Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

2023 FIBA World Cup

FIBA: Valanciunas, Lithuania get better of Vucevic, Montenegro to close out Group D


Lithuania continued to showcase its deep arsenal, securing a victory over Montenegro, 91-71, and claiming the top spot in Group D of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Tuesday.

Following an initial exchange of points in the first quarter, the 8th-ranked Lietuva asserted their dominance in the middle periods.

Tomas Dimsa ignited with nine points exclusively in the second period, propelling Lithuania to outscore Montenegro by 22-13 and secure a 48-40 lead at halftime.

The Lithuanian team maintained their onslaught, unrelentingly pressing forward in the third quarter, thereby doubling their advantage to 16 points as they entered the final period with a score of 66-50.

“Three last quarters we controlled the game. We did a good job, we took an important victory with a big point difference,” said head coach Kazys Maksvytis.

Rokas Jokubaitis converted nine of his twelve shot attempts, amassing 10 points along with six assists and five rebounds for the triumphant side.

Mindaugas Kuzminskas provided a dynamic boost off the bench, contributing 15 points, while Jonas Valanciunas added 11 points and secured eight rebounds.

Lithuania exhibited a field goal accuracy of 58 percent, successfully converting 35 of their 60 attempts, and simultaneously limited Montenegro to a mere 33 percent.

Nikola Vucevic emerged as the top scorer for Montenegro, amassing 19 points, albeit with a lackluster 4-of-13 shooting from the field. However, he efficiently capitalized on all 11 of his free throw shots.

Marko Simonovic and Kendrick Perry also recorded 13 points each, despite the defeat.

#ReadMore  EJ Obiena shatters SEAG pole vault record

Montenegro concluded the first round with a 2-1 win-loss record.

Both teams are scheduled to return on Friday for the second round. They share a group with the United States and the victor between Greece and New Zealand tomorrow.

The Scores:

Lithuania 91 – Jokubaitis 19, Kuzminskas 15, Valanciunas 11, Brazdeikis 10, Dimsa 9, Motiejunas 8, Sedekerskis 8, Bendzius 5, Kariniauskas 3, Normantas 3, Maldunas 0.

Montenegro 71 – Vucevic 19, Simonovic 13, Perry 13, Popovic 8, Radoncic 7, Mihailovic 5, Radovic 3, Slavkovic 2, Ivanovic 1, Dubjlevic 0.

Quarterscores: 26-27, 48-40, 66-50, 91-71.

Written By

Just a kid from Cavite trying to make a difference.


You May Also Like

2024 Summer Olympics

If you thought that Group A of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024-Riga was crazy, Group B was wilder. After three days of competition,...

Basketball

Offense became an instant worry for Gilas Pilipinas Boys, who are without top scorer Kieffer Alas due to a knee injury, as they began...

Basketball

Kieffer Alas and the Gilas Pilipinas Boys will face a tough group during the FIBA Under-17 World Cup 2024. The Philippines will be placed...

2023 FIBA World Cup

The year 2023 will always be remembered in Philippine sports as the year the country competed in two separate world cups – the 2023...

2024 Summer Olympics

In a bid to secure a coveted spot in the Paris Summer Olympics 2024, the Philippine national basketball team, Gilas Pilipinas, is gearing up...

2023 FIBA World Cup

Mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has won a bronze award in the prestigious 2023 CLIO Sports Awards for transforming the iconic SM...

2023 FIBA World Cup

Hundreds of students from Tondo, Manila, who served as mascots or player escorts during the FIBA World Cup, were honored during a ceremony that...

2023 FIBA World Cup

Gilas Pilipinas Men have risen to 38th in the world rankings, just two spots higher despite their participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup...

Advertisement