In 2006, Zaza Pachulia scored 36 points in Division B match of EuroBasket and showed the best result in history of Georgian national basketball team. Zaza held record in unofficial matches too – 39 points against Macedonia in 2007. Yesterday, captain of “Crusaders” held another phenomenal match and ‘rewrote” history. Pachulia scored 42 points in 28:45 minutes against Latvian national team and won the test match – 83:79.

On August 24, Latvia and Georgia will play for the second time in Riga. After that, Georgian national team will leave for Vilnius and will hold a friendly match against Lithuanian team on August 27. On August 28-30, the players of Kokoshkov will hold the last training meeting in Klaipeda. On August 31, they will play against Belgians in the first match of EuroBasket.

The preparation cycle started with the match on “Riga Arena” and it had a good end for “Crusaders”.

Latvians had advantage in the first half. Boys of Bagatskis scored points from long distance (in the first half, the hosts scored 22 3-point, the guests – 4) and nothing was unexpected in it.

Before a big break, Latvians had 10-point advantage – 44:34.

In spite of it, it was obvious that Georgian team had potential to play better. Three minutes after resuming the match, the score was equal (46:46). At the seventh minute of the quarter, Pachulia used another 2-point and advanced hits team – 50:56. At that time, Zaza had scored 11 points in the third quarter.

But Latvians won the third quarter – 63:59.

The fourth quarter started with advantage of Georgians. Latvians could not score points in the first 5 (!) minutes and when Janis Blums (25 points) scored 2-point Latvia was losing 63:67. Nikoloz Tskitishvili (5) and Zaza Pachulia (3) scored 8 points.

Georgia was always ahead of Latvia but the hosts equalized the score. In the end, draw was showed 21 seconds before the final whistle – 79:79.

Soon, Zaza scored two points – 79:81. Blums attacked Georgians but Georgian captain rebound the ball and scored two penalties – 79:83. Statistics shows that Pachulia held phenomenal match. After 5 points of Tskitishvili, Georgian team scored 19 points and Zaza scored all of them. Pachulia scored 14 2-point from 17. The captain of Georgian team made 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He lost the ball twice.

After a brilliant playing of Pachulia and winning the match, it is difficult to talk about mistakes but it would be better to talk about it several days before the start of EuroBasket. I think we will not be original if we criticize the back line of Georgian national team.

Giorgi Tsintsadze, Lasha Gamkrelidze and Marquez Haynes did not play well. They made a lot of mistakes.

The backliners of the team used only one shot from 8 and scored 4 points.

After the end of the match, Davit Ustiashvili, one of the coaches of the national team, estimated the match. His comment was published on the website of Georgian Basketball Federation:

“We could not play well in the first half, especially in defense. As a result of it, Latvia advanced with 10 points. After the break, we strengthened defense.

We could have won the third quarter with solid advantage but Latvians managed to advance.

Zaza Pachulia played especially well in the last quarter. Other players played well too. It was a team victory.

Latvians wanted to win the match very much. They played in front of their own spectators. They have lost all preparation matches and wanted to win. That is why, they fought till the end.

Two test matches are ahead – against Latvia and Lithuania”.
 

Friendly match in basketball. “Arena Riga” (Riga, Latvia). 2 200 spectators
Latvia - Georgia 79:83 (20:13, 24:21, 19:25, 16:24)
Latvia: Blums (30 mins. 25 p.), Kuksiks (24 mins. 12 p.), Strelnieks (29 mins. 16 p.), Selakovs (21 mins. 5 p.), Davis Bertans (5 mins.); Dairis Bertans (16 mins. 9 p.), Freimanis (18 mins.),  Jeromanovs (5 mins. 3 p.), Vairogs (14 mins. 2 p.), Berzins (19 mins. 2 p.), Blaus (2 mins. 1 p.), Meyers (9 mins. 4 p.).

Head coach: Ainars Bagatskis.

Georgia: V. Boisa (23min.s 3 p.), Pachulia (29 mins. 42 p. 6 rebs.), Tsintsadze (27 mins. 2 p.), Markoishvili (27 mins. 13 p. 5 rebs.), Sanikidze (28 mins. 8 p.); Gamkrelidze (8 mins.), Shermadini (11 mins. 5 rebs.), Tskitishvili (17 mins. 9 p.), Shengelia (12 mins. 4 p.), Heynes (18 mins. 2 p.).

Head coach: Igor Kokoshkov.
 

2-point: 19-32 (59%) – 22-33 (66%)
3-point: 8-34 (23%) – 6-18 (33%)
Penalty: 17-22 (77%) – 21-25 (84%)
Rebound: 25 (9 inattack) – 30 (6 inattack)
Assist: 10 – 18
Turnover: 3 – 3
Blockshot: 10 – 3
Mistake:10 – 18
Personal foul: 26 – 25
 

P.S. After the match, Latvian agencies praised Zaza Pachulia. One of them titled its own review this way – “Caucasian terminator trampled Latvian defense”.

Dato Manjavidze