Urbonas in the barrier of the morning finally crossed: “These moments deserve to be lived” / News

After a four-year break, Utena’s Juventus broke the Vilnius “Rytas” barrier in the King Mindaugas Cup quarter-finals with a bang, crushing the Vilnius team with a 27-point lead – 105: 78.

For the first time in his head coaching career, Žydrūnas Urbonas reached the KMT final four and, after winning the series, the 44-year-old strategist was greeted with splashes of water instead of champagne.

“The most important thing was the individual conversations after the match with Lietkabelis. Thank goodness that rule came true. As for Kupšas, Šulskis, Vaitkus, they were in the shadows, but we spoke in a masculine way about what they should be. That one Help was very important, the coach spoke about the importance of his players – We play with Rytas, a favorite, no matter how you write. Here is a team with the same potential, 3.2 million. Budget in euros. People are good The most important thing was that someone come to the rescue.

I know what Kariniauskas, Gecevičius, Runkauskas, Čepukautis can do. But he needed the help of people who were on the sidelines. Same with Bryant Crawford. Today is fun. I want to give this victory to my mother, with whom I am angry, that is why I would like her to forgive me for that. “

– Why did you get mad at your mom?
– Durnavotas I am, sometimes combative, sometimes too hot. I know that trait of my character. Today I was very solid and helped the team, an ideal communication with the referees, without technical fouls. Clearly the judges showed a high level today, we communicated very well. I was warned once, but we communicate very well. There was no arrogance for someone from the other side to come and give you a technical foul. High level of humanity. The one that takes me the most. Coaching staff – fiction. I would like to thank you from Vidas Ginevičius to fitness coach Mindaugas Saulevičius. We worked well, we were very focused, we reached very good conclusions. It is a great pity that Andrew Goudelock is injured, it is true that it is his 15 points. However, I think we would have worked it out today and settled in at the beginning – he threw and hit there, but to no avail. God forbid, don’t hurt us or them, without equipment. There is nothing to be happy about.

– Before the season, you said behind the scenes that you would win the “Morning”. What happened to the people of Vilnius then that you left so bravely?
– I just analyzed your equipment. I really have nothing against Donald Kairi, who I know personally, or against any player. I’ll say it generally: we lost 30 points in the first game of the season, but when you’re a coach, you feel what weapons he’s using against you. You can see when a team is playing to catch emotions, without any tactic. Then it was felt. My goal as a coach is to grow a team. We never started the season well. Clearly, we had problems. There was no Sigismund Skučas and a few more players, we reached the first match in eight. For me, the most important thing is that the team grows, not that somehow the party and the will be taken. The season is long and, in the long run, the better you play, the weaker. I felt like we could outsmart them, catch them, and defeat them. That is why I said so, but in no way underestimating his work.

– While watching the match, did you get the impression that after the defeat, the people of Vilnius reacted and joined the fight?
– There was a fight. They collapsed, they fell. The most interesting thing is that “Morning” was started by Dovis Bičkauskis and Gytis Radzevičius, our old boys, whom we raised to a higher level. They really wanted it and turned their heads. Coach Kairys also yelled, yelled, and urged his students. They really wanted to do it, but we already caught the “Morning”, we knew the weak points and we got through where they were weakest. That is why we have such a good result, a success and all the other details. Of course, it cannot be said that today the opponents were only ruins, everything seemed to be going well. In fact, I really don’t want to go down that road now, I want to rejoice. We have taken a historic step. God, how much was there? I remember that three years ago in Vilnius we sadly lost after a mistake. I already wanted to congratulate everyone with the victory. It means when you give a heart, when you bring your good emotion to the team, when you get a wet jersey back, when you’re watered, it’s good. It is life and those moments are worth living. Of course, we haven’t won anything yet, but the “Morning” pass is unique.

– You made it to the four finalists of the KMT, and in the Lithuanian Basketball League a season ago you set the goal of entering the top four. Appetite comes from eating, are your goals higher now?
– No. We don’t think about that. In the last game against Lietkabel we played very badly, but I felt that several players had saved. In the subconscious, I felt it. Of course, they played well, they deserve a win, there’s no question about it. It was a situation where we knew the importance of the KMT match and LKL still had four matches in the second round. So far we are more muscular. Sure, place matters, but maybe it’s more important for us to stay in the top four, if possible, or at least not fall into the top five. Due to entering the last four, we will not really get up, we will not become anything. supermenais, we are ordinary boys, as we were, only now we will have more respect for the environment and maybe more respect for ourselves. For a man, this is the most important thing.

– After Maurice Ndour left and Andrew Goudelock got injured, can you say you were a stronger team than “Morning”?
– In this place, we all get crafty. When someone wins, we say, “Oh, what a good team Utena is now, and Rytas is playing really bad now.” That is not the case here. I mean, if we put Arvydas Sabonis in a bad situation, it can look very bad. Here is the question of energy and work. Juventus is the best team in the world for me. I always believe it. It’s easy to be an expert now and say that we plan to be in the top four before the season, but it’s always harder to get the job done before that when you’re pressed and say, “Utena has to be in the top four this season.” This is much more difficult than when you drag somewhere at the end of the tournament table and if you win, everything will be fine, if you lose, no one will punish you too much. I am glad that we have set ourselves great ambitions and goals not only for the team, but also for the players. It’s good that someone gets out of it.

– Parties are prohibited during quarantine. How will you solve this problem?
– We are almost all sick, what are our problems? Even if I fell, the train was already on the rails. I’m not going to lie, you want to pour that joy not only with water, but also with non-alcoholic champagne. We do everything wisely, we protect our team, we live in a bubble, we do not give up where it is not necessary. I think we will be in our own circle.