Zalgiris Kaunas defeated Lietkabelis Panevezys, 103-93, in Game 3 of the LKL semifinals and advanced to the league finals. After the game, head coach Tomas Masiulis shared his thoughts, expressing concerns about the team’s defensive performance.
“First of all, congratulations to the players and the fans on the win, but as a coach, I wasn’t satisfied with this game. We played a bit too relaxed, even though we tried to prepare the team for the fact that Lietkabelis would not give us anything for free and that we would have to earn this victory. Before the game, we saw that one of their key players would not play, so maybe that added to the sense of relaxation. But we cannot change our level of performance so much in just two days. The result is satisfying, but the way we played is not, especially on defense,” said Masiulis.
The coach also commented on Moses Wright’s performance, as the big man set new personal records in the domestic league on Sunday.
“Not just today – he had a solid series against Lietkabelis, although his performance against Jonava was weaker. Overall, you can see that he really wants it. Still, we expect players to approach every possession as if it were decisive. Yes, he played well today, but we won’t win games individually,” Masiulis explained.
Masiulis also praised Dovydas Giedraitis for his defensive efforts and spoke about the ongoing semifinal series between Juventus Utena and Neptunas Klaipeda.
“We’re definitely following it and watching how it unfolds. Juventus’ play doesn’t surprise us – they were already playing well toward the end of the season, they have quality players and are well coached. But I don’t think Klaipeda will give up easily, and I expect a good game tomorrow. We’re watching and waiting to see our opponent,” Masiulis added.