the match were scored by Th.Walkupas (2: 0). Moments later, the American adds another two points.
Žalgiris five initials: Thomas Walkup, Marius Grigonis, Artūras Milaknis, Nigel Hayes, and Joffrey Lauvergne.
Lietkabelis starting five: Kyle Vinales, Margiris Normantas, Vytenis Lipkevičius, Gytis Masiulis and Gabrielius Maldūnas.
[ad_2]
