Zalgiris Kaunas continues the Lithuanian Basketball League playoff campaign and will begin their semifinal series against Lietkabelis Panevezys on Tuesday.

Ahead of the upcoming series, Deividas Sirvydis, who played in Panevezys a couple of seasons ago, shared his thoughts.

“We had a day off and also a recovery session in the training facility, so we were able to get a bit of a break from basketball and bring our bodies back into the right condition,” Sirvydis said about the team’s preparation.

Sirvydis also commented on the Lietkabelis phenomenon, as the Panevezys team, despite not having home-court advantage, advanced past the quarterfinals for the ninth consecutive season after defeating Siauliai twice in their series.

“Honestly, I don’t think it can be fully explained. Having been there myself, it seems that every season they deal with some injuries that disrupt their regular-season rhythm. But when the decisive stage comes, everyone returns and they manage to play solid basketball. I think experience plays a big role – they have many veteran players and a great coach. Everyone understands that the most important part is the final stage, not necessarily the regular season,” Sirvydis said.

He also highlighted Lietkabelis’ main strengths.

“I’d say the team is led by its guards, but this season there were several games where the big men also stepped up, like Gabrielius Maldunas. Honestly, I could name every player – everyone has their minutes and their role, and anyone can step up when needed. Still, the guards are probably the face of the team,” Sirvydis explained.

The first semifinal game will take place on Tuesday at 6:50 PM in Kaunas, after which the series will move to Panevezys. Game 3 at Zalgirio Arena is scheduled for Sunday at 4:50 PM.