2024-07-07 08:25:11
The Lithuanian and Italian men’s basketball teams have played 31 games so far. Lithuanians won 20 victories during them. Counting only official competitions, the ratio of Lithuanian basketball players is even better – 12 victories in 16 matches.
Lithuanians and Italians met especially often at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. From 1998 to 2007, the teams played as many as 19 matches, mostly friendly matches. Later, the relationship cooled. Lithuanian and Italian basketball players last played friendly matches in 2013.
In the official competition, the last match took place in February 2019, when Lithuanians and Italians were placed in one group in the world championships selection tournament.
Official match between Lithuania and Italy
in 1937 European championship
in 1937 May 3 Riga. Group. Lithuania – Italy 22:20. P. Talzūnas 12, Z. Puzinauskas 6.
in 1937 May 7 Riga. The final. Lithuania – Italy 24:23. P. Talzūnas 12, Z. Puzinauskas 4.
The first official competition in which the Lithuanian national basketball team participated was the 1937 European Championships. The lottery resulted in the Lithuanians playing the first match against the Italians. The first entry in the long annals of Lithuanian national team matches was victorious – after a draw, our country’s basketball players won.
Four days later, the same teams met in the final of the second European Championship. There was a fierce battle again on the field, but the Lithuanian national team was once again stronger.
During the two matches against the Italians in Riga, more than half of the points were scored by American Lithuanian Pranas Talzūnas (24 out of 46), who was the main smith of the first big Lithuanian basketball victory.
in 1939 European championship
in 1939 May 28 Kaunas
Lithuania – Italy 48:15. V. Budriūnas 16, P. Lubinas 14, M. Ruzgys 13.
The third European Championship was held in Kaunas, eight teams played in one round. Lithuanians and Italians met on the last day of the tournament, when the Lithuanian national team had already secured the title of champion. Although the Lithuanians were already invincible, they couldn’t help but cheer the tens of thousands of fans who crowded into the Kaunas sports hall with another victory and convincingly defeated the Italian basketball players.
The Italian national team took sixth place in the championships held in Lithuania.
in 1992 qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games
in 1992 July 5 Zaragoza. Final group
Lithuania – Italy 100:87. A. Sabonis 33, Š. Marčiulionis 23, A. Karnišovas 16.
The next match took place after Lithuania regained its independence. After our country regained all international rights, the first official basketball tournament was the qualifying competition for the Barcelona Olympics. The team led by Jose Arvydas Sabonis and Šarūnas Marčiulionis broke through like a whirlwind and won all 11 matches in the cities of Badajoz and Zaragoza.
The Lithuanians played with the Italians on the last day of the selection tournament and the match, just like in the 1939 European Championships, resulted in nothing for both teams. The Lithuanians secured the first place, the Italians no longer had the opportunity to win the Olympic ticket. Despite this, the Lithuanian basketball players did not make any concessions to their opponents.
in 1995 European championship
in 1995 June 26 Athens. Group
Lithuania – Italy 80:69. Š. Marčiulionis 32, A. Sabonis 19, A. Karnišovas 15.
The same leaders of the Lithuanian national team – Š. Marčiulionis and A. Sabonis – ensured victory in the 1995 European Championship group competition. Both teams made it to the playoffs, but the Lithuanian national team played better in the most important matches. The Lithuanian basketball players only lost to the Yugoslav national team in the finals and won silver medals, while the Italians lost to the Croatian team in the quarterfinals.
in 1998 world Championship
in 1998 August 8 Athens. Semi-finals for places 5-8
Lithuania – Italy 71:76. A. Karnišovas 20, E. Žukauskas 13, S. Štombergas 11.
The Italians needed as many as six attempts to beat the Lithuanian national team for the first time in an official competition. True, the Italians did it in a match that no longer led to anything important: the Lithuanians lost to the Russians, the Italians to the Americans in the quarterfinals of the world championships.
In the fight for the 5th-8th places, the Italians defeated ours, and in the final table the teams took adjacent places: Italy – sixth, Lithuania – seventh.
in 1999 European championship
in 1999 June 28 Le Mans. Second stage group
Lithuania – Italy 74:62. A. Sabonis 25, A. Karnišovas 19, G. Einikis 14.
Both Lithuanians and Italians had a strong start to the European championships held in France. These teams fought for the first place in the last round of the second stage group competition. Led by Arvydas Sabonis, who returned to the national team, the Lithuanian basketball players defeated the Italians and became the winners of the group, but three days later they sensationally lost to the Spanish national team in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the Italians, after the defeat to the Lithuanians, did not make any mistakes. The Italian national team defeated Russia, Yugoslavia and Spain in the playoffs and became the European champion for the second time.
in 2000 Olympic Games
in 2000 September 17 Sydney. Group
Lithuania – Italy 48:50. S. Štombergas 14, Š. Jasikevičius 8, D. Songaila 7 / G. Fučka 13, C. Myersas 9.
The opposite story happened at the Sydney Olympics. Lithuanians and Italians met already in the first round, and in a very ineffective match, the result of which would be more suitable for the middle of the 20th century, the Italian basketball players achieved a difficult victory. The outcome of this match caused a wave of pessimism in Lithuania, but the team coached by Jonas Kazlauskas soon put everything in place.
