Close to historic LKL final, Eglinskas: maybe we are starting to create a movie?

Utenos Juventus coach Laimonas Eglinskas marveled at his team's resilience after they staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Klaipėdos Neptūnas 86-83, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in their Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) playoff series. The victory puts Juventus just one win away from reaching the LKL finals for the first time in their history.

"That comeback from a 17-point deficit showed what kind of group of men I am working with. We have immense respect and a huge thank you to Evaldas Šaulys, who attended his grandfather's funeral today and then came to the game. I would say the third and fourth quarters were in his hands. He pulled us along, defended, made shots. It's an unreal feeling to have such people," Eglinskas said at the press conference. He also noted that early emotional outbursts might have allowed Neptūnas back into the game after Juventus built a significant early lead.

Paulius Valinskas was instrumental in the win, scoring a career-high 29 points and earning an efficiency rating of 25. However, Eglinskas emphasized the collective effort, stating his trust in all his players. "I feel my trust in all the players, not just Paulius. I trust all my players. I came and found a very talented team. Perhaps all that was needed was to place everyone in the positions where their strengths lie," he added.

Reflecting on his own career path, Eglinskas described his journey to Utena as serendipitous. "I spoke with my wife. When I was free for three days, we became champions with the 'Reunion' team. Then Utena saw me and took me into their company. Nothing happens without a reason. Something had to happen, time lined up, the stars aligned, everything fell into place," he mused, hinting at the possibility of creating a "movie" out of their current success.