Things did not look good for Wolves Vilnius in Round 3 when it trailed 80-87 against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul with 23.3 seconds remaining in front of 8,000 fans in its first-ever BKT EuroCup home game. Less than 16 seconds later, with 7.7 remaining, Wolves had taken an 89-88 lead and were on their way to winning the game.
Kristupas Zemaitis, Wolves: 'I cannot explain it: sometimes it happens!'
Interviews
10 Mins read
It was one of the most incredible comebacks in EuroCup history and sharpshooter Kristupas Zemaitis was at the center of it. Zemaitis is in his second season with Wolves and second in the EuroCup - he previously appeared with 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys. He has averaged 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists through three games and leads the competition in three-point shooting (77.8%, 7 of 9).
In this week's EuroCup interview, Javier Gancedo spoke to Zemaitis about his team's growth, potential and, of course, the wild comeback against Besiktas. "I saw we were 7 points down with 23.3 seconds left. Besiktas had the ball a few seconds before, too, missing a layup. It's crazy!" Zemaitis said. "But it was our fight, our energy, those crazy three-pointers, and we somehow managed to get the win."
Hello, Kristupas. Before we talk about how it happened, let's talk about the win itself, the first for your club in the EuroCup. How important was it for the club and its fans?
"It is important because I think our group is very difficult and each victory will be very precious until the end of the group stage. It was especially important after two losses, especially after a very tough defeat in [Badalona], when we lost against against Joventut in overtime. So we wanted to bounce back this week and yes, we knew that the opponent would be hard because Besiktas is one of the best teams in the EuroCup. I think they were allowing only 66 points on average before our game, so we knew it would be tough.
"We also knew there would be a lot of people in the arena: our president, our manager, everyone told us there would be a lot of people in the arena, so we wanted to celebrate a victory with them. I think we controlled the game, more or less, but in the end of the game were minus-7 with like 25 seconds left. Somehow, we managed to come back and I cannot think of anything better for me as a player: getting our first victory in the EuroCup, in club history, in front of so many fans and those watching on TV."
Let's talk about how it happened. It was a 9-1 run in less than 16 seconds!
"I cannot explain it: sometimes it happens! I watched the game again, especially the ending. I thought it wasn't that bad, thinking we were 8 points down with like 2 minutes left or something like that. But when I played back the game, I saw we were 7 points down with 23.3 seconds left. Besiktas had the ball a few seconds before, too, missing a layup. It's crazy! I cannot imagine how their coach felt about it because of the way they lost the game. But it was our fight, our energy, those crazy three-pointers, and we somehow managed to get the win. It was one of the greatest comebacks."
You have been with Wolves since the club started two years ago. How does it feel to be in such an ambitious project as this is?
"This is an ambitious club and in each game, you know that you need to win. It is not enough just to fight. We are trying to win each and every game, and we feel the pressure and everything, but that is how it is in bigger clubs, you know? So I'm really happy and really enjoying being here. The first year was really tough. We didn't reach our goals and this season, all the Lithuanians still in this club that were here last year want to prove ourselves and fix it. What we did last year was wrong, and I think we have a really great team this season with good rotations, experience, with good facilities, a good arena and in a big city. We want to show that there was some misunderstanding last season, and we want to reach our goals."
How great is it to play for a club run by so many basketball players?
"I think this is very good because they understand basketball. Our president, Rimantas Kaukenas, had an amazing career, playing for the Lithuanian national team and for big clubs like Real Madrid and Montepaschi Siena. We also have the Lavrinovic twins, who had huge careers, and [sports director] Donatas Zavackas, who is also an example for us. They can share their experiences and give us some advice, and we try to listen to each of their words to improve in each practice and each game."
"It is not enough just to fight. We are trying to win each and every game."
Vilnius is an important city in EuroCup history. Rytas Vilnius won EuroCup titles in 2005 and 2009. How does it feel to bring the city of Vilnius back to the EuroCup and give basketball fans in the city the opportunity to see EuroCup games again?
"It's great, of course. Vilnius is the Lithuanian capital and a huge city. As you mentioned, they won the EuroCup in 2005 and then again in 2009 with Kurtinaitis as head coach. They [Rytas] have a great history and the EuroCup has always been a big tournament, so I am very happy that there are two very good basketball teams in Vilnius. It is not easy, of course, because right now, Rytas and Wolves are big rivals. But from the fans' standpoint, it is also more interesting, and I am very happy for this, that Lithuania has two teams in the EuroCup. That is a big improvement for Lithuanian basketball."
Of course, the other team is Lietkabelis. Do you follow them and stay in touch with people there?
"For sure. I am following the team since I left, last year and also this year. There are a lot of good friends of mine playing there, so I try to follow every game and support them. I often chat with some players from that team. I am really following them, and I wish them good luck."
Three of your guards (Juskevicius, Kariniauskas and you) come from Zalgiris's basketball schools and youth teams. What allows Zalgiris to bring out so many good players in every generation?
"As you know, Zalgitis is still the number one team in Lithuanian basketball and I think every club tries to follow others and tries to do something like they do. And of course, Kaunas is also a good city and Zalgiris is a good organization, so a lot of good, young, talented players want to be there and be a part of that. So from a young age, Zalgiris is getting those talents and they have great facilities, great coaches and everything you need for young players. They make players work hard individually to improve a lot. I don't know if you noticed, but Zalgiris's second team won the Lithuanian second division last season, so that tells you they are working the right way."
Wolves have been very solid even without star forward Jeff Taylor. How dangerous can this team be when Taylor is back?
"It is not just Taylor, we are also without Djordje Gagic, who will also make us stronger soon. But since you mentioned Jeff Taylor, he is a guy who played in the NBA and won the EuroLeague with Real Madrid. He is the most experienced player in our team, but I also had the chance to see what kind of person he is and that was a good surprise for me because he is very humble. Like I said, he played in the NBA and for Real but came here to a really new place, with new players who might not be as talented as he is, not such high-level players, but he has been really patient. He has shared this experience and I really like playing with him. I am really looking forward to his return because he will be ready to give a lot to this team, especially on defense."
"Lithuania has two teams in the EuroCup. That is a big improvement for Lithuanian basketball."
Your next game is against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, who just signed Klemen Prepelic. How much are you looking forward not just to playing against Cedevita, but against Prepelic in particular?
"They are without victories in the group but they are a tough team and, like you said, they just signed Prepelic, who is great, an experienced guy who plays on the Slovenian national team and is a good shooter. So it will not be easy. I don't think that in our group, there is a team where we can say 'oh, maybe it will be easier this time'. No. They are without victories and play at home, so for sure they will want to grab their first one, but we will try to do our best to get our second win."
After that, you play six of the next seven games in Vilnius. How important is it to turn Avia Solutions Group arena into a fortress?
"Playing at home so often is more fun. We know our fans, the rims and our gym. It is our home, so it is very important to win there. It is not easy to bring fans, so we need to play solid and get as many wins as we can. We need to do some extra things if we want to bring fans but as I mentioned before, our club is doing an incredible job to bring fans into the arena. I can also say they did it last season when we played in Alytus. I was kind of pessimistic about how many fans would go to the arena when they knew that we would leave the city and move to Vilnius. But like I said, our club did a great job and we are bringing a lot of people to our games. Against Besiktas, we had like 8,000 fans in the arena, it was incredible. I liked the fact that there were a lot of kids because they are watching basketball from a very young age, and are following us and asking us for autographs. As a player, for me, it is a very good sign and I am very happy about that."