In the series up to four victories, “VEF Rīga” was superior with 4:1 and stayed on the champion’s throne, becoming the first club with 11 titles.
The champions receive the winner’s cup
Game 5 of the LBL final series. “VEF Rīga” receives the Champions Cup1min
Dairis Bertāns scored 27 points for the winners in the last match, while Greg Whittington added 14 points. Aizea Osborns stood out with 17 points for “Rīgas Zeļļliam”. Puerto Rican Arnaldo Toro Bareu was recognized as the most valuable player of the final series.
Interview with Dairi Bertans
Game 5 of the LBL final series. Interview with Dairi Bertans after the match 2 min
After the victory, Bertāns admitted in an interview on Latvian Television that he simply did not want to play another match on the weekend, so he was ready to do everything to achieve it. Not a single game in the series was easy, and the opponents also deserve credit, Bertans emphasized. “Rīgas Zellļi” reached the final in the club’s first season.
Conversation with Jānis Gailītis after the game
Game 5 of the LBL final series. Interview with Jānis Gailīti after the game 2 min
“VEF Rīga” head coach Jānis Gailītis praised Bertāns after the game for his miraculous performance in the last game, and also praised the team that was able to end a difficult test with gold medals.
“Today we should celebrate and be happy about what we have achieved,” said Gailītis. “Maybe we were cooler in three of the five [finālsērijas] we play in the decisive moments.”
Taking advantage of several mistakes of the opponents, “Rīgas Zeļļi” gained an impressive 18:4 advantage at the beginning of the game over the rivals, who acted passively and attacked with low shooting accuracy. “VEF Rīga” improved its defensive performance and reduced the deficit to nine points at the end of the first quarter (16:25).
“VEF Rīga” continued to increase the score difference after the break, reaching 27:28 in the middle of the second quarter after Shaun Pipes’ free throws. “Rīgas Zeļļliam” liked the cooperation in the attack, which was facilitated by the energetic defense of the opponents. Finally, Dairis Bertāns put “VEF Riga” in the lead for the first time with a three-point shot three minutes before the end of the half (32:30).
The teams went into the long break tied 34:34.
“Rīgas Zeļļu” player Dāvids Vīksne admitted in an interview on Latvian Television during the break that the team began to stop attacking in the second quarter, and after difficult finishes, the opponents got opportunities for quick counterattacks. Vīksne emphasized that the fight at the basket needs to be improved, because “VEF Rīga” cannot be trusted to constantly shoot with low accuracy. On the other hand, “VEF Rīga” basketball player Roberts Blums said that the balancing of forces on the field was expected, because such an effective attack as at the beginning of the game could not continue continuously.
A conversation with Dāvid Vīksna and Robert Blum during the halftime break
Game 5 of the LBL final series. Interview with Dāvid Vīksni and Robert Blum during the halftime break 2 min
However, “Rīgas Zeļļi” also started the second half with a breakthrough, quickly increasing the advantage to 43:37, and “VEF Rīga” tried to catch up with their rivals again. “VEF Rīga” gradually managed to eliminate the deficit, reaching a draw (48:48) and going into the last break with a two-point lead (55:53).
Toms Skuja, one of the leaders of “Rīgas Zeļļļ” in the last quarter, received a technical note for a gesture after hitting a three-point shot, and due to the norm of notes, the game ended for him seven minutes before the final whistle. However, this did not prevent “Rīgas Zeļļlia” from maintaining a small lead until Sean Pipes took the lead for “VEF Rīga” (76:74) with a three-point shot in the beginning of the last minute, and the series favorites made no mistakes at the end.
“Rīgas Zeļļu” head coach Juris Umbraško expressed his determination for the team to start with good energy in an interview on Latvian Television before the game. Umbraško called it an important task to perform well in defense in order to prevent the opponents from accumulating many points. The players must believe in victory and do everything to make it difficult for “VEF Riga” to fight, Umbraško added.
Interview with Juri Umbraško and Jānis Gailīti before the game
Game 5 of the LBL final series. Interview with Jānis Gailīti and Juri Umbraško before the game 3 min
On the other hand, “VEF Rīga” head coach Jānis Gailītis emphasized the great importance of each player’s performance. Gailitis admitted that the energy level in the team is not constant, and the fact that no one has played well several games in a row should be turned into a positive.
In the final series, “VEF Riga” won both the first match at home and achieved success in the next game away from home. The debutants of the season “Rīgas Zellļi” were superior in the third match, while the basketball players of “VEF Rīga” won the fourth match in “Arena Rīga”.
For the first time after a 14-year break, two teams from the capital met in the final series of the LBL. “VEF Rīga” participated in the title series for the 14th time in a row, whereas “Rīgas Zellļi” reached the final in the club’s debut season.
In the semifinals, “VEF Rīga” beat “Liepāja” with 3:0 in the series, while “Rīgas Zeļļi” defeated BK “Ventspils” basketball players with 3:1. Ventspils won the semifinal losers’ battle for bronze with 3:0 in the series.
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2024-05-22 19:06:24
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