The Lithuanians confidently entered the playoffs, almost defeating the USA team made up of NBA basketball players in the semifinals and winning the third bronze medal in a row. Meanwhile, the Italians lost to the Australian team in the quarter-finals and returned from Sydney without awards.
in 2004 Olympic Games
in 2004 August 27 Athens. Semi-final
Lithuania – Italy 91:100. A. Macijauskas 26, K. Lavrinovičius 15, S. Štombergas 12, E. Žukauskas 10 / G. Basile 31, G. Pozzecco 17, G. Galanda 16.
The Lithuanian national team suffered an incomparably more painful defeat against the Italians during the Olympic Games in Athens. In general, this defeat is one of the most painful failures of Lithuanian basketball.
Twenty years ago, Lithuania assembled almost the strongest men’s basketball team of all time. The team coached by Antanas Sireikas showed its strength when it defeated the USA national team in the group competition, and Lithuanian fans no longer secretly but openly dreamed of Olympic gold. Dreams were ruined by the rain of Italian three-pointers in the semi-finals of the Athens Games. Gianluca Basile alone hit seven 3-pointers for 31 points, making 18 of his 28 long-range shots.
The undefended Lithuanian team lost to the Italian basketball players, among whom was the current coach of the Italian national team, Gianmarco Pozzecco, after which they lost to the Americans in the match for the third place and remained empty. The Italian team lost to the Argentine national team in the final, but returned home with silver medals.
in 2006 world Championship
in 2006 August 26 Saitama. Round of 16
Lithuania – Italy 71:68. A. Macijauskas 15, D. Songaila and D. Lavrinovičius 12 each / R. Rocca and F. Di Bella 15 each.
Two years later, the Lithuanian basketball players settled at least partially in the round of 16 of the world championships. However, the Lithuanians were happy for a short time – they lost to the Spanish team in the quarter-finals.
in 2007 European championship
in 2007 September 8 Madrid. Second stage group
Lithuania – Italy 79:74. R. Kaukėnas 22, Š. Jasikevičius 13, D. Lavrinovičius 11 / A. Bargnani 15, G. Basile 13.
The Lithuanians defeated the Italians in the group competition of the continental championships held in Spain after a changeable battle. The Italian national team played unsuccessfully in this tournament and did not reach the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the Lithuanian national team coached by Ramūnas Butauts suffered only one defeat during the entire tournament – in the semi-finals against Russian basketball players – and won bronze medals.
in 2013 European championship
in 2013 September 19 Ljubljana. Quarter final
Lithuania – Italy 81:77. M. Kalnietis and R. Seibutis 17 each, J. Mačiulis 13, M. Pocius 11 / M. Belinelli 22, S. Gentile 15.
Kęstučius Kemzūras, who coached the Lithuanian national team in 2009-2012, never faced the Italians either in official competitions or in friendly matches. The next official match between Lithuanians and Italians took place only six years later, when Jonas Kazlauskas took over the helm of our country’s national team. The team coached by him defeated the Italian national team in the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
The Lithuanians won the silver medals of the European Championships a few days later, while the Italians lost two more matches, took eighth place and did not win the right to play in the World Championships (the seven best teams entered them).
in 2015 European championship
in 2015 September 16 Lily. Quarter final
Lithuania – Italy 95:85 (after extra time). J. Valančiūnas 26, J. Mačiulis 19, M. Kalnietis 14, M. Kuzminskas 13 / A. Bargnani 21, M. Belinelli 18, D. Gallinari 17.
In the second consecutive European Championship, Lithuanians and Italians met in the quarterfinals. In Lille, the four quarters were very even, the leading team changed many times, but during the extra time, the Lithuanians defeated their opponents.
The Lithuanian national team then won silver medals, and the Italians got a ticket to the Olympic selection tournament.
in 2017 European championship
in 2017 September 3 Tel Aviv. Group
Lithuania – Italy 78:73. A. Juškevičius 20, M. Kuzminskas 14, J. Valančiūnas 13, M. Kalnietis 12 / L. Datome 24, M. Belinelli 14, A. Filloy 10.
The teams met in the third consecutive continental championship, but this time already in the group competition. The Lithuanians were slightly stronger again.
The Lithuanian national team won the group, but already in the round of 16 they ran into the Greek barrier. Meanwhile, the Italians, who finished lower in the group, won their round of 16 match and exited the medal race after losing to Serbia in the quarter-finals.
in 2019 World Cup qualifying tournament
in 2018 November 29 Brescia. Italy – Lithuania 70:65. A.Abassas 13, A.Polonara 11 / M.Kalnietis 15, J.Mačiulis 10, R.Seibutis 9.
in 2019 February 25 Klaipeda. Lithuania – Italy 86:73. G. Masiulis 15, R. Giedraitis 12, M. Gebenas 11, M. Echodas 10 / L. Vitali 22.
In this selection tournament, in which the teams played many matches without NBA and Euroleague basketball players, the Lithuanian national team won 11 out of 12 matches and convincingly took first place in the group. The Lithuanians experienced their only failure in Italy. The Italians won the ticket to the world championships quite calmly. They finished second in the qualifying group.
2024-07-07 08:25:11