“We are preparing for the game with great responsibility. We know that 'Nakhchivan' is a serious opponent,” said Rimas Kurtinaitis, head coach of the Sabah basketball team, in an interview with Idman.biz.
The Lithuanian coach assessed the upcoming central match against Nakhchivan in the 5th round of the Azerbaijan Championship. He stated that both teams' desire to progress without losing will influence the game's flow: “All of our injured players have recovered. I hope we will fight with a full squad tomorrow. We are trying to defend our title. That’s why only a victory will satisfy us. It won’t be easy, but we will fight to win. We have our own style of preparation. Just like for Eurocup games, we prepare the same way for championship matches. We won’t take a different approach for this game. We are preparing according to the opponent’s defense and offensive strengths.”
Kurtinaitis also highlighted the increase in the level of the Azerbaijan Championship this season: “I think the level of the league has risen. The change in the limit has led to an improvement in quality. There is one local player on the court now, whereas last year there were two. Currently, not all teams have equally skilled local basketball players, but the Americans compensate for that. As a result, the professionalism level has increased. The championship is very exciting. I watch all the matches. There will be more exciting games ahead.”
For context, the Nakhchivan vs. Sabah game will start at 19:00.
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
