Mindaugas Kuzminskas has expressed his expectations ahead of the quarterfinal match of the FIBA World Cup in which Lithuania will face Serbia.
Lithuania defeated the USA in their last group stage match with a score of 110-104, and Kuzminskas was one of the most efficient players in their national team, scoring 14 points.
“Every day is different; it doesn’t matter how you performed in the last game or how you trained the day before the match. What matters most is what will happen on Tuesday, and the same goes for Serbia,” Kuzminskas stated for Mozzart Sport.
The game against the USA was of great significance for Kazys Maksvytis’ team, but as Mindaugas emphasizes, they are now focusing on the next opponent.
“We’ve achieved a great success for our small country. After 19 years of waiting, we achieved this victory. At the same time, that victory didn’t give us anything. Yes, we are first in the group, but the game against Serbia is the real one because it potentially leads us to the semifinals. If we lose to Serbia on Tuesday, the championship is practically over for us, and everyone will forget about the victory over the USA. Fortunately, everyone on the team understands this well, and I believe we can be ready,” Kuzminskas stated.
Kuzminskas highlights that Serbia is not the kind of opponent anyone wishes for in the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Cup.
“Serbia has the highest IQ among the teams that are left in the tournament. They have several players with incredible talent, from Bogdan to Milutinov to Guduric… All of them know how to play big games. This generally applies to Serbia, to clubs in your country… You know how to play the biggest games. That’s why we see Serbia as a very, very tough opponent, and no one wants such a rival in the quarterfinals already. But that’s life. We will step onto the court and give our all to win and move forward,” he added.
Kuzminskas also recalled the game in which Lithuania defeated Serbia at the 2015 European Championship.
“That’s probably the biggest victory in my career. We played in the semifinals, and Serbia had a great team, played excellently, undefeated, dominant until the semifinals. We beat them, and that’s how we qualified for the Olympics. So, that victory is one of the most impressive for me, honestly.”
The match between Serbia and Lithuania will take place on Tuesday, while later on the same day, Italy and the USA will face off.