Whatever happens tonight in "Morača", it is clear that the Montenegrin basketball players will not theoretically secure a place in the World Cup, but a victory over Lithuania (19 p.m., admission is free) would bring the "Reds" to the threshold of great success and a second appearance at Mundobasket in history.
With a triumph in Pardubice on Friday (65:56), Montenegro eliminated the Czech Republic from the fight for a trip to the World Cup, and if they beat the giants in front of their fans, they could allow themselves the luxury of losing in both games in the February window.
Only on the condition that the defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina is by a smaller margin than the 19 points that the same rival defeated in Podgorica.
LET'S BE AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE
But those are the calculations that will follow only after tonight's duels. In addition to the clash in Morača, there is also a duel between France and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary and the Czech Republic.
"The match in the Czech Republic was important for both teams - for the host to stay in the race for the World Cup, and for us to get a good night's sleep. It was very exhausting, but we expected that. After that, there was a 16-hour journey from Pardubice and accumulated "There is fatigue in both the players and the coaching staff. That's why it's most important to be fresh, to do recovery training and as much as possible to prepare for the match against Lithuania," said coach Boško Radović.
The question is whether Kendrick Perry will be able to perform tonight (live broadcast on Sportklub 2), after he was on the field for only the first three and a half minutes in the Czech Republic. A back injury is not naive...
"Kendrik is still uncertain for the match. We are making great efforts to train him," added Radović.
With or without Peri, reinforcements are here - Nikola Ivanovic joined the team last night after skipping the match with the Czechs and playing in the Euroleague in the Red Star jersey (against Fenerbahce in Istanbul).
"In any case, a match against the favorites awaits us. I would not agree with the statement that the Lithuanians suffered a debacle from France (65:90), it was a match between two super talented teams in which the French hit everything. That is the reason for the high the differences at the end. Lithuania in any lineup is the favorite, so this is a great opportunity to play a good game, to give our best and try to surprise them," said the Montenegrin coach.
WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CALCULATIONS
Radović urged the team not to think about what this match can bring. Or take...
"Neither a victory, nor a possible defeat, would solve anything. Everything remains for that last "window" which will decide. We don't do a lot of calculations, but it depends on this game whether both matches or just one will be important for us in the end We go match by match. We are not relieved, there is always a desire to win, especially at home because we have great support from the stands all these years. I hope it will be the same now, because we are playing against a serious team," concluded Radović.
Lithuania is a giant, but it is also a "victim" of the relationship between FIBA and the Euroleague, so for this "window" the selector Kestutis Kemzura cannot count on players from the elite club competition.
In the heavy defeat against France on Friday, Marekas Blaževičius, a member of the Spanish Obradoiro, and Eimantas Bendžius (Sasari) were the most effective with 14 points each...
Bonus video:
