“We had a lot of individually poor performances, below average. On the other side, Keenan Evans, Lukas Lekavičius and Edmond Summner, their defenders attacked both our big players and small players in exchange situations, and we in turn were not ready to help each other and rotated badly in defense. Not only that, they also had 12 offensive rebounds. You can’t win a live or die game with the attitude we had in the second half of the game,” lamented E. Messina, who is called a basketball professor, at the press conference after the game.
Euroleague: Zalgiris – Olimpia
(46 photos)
Tautvydas Sabonis (Erikas Ovčarenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Dovydas Giedraitis (Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS photo)
Tauvydas Sabonis (Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Edgaras Ulanovas (Eriks Ovčarenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Ettore Messina (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Ettore Messina (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Andrea Trinchieri (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Keenan Evans (Erik Ovcharenko/BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Laurynas Birutis (Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS photo)
Andrea Trinchieri (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Edmond Sumner (Erik Ovcharenko/BNS photo)
Tautvydas Sabonis (Erikas Ovčarenko/ BNS photo)
Tomas Dimša (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Edmond Sumner (Erik Ovcharenko/BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Laurynas Birutis (Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS photo)
Brady Manek (Erik Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Dovydas Giedraitis (Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Olimpia” (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Arnas Butkevičius (Erikas Ovčarenko/ BNS photo)
Tomas Dimša (Eriks Ovcharenko/ BNS photo)
Kaunas “Žalgiris” (Erikas Ovčarenko/ BNS photo)
Keenan Evans (Erik Ovcharenko/BNS photo)
Edmond Sumner (Erik Ovcharenko/BNS photo)
Edmond Sumner (Erik Ovcharenko/BNS photo)
Edmond Summner, who crossed the threshold of 20 utility points for the first time in the EuroLeague, led “Žalgiris” to victory 87:73, about whom E. Messina testified that he had a lot of information. In total, the American scored 17 points and collected 28 utility points.
“I have a lot of friends at the Nets and they always had the best things to say about him, I knew what he was capable of before he came to Europe. I knew how he could play, we just didn’t respond to his physicality today, he also hit the 3-pointer better than usual, so all the compliments go to him,” he said.
The coach of the Italian champions also singled out the extremely poor mood of his team’s players after the big break and the lost battle for rebounds. “Zalgiris” recovered 36 balls, while the visitors only 29 balls.
“The second part of the match was determined by the start of it – two or three errors in the attack in a row, we allowed them to take the ball away in the attack and eventually score points. We fell behind and started to rush in attack because we felt that if we didn’t score it would be difficult to stop them on the other side of the field. Big teams impose their defense and try to find attacking spaces in attack. We did it well enough in the first part, but not after the long victory. The match turned in the direction of “Zalgiris”, said E. Messina.
He was also asked about the victory of “Zalgiris” in 1999. In the final of the Euroleague, when he himself coached Bologna’s Virtus, which had a huge budget.
“So I was on the unlucky side at the time. Teams could learn ball movement. Coach Kazlauskas created good ball movement, they relied on two great defenders Tyus Edney and Anthony Bowie, many great players around them, Žukauskas, Štombergas, great team. They were a “team” in the truest sense of the word, playing together, selflessly. That year we got to the final four with a lot of little problems and won the derby in the semi-final. You know very well that it is very difficult for teams after such matches. But Zalgiris deserved everything, they beat Olympiacos and us, they played two great matches. Later I had the opportunity to train Saulius for a year, I had Edney in Treviso. A wonderful offensive player”, – the Italian who lost that final remembered the memorable triumph for Lithuania and Kaunas.
Tags: Ettore Messina bowed Zalgiris winger didnt respond physicality
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