Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL)

[Basketball GOD2]

LKL reachead this year's peak. The first semi-final pair Žalgiris and Šiauliai played their first game today and Žalgiris won after two overtimes (105 - 103). Second pair - Rytas and Nevėžis will start their meeting tomorrow and of course Rytas is clear favourite here.

Places from fifth to eighth is clear today:
1. Rytas
2. Žalgiris
3. Šiauliai
4. Nevėžis
5. Sakalai
6. Neptūnas
7. Panevėžys
8. Atletas

You can check statistic in official LKL site www.lkl.lt. This site is only in Lithuanian language so if something is unclear you can ask me. By the way - Lithuanian National television sometimes shows games in internet. Don't know if they broadcast next game on saturday between Šiauliai and Žalgiris but you can check this page http://erdves.lt/TVonline . Use only Internet Explorer. Time 15.10 CET or 16.10 EET and of course 14.10 GMT this saturday. This game should be interesting.

Here I will list teams and their official sites:
Kauno "Žalgiris" - www.zalgiris.lt
Vilniaus "Lietuvos Rytas" - http://bc.lrytas.lt/
Šiaulių "Šiauliai" - http://www.bcsiauliai.com/
Vilniaus "Sakalai" - http://www.bcsakalai.lt/
Kėdainių "Nevėžis" - http://www.bcnevezis.lt/test1/
Klaipėdos "Neptūnas" - http://www.kkneptunas.lt/
Panevėžio "Panevėžys" - http://www.bcpanevezys.lt/
Kauno "Atletas" - http://www.bcatletas.lt/

 

[Basketball GOD2]

Now some info.

Like myself said in previous post or Samir in other thread the first semi-final game between Žalgiris and Šiauliai took place in Kaunas Sporto Halė and Žalgiris won this game only after 2 OT. Stats and final score can be found here:
http://www.lkl.lt/index.php/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj1nYW1lcy5tYWluJnQ9MCZpZD0xNjg0MQ==
Žalgiris played without Lavrinovičius. Don't remeber if this was said in previous InterBasket version but he broke his left hand's two bones and he is out for remaining season. Still this is a shame but of course what do expect from Bagatskis? Some rumours say that Sakalauskas from Eisbären B'haven will change him next year. As you can see freakin' A.Masiulis (former Žalgiris player) scored 22 points almost the same like Beard but at least he tryed to play defence. People who was in this game said that Anderson airballed clutch free throw about by 2 meters also made many turnovers and airballed few shots. Also don't know if this is true but some people shouted GĖDA GĖDA GEDA (SHAME).

Also NKL (second basketball league - site) is disappointed. They champions won't get a chance to play with last LKL team (Atletas). Official reason - Atletas finished this year's campaign. Their team is disbanded and in NKL teams just started semifinals. Atletas doesn't have money.

 

[YYY2]

Atletas obviously has no future. I don't think Kaunas is big enough to have two basketball teams, especially when one of them is a big club like Zalgiris.

 

[YYY2]

Lietuvos Rytas - Nevezis 116:80

I don't think someone is surprised about this one. Sandis Buškevic had a good game - 9 points, 11 assists.

 

[Basketball GOD2]

stats from Rytas and Nevėžis game

 

[Basketball GOD2]

Žalgiris once again struggled against 'mighty' Šiauliai which has around 10x lesser budget. In the end they won but at this moment I can say that they have no chance to win a series against Rytas.
Žalgiris goes into finals wining series 2:0 and today's game final score:
Šiauliai - Žalgiris
80 - 84
stats

 

[Basketball GOD2]

OMG ...
Rytas lost to Nevezis
OMG

 

[Samir2]

Nevėžis 94 - 91 Rytas (after overtime)

So, result speaks for itself. Rytas struggled both ofensively and defensively, wasted their 17 points lead and that is the consequenses. Too many fast break oportunities for home side, too many missed shots from good positions, and, yes, Javtokas is probably second worst free throw shooter after that guy from Milano (Blair or something like that) Today 1/8. Spectacular... Ok, to be serious, he was one of two (with Buškevic) who played and other probably thought that red-black shirts will give the victory itself...

 

[YYY2]

Haven't you noticed how retarted our commentators are? There was like a whole minute left till the end of fourth quarter and Kunigelis was already speaking about Rytas' victory. After that, in the end of overtime he was congratulating Nevezis with the victory, regardless of that Rytas still had a chance for the last shot. I hate it when they have nothing good to tell so they just start talking crap. Kinda reminds me about the Maccabi - Zalgiris game, when commentator started to congratulate Zalgiris and talking how important this "victory" is.. Everyone knows what happened then..

Back to topic, the game was really good. I'd say one of the best games I've seen lately. And I'm really so glad that finally there aren't only Zalgiris-Rytas games. Hopefully, next season Siauliai and Nevezis will get more sponsors and fans. Actually I would be surprised if they didn't, because both teams had pretty good seasons.

