2024-08-05 20:13:43
The basketball player from Rokiškis scored 9 of the 21 points of the national team in a crucial battle against the Polish national team, and the team he represented surpassed the opponents 21:16.
It was Š.Vingelis’ shots that allowed D.Novick’s army to break away from the opponents, and at the end of the match, his steady hand paved the way to the final four of the Olympic tournament.
“I picked him up because I knew what kind of arm he had. His character is maybe a little too good for basketball, but the whole team pushed him, pushed him and finally pushed him through.
I told him to throw 50/50 shots as well, others throw them and hit them. He himself only wants to throw confident shots, because then his teammates will be angry (smiles)”, coach D. Novickas said about Š. Vingelis.
Š.Vingelis’ assured play during the quarter-finals untied the hands of other national team players as well.
“That beginning… The tension was as always, but later we “punched”, we followed the plan, Š. Vingelis “punched” two-point shots, so the game became even easier”, reasoned Evaldas Dziaugys after the match against Poland.
However, the entire triples basketball tournament of the Olympic Games was not all roses for the hero of this story.
Š.Vingelis had a very difficult start to the games, and after two defeats, the basketball player received a lot of criticism in public for his poor game.
“Unreal. We missed Šarūn in the first game because he was off balance. All the teams know that he is very important for us from long distances. If they close it, it closes a lot of points for us. We did a lot of homework to make him have a lot of long shots, even though he didn’t make them, we created opportunities under the basket. I myself still have to throw more accurately, because my opponents help me when defending”, added G. Matulis.
Both he and the other players of the trio’s basketball team encourage the team’s marksman to attack the basket more often from a distance: “We believe in Sharun. We know what a sniper he is, how he can shoot. We tell him every day, I say, “You throw, you throw, you throw because you’re going to hit.” That’s what he does.”
At that time, the sniper who carried the Lithuanian national team on his shoulders at the most important moment in the quarter-final match was happy after the match that the pressure was off his shoulders.
“The beginning was very difficult. Personally, I felt more difficult at the beginning than now. At the moment, nothing is pressing,” he said.
The Lithuanian national team will need the same self-confident Š.Vingelis in the upcoming battles for awards.
The Lithuanian trio basketball team will face the Netherlands team in the semi-finals of the Olympic Games. This match will take place at 19:00. Lithuanian time.
In the next semi-final, defending champions Latvians and tournament hosts France will compete.
Both semi-final matches and duels for awards will be held on the same day (Monday).
The Paris Olympic Games take place from July 26 to August 11, and you can follow their progress and the hottest comments from athletes lrytas.lt portal.
2024-08-05 20:13:43