Kaunas “Žalgiris” basketball players dominated from the first minutes of the “Betsafe-LKL” match against Mažeikiai “M Basket-Delamode” team and celebrated a crushing victory.
Strategist from Žalgiris Andrea Trinchieri admitted that his students played well, but saw signs of relaxation in the fourth quarter.
“We were solid. We showed good concentration for three quarters and lost the fourth quarter. It’s hard to stay focused when you’re up by 40 points. We were able to share the minutes, we didn’t suffer any injuries, and most importantly, it was a solid match,” said A. Trinchieri.
– How do you motivate the team for such big victories?
“If I had a secret, they would be motivated for 4 quarters instead of 3. This group of people deserves respect, they work hard, we had two tough training sessions because this is the last chance we can do it. Maybe we were a bit tired, I knew that would happen. The motivation comes from the fact that we want to win the title. You have to come to the gym every day with this goal in mind.
– How did D. Rivers fit into the team?
– This day was very bad for him. He wasn’t in the right rhythm. When you have a long rotation, the next one is in line. He didn’t take the chance today, but tomorrow will be another day. I believe the fact that he did not play in the second half of the match will motivate him. “Zalgiris” is like a moving train, he has to catch up with it.
– What is the situation of A. Butkevičius?
– She is getting better, we will see in 15 days. Arnas works hard every day, I have already seen a smile on his face in the last few days – you rarely see that. You immediately feel that everything is better.
– What can you wish Mr. Jankūnas for his birthday?
– At least another 40 years in this form. He looks great.