 

[Basketball GOD2]

Maceina was fantastic today. Making clutch shots, passes and even rebounds. Rytas tried three or four players on him but none suceeded. Also Česnauskis played very well. One of Nevėžis sponsor before this game promissed satellite dish, don't know maybe this helped
stats Nevėžis - Rytas

I expect that in next game Rytas wins score around 150 - 50

 

[kestas2]

Haven't you noticed how retarted our commentators are? There was like a whole minute left till the end of fourth quarter and Kunigelis was already speaking about Rytas' victory. After that, in the end of overtime he was congratulating Nevezis with the victory, regardless of that Rytas still had a chance for the last shot.

I personally did not notice that. however, I did notice that Kunigelis was supporting Rytas. this is becoming a real issue with him. first he rooted for Rytas in the all-lithuanian BBL final, now he couldn't resist showing his support for Rytas in LKL semis. that's not what one would expect from the best active commentator in Lithuania.

otherwise it was truly a great match. Rytas had all the opportunities (like going from +3 to +10 in the begining of the fourth quarter), but somehow they kept on wasting them on a regullar basis. First thing they must do is get rid of that cock Delininkaitis. Javtokas was very usefull, despite missing free throws. Nielsen is also looking very solid. however, Nevezis did the right thing deffending very hard on them (especially on Javtokas). their main big man Janisius is very good in one on one and also a good deffender, but he looked like he can't pass the ball at all. other Rytas players were way overshadowed by their opponents. the small guys of Nevezis are exceptional (especially Maceina), their future with this club is under huge questionmark after this season (eg. Zalgiris could use some of them, imho) and that, unfortunately, would compromise the rise of Nevezis.

all in all, these semis are looking as the most competitive semis in LKL hystory.

 

[ziv2]

i've watched the last 3 minutes of regular and most of the ot (they cut the stream about 20 sec to go but it was pretty much over than).
do you see any real chance of siauli or nevezis becoming a real threat over the rytas-zalgiris duo-pol?

 

[Samir2]

do you see any real chance of siauli or nevezis becoming a real threat over the rytas-zalgiris duo-pol?

With their current budgets? No. ;]

 

[ziv2]

and is there anychance for an appropriate increase? or is it just like winning the lottery (or some russian oligarch...)

 

[Basketball GOD2]

and is there anychance for an appropriate increase? or is it just like winning the lottery (or some russian oligarch...)

I expect that Siauliai will increase their budget to at least 1 million euros let's say in two years but they doesn't have fanbase or traditions to have rytas or zalgiris budgets. This year they are strong because they have few good loaned players and all of them are quite big part of their game (Jomantas, Masiulis, Klimavicius). I expect that next year Siauliai will be weaker because Jomantas will go to Rytas and Masiulis and Klimavicius maybe just maybe will play in Zalgiris if no - they probably will try foreign countries.
And Nevezis - I don't see any chance that they will increase their budget. Kedainiai is little town. They came to LKL only few years ago. This team is few steps behind Siauliai. Also like in Siauliai their important player Maceina is loaned from zalgiris.
So answer to your question - NO.

 

[Zalgirinis2]

This year they are strong because they have few good loaned players and all of them are quite big part of their game (Jomantas, Masiulis, Klimavicius). I expect that next year Siauliai will be weaker because Jomantas will go to Rytas and Masiulis and Klimavicius maybe just maybe will play in Zalgiris if no - they probably will try foreign countries.

Just a small note. Im quite sure that Masiulis and Klimavicius doesnt belong to Zalgiris anymore. Of course if Zalgiris wanted any of them they would come back in a minute, but thats not possible. They arent even bench players for Euroleague level.

 

[sashikas2]

Just a small note. Im quite sure that Masiulis and Klimavicius doesnt belong to Zalgiris anymore. Of course if Zalgiris wanted any of them they would come back in a minute, but thats not possible. They arent even bench players for Euroleague level.

Well I would like to see one-on-one competition between Masiulis and Šilinskis...

 

[Basketball GOD2]

Well I would like to see one-on-one competition between Masiulis and Šilinskis...

And if we count last two games Beard wasn't much better player then Artūras if he was better at all ...

 

[sashikas2]

Rytas blew Nevėžis off in the third semifinal game 106-60, as expected. During all the game Rytas was pressing opponents, Nevėžis did not have a chance for easy points in the first half. In the second, it was a bit easier for them, but the gap was already 30+. Lukauskis got sprained ankle in the second quater.
So now on Saturday 16:00 Šiauliai will host Nevėžis in the third-place final and the first game of the superfinal will take place on Monday 18:45 in Siemens arena. Both games are shown via internet.

 

[Basketball GOD2]

Šiauliai won their first game against Nevėžis. While diference is 14 points but game was close for about 37 minutes. Box Score

Grand finale will start tomorrow