The battles awaiting in the World Basketball Championship qualifiers against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey are very important, but so far Lithuania’s play is certainly not encouraging.
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The loss to the Estonians on August 20, and now the setback against the University of Arizona is not the result the gathered fans expected. Forward D. Motiejūnas was also disappointed with the team’s play.
“There is nothing positive to say. It’s bad that we lost,” the tall player shook his head regretfully after the 74:88 loss.
There is nothing positive to say
– The goal was not to win against Arizona. The mood is such that the same mistakes are repeating. We are not making a tragedy, we need to win against the Turks away and we are preparing for that. You understand that the plays are not the same as they will be against the Turks.
I have a lot of experience, so I take it as a lesson. I always enjoy playing with Motiejus Krivas and Ugnius Jaruševičius. They are huge talents, they will play for the national team in the future and defend our country. I took it as getting into rhythm.”
D. Motiejūnas himself spent more time on the court in this game than in the first match against the Estonians. Then the 35-year-old from Kaunas played only 2 minutes, now almost 20 minutes.
During that time he scored 7 points (2/4 two-pointers, 1/3 three-pointers), grabbed 2 rebounds and made 3 assists.
“Last year, when I left Monaco for Crvena zvezda, it was almost the same. I didn’t play for 6 months and felt like I was hit by a train,” D. Motiejūnas spoke about the long time without playing. “Now we have more team practices. You simply can’t catch the game rhythm by working individually. You can run on the court without stopping.
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When you go on the court, there are many chaotic movements that you cannot criticize. It’s natural. I feel good, we are working intensively.”
And he had to work intensively together with M. Krivas. After blocking D. Motiejūnas, the player from Šiauliai introduced himself to the Alytus audience in this game and left a good impression.
This was also emphasized by the national team veteran.
“He needs to work, try, improve, grow,” D. Motiejūnas dedicated words to the 21-year-old 218 cm Arizona tower. “Maybe we will both work more in the summer. I will try to help him as much as I can. If I influence even one player, I will be a winner. We talked that he will come to work together, I will show him the moves I learned during my career.”
- Motiejus Krivas stats: 22 min. 15 pts (5/8 two-pointers, 1/1 three-pointers, 2/2 free throws), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks.
He trains individually in the summer himself, and few fans expected to see him in the national team. During the 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers, the tall player, as he himself admitted, revealed scandalous material about a players’ party.
Later Jonas Mačiulis stated that because of D. Motiejūnas, several players decided not to come to represent Lithuania.
“Those who wanted came,” D. Motiejūnas spoke about the former national team player’s thoughts. “I was called, asked, and I came. We need to help Lithuania. I don’t know the rumors, no one personally told me that they refused to come because of me. I think these are just rumors and I don’t want to comment on them.”
The next game of the Lithuanian men’s basketball team will be on August 23 in Vilnius against the University of Michigan.
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