In the Lithuanian basketball league (Betsafe-LKL), Vilnius Rytas lost at home to Alytus Wolves 76:88.
After the match Giedrius Žibėnas admitted that the opponents were simply better in this match.
“Today the opponents were better, they dictated the contact, especially in the first part of the match. We coaches accept defeat. We probably didn’t prepare the team adequately for the contact and I would make a comparison with the Herzliya club. When we meet a team with that physicality, we enter the game in the wrong way. In the second half, the players came back into the game and we played until the end, but it wasn’t enough. We ran too much in the first half. The rivals started the game with layups,” he said G. Žibėnas.
– Mr. Foster hasn’t been arrested?
– We have ten players and Foster is one of them. When one leader fails, others should step up, but we didn’t find any today. As a result, Foster had to stay on the field.
– Do you have any complaints about the attitude of the team?
– I have complaints about myself, we knew that they play contact basketball and will push us onto the court. It seems we were preparing, but the players were surprised by that contact. It’s my mistake to have prepared it wrong.
– What went wrong on defense?
– They made 34 threes and many free throws, they made 16. Those are not our numbers and we have to deal with them. The launch team is also waiting in Thessaloniki. Players have to blame themselves. There were a lot of weird assists where we have tall players on the pitch and it went to assists from shooting players against the onrushing Juškevicius.
– What is the situation of J. Williams?
– Everything is fine – a slight distortion. He should already train with the team on Monday.
– The match was characterized by a warm atmosphere. How do you see the comparison between these teams?
– My job is about basketball. It would be unethical to comment on anything else and I don’t want to go into it. We are proud of the fans for not turning away from us after two halves and not delving into other intrigues.
– By how much did the two newcomers raise the capacity of the competitors?
– Playing at home, we couldn’t let him start the game like this. We have to explain this to the players.
Remas Kurtinaitis he was particularly pleased with the first part of the match.
“We got off to a good start and tried to keep the lead. We were a bit tired because we didn’t have Cavero. Beruchka settled down and defended well against Foster. It’s not easy to win against Rytas away, so the result is satisfying. There they were mistakes, but when Buckner came in, we got the ball going. We won the battle thanks to rebounds and because of this, the attack and points increased” said R. Kurtinaitis.
– What impression did E. Buckner leave?
– We still have to work. We did two training sessions with him and it’s difficult to prepare all the systems and defense combinations in such a short time. It is most needed in the fight under baskets. Both he and Taylor are battling the ball at the hoop and it’s on another level. It is safe to give the ball to both and they can decide 1v1.
– How do you rate the episode where Rytas played in six?
– I judge badly, however I received a warning from the judges that there is a pass before a technical foul. I know the rule that 6 players can’t be on the pitch. I didn’t understand the referees’ excuse in this situation, because there was an attack and we warned the referees. I have no complaints with the referees, but I didn’t like the foul on Beruchka, when Foster just jumped over him while he was lying. Beručka didn’t even see and was fouled because he was lying on the ground. I never have any complaints against referees, but it would be interesting to know a few things. I’m already a foot there, and it turns out I don’t know a few rules yet.
– How do you rate the game of A. Beruchka?
– He’s a good boy and earlier I took him from Perlo to Ryta. He wasn’t ready then, but now he has had a good season at Pasvaly. He has a good shot and we have seen him defend against Foster. He always defends against opposing perimeter leaders.
– Why didn’t M. Lukauskis and M. Delia play?
– Lukauskis was ill for a few days and joined the last training session, but today it wasn’t necessary. I respect him and Lukauskis is an important player. Marcos has leg problems and before the match we said that if there is an opportunity, we will protect him. Marcos needs rest and we will give him rest.
– What is A. Cavero’s situation?
– He has a tight hamstring. Caver was in training but we didn’t risk it because if something had happened we would have lost him for a long time. We hope you come back to the team during the week.
– What do you think of this opposition of teams?
– I watch basketball and do not want to get involved in politics. It’s good that there are people who want to invest in basketball and this allows us to bring in good players. It makes the league stronger and I think the arrival of Wolves has brought it to life. Even if we lose, everyone is interested. Some love it, some don’t. We try to stay positive and follow up on all feedback. We know it’s not easy for us, but the boys are facing this situation. We will try to make the team fall in love with us and for this we must win at least something. We are on this path and I think we are working in the right direction.
– Is K. Evans’ injury comparable to the situation in LKL?
– “Žalgiris” gathered well this year. Evans “stuck” well and was maybe 50 percent of the team. In Euroleague he decided many matches, maybe in LKL that initiative was less. This is a very good player and for “Žalgiris” everyone is trying to dig. I think Zalgiris are currently playing a good level of basketball and it will be very difficult for them in the playoffs.
