Both the Lithuanian and French national teams had won three times before their head-to-head match, so the fate of the first place in Group D was decided in this meeting.
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Lithuania led for most of the game, and the French never took the lead, although the score was still tied at 14:14 with a few minutes remaining.
However, our team finished the match with a 7:1 run, and Aurelijus Pukelis sealed the victory with a powerful dunk.
Rokas Jocys and Evaldas Džiaugys were the most effective players for the Lithuanian national team, scoring 7 points each. A. Pukelis added 4 points, and Ignas Vaitkus scored 3.
In the first three games, Lithuania defeated Belgium (21:14), Brazil (22:20), and Puerto Rico (17:16).
Lithuania’s opponent in the quarter-finals, which will be played on Saturday, will be determined during tomorrow’s round of 16 matches.
A total of 20 teams are playing in the tournament, divided into four groups of five teams. The teams that finish first in their groups advance directly to the quarter-finals, teams in 2nd-3rd place will play in the round of 16, and teams in 4th-5th place end their participation.
In Group D, three teams each secured one victory, and Belgium (1-3) finished highest among them due to the highest number of points scored, snatching a ticket to the round of 16. For Brazil (1-3) and Puerto Rico (1-3), this tournament is already over.
The Lithuanian men’s national team is competing in the World Championship for the sixth time. The only medal won so far was in 2022 in Antwerp, when they claimed silver.
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