REYKJAVIK, Iceland – A last-second two-point shot by Elvaras Fridrikssonas handed Lithuania a heartbreaking 86-85 defeat against Iceland in a FIBA World Cup qualifying game on Wednesday, February 27th. The loss marks the second defeat for Lithuania in the qualifying round, intensifying the pressure on coach Rimas Kurtinaitis’s team as they vie for a spot in the 2027 tournament.
Fridrikssonas’s game-winning basket, scored as the final buzzer sounded, capped a remarkable comeback for Iceland, who trailed by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter. The dramatic shift in momentum stunned the Lithuanian squad, despite a strong individual performance from Marekas Blaževičius.
Blaževičius led Lithuania with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 30 efficiency points, delivering what was described as the best performance of his career in a Lithuanian jersey. Ąžuolas Tubelis added 16 points, while Ignas Sargiūnas contributed 13.
Despite building a substantial lead, Lithuania faltered in the closing minutes, allowing Iceland to capitalize on their offensive prowