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The four finalists of the Citadele King Mindaugas Cup (KMT) final are here.
On Saturday, the first basketball players of Utena “Juventus” and Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” will compete for the ticket to the final of the tournament. The clash between these teams will begin at 2 pm The second semi-final, between Kaunas “Žalgiris” and Klaipėda “Neptūnas”, will be played at 4.30 pm.
The Utena people, although they have lost at Šiauliai, have been going through a slightly better period lately than their competitors. A couple of weeks ago, the people of Žalgiris also fell under his feet. Meanwhile, Panevėžys’ team lost to Vilnius “Rytas” and Alytus “Dzūkija” with no brighter light. However, in the last match after the Kyle Vinales benefit, Šiauliai was defeated during extra time. Panevėžys hopes that this match will become a starting point before the decisive fights of the KMT.
“The victory against Žalgiris provides a bearish service, but the victories and the good play of our team show the potential. There is still a lot of work to be done to reach that level and it would not be a one-time rebound. We have not shown all the weapons yet. said the Juventus forward about the game that his team is now showing. Žygimantas Skučas.
“It just came to our notice then. The match with” Šiauliai “was not the best either, but we are glad we got it, because victory was desperately needed lately to feel its flavor and gain confidence in our strength. We were feeling tense, nervous. Now we have won and we are preparing for the weekend “, – the captain of” Lietkabelis “expected a better game Vytenis Lipkevičius.
Both players interviewed by LKL.lt have participated in the KMT final four in the past. Both teams have at least some of these players, and their experience in such important matches can be a deciding factor in the final moments of the match.
“All the players react differently to the four finalists, this is not news. I’ll play for the third time myself, that’s not much either. It will not feel like an ordinary match, it will be a thrill, but because of those moments we play all season, due to some ending or title, “- Ž.Skučas looked at the most important weekend of the season so far.
“Everyone has their own recipe. You need to focus, get ready, go to the court and play basketball. However, that is our pleasure and work in one. We have to surrender to the site, as there will be, there will be, the most important thing is to know that you tried and did everything you could, ”shared V. Lipkevičius.
Teams from Aukštaitija have already fought twice this season. Both matches were won by Panevėžys. If the first took place before the teams had acquired optimal sporting form, the second could become a warning sign for the people of Utena: they lost 79: 100, and the worst match of the season was played by the attacking organizer. of the team, Vaidas Kariniauskas. , which obtained only 4 utility points.
“We remember those matches, they showed physicality, we lost the men’s fight. He will want to give back. I think he can only give a positive boost, he will want revenge. We know they are favorites and a higher level team because they played in the European Cup, they have more experience. Who will be better that day will show the game, but we respect them a lot ”, he saw the motivation in the defeats.
“Kariniauskas added a lot to them. This is a very high level basketball player, there is nothing to talk about. But they have 8-9 players scoring. One day you will lose one, but you can shoot the other. I think it just takes work on team, physique, energy, aggression to try to get the whole team out of their game. We do not single out any player, because he is dangerous in a team game, “V. Lipkevičius evaluated the opponents.
Ž.Skučas has already played the exact same semi-final once. Representing Lietkabel in 2017, he reached the final of the tournament, defeating his current team in the semi-finals. According to the attacker, similarities can be found between Lietkabelis 2017 and Juventus 2021.
“It just came to our knowledge then. The full potential of a team, the realization of mastery, is when the players feel safe. Maybe this is the second time in my career that I play in a team with that environment, when everything goes so good, there are no disturbances ”, said the Utena forward in the great atmosphere of both teams.
Although most basketball experts regard Panevėžys as insignificant favorites for the semifinals, the team captain does not emphasize it.
“I don’t think more tension will pressure us, they are teams of a very similar level. Favorite Five Percent One Way or Another – I don’t think anything changes or something is backwards. That is the interesting thing about a cup match, because anything can happen. The game will be decided by small details. We train and play in this room, although I don’t think this advantage is great, “said V. Lipkevičius at the end of the conversation.
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