Main title: Doncic Empty Cut 29+6 Varan 24+12Lithuania beats Slovenia
Lithuania is emerging and has outstanding strength
On the evening of September 7, Beijing time, the men's basketball World Cup was held 5-8
Qualifying matches against Lithuania and Slovenia. In the end, Lithuania defeated Slovenia 100-84, suffering three consecutive defeats.
Lithuania's outside firepower and three-point projection
Lithuania showed quality in the opening period, with efficient three-point projections from a number of outside players helping them build their lead. In this game, Lithuania shot 41.2% from three-point range, far exceeding Slovenia's 30%. This data gap provides a solid foundation for Lithuania to win the tournament. In particular, Blazdeschi and Chokubadis, who each contributed three three-pointers and contributed nine points to the team. Slovenia was relatively weak on the outside, with Doncic scoring 29 points but only hitting one three-pointer.
Lithuania's resolute defense
Lithuania showed firmness on the defensive end, especially against Doncic. Although Doncic scored 29 points, he needed to shoot 24 times in the game and shot 0 of 10 from three-point range, and Doncic's efficiency dropped significantly in the face of Lithuania's tight defense. This is also reflected in his free throw shots, with Doncic making 11 free throws in the game and Lithuania shooting a whopping 75 percent from the field as a whole. Lithuania's resolute defence helped them take a 53-43 lead at the end of the first half.
The inner line rule of Valanciunas
In the second half, Lithuania continued to extend its lead
, in which Valanciunas played a pressing on the inside to open the score. Valanciunas contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds in the game, and with his strong interior performance, Lithuania had a clear advantage both inside and outside. Slovenia were unable to find an effective response on the inside, which was a big reason for their defeat.
Lithuania's starting lineup
Lithuania's starter in this match
The lineup is Valanciunas, Diemsa, Blazdaischi, Chokubaidedis, Saide Kolskis. The stability and diversity of this lineup allowed the Lithuanian team to show excellent coordination and offensive firepower in the game.
Slovenia's starting lineup
Slovenia's starting lineup is Doncic, Nikolic, Toby, Prepirik and Zoran Dragic. While Doncic excelled on the offensive end, overall, Slovenia failed to find an effective way to limit Lithuania's offense on the defensive end. This was also reflected in the result, where they lost by 16 points.
epilogue
Overall, in the 5th-8th place qualifying match of the Men's Basketball World Cup, Lithuania managed to beat Slovenia with excellent outside projection and resolute defense, as well as Valanciunas' interior domination. The match was not only impressive, but also brought a wonderful matchup for basketball fans, showing the strong strength of the Lithuanian team. Slovenia, on the other hand, will need to look for areas for improvement and better performances in future competitions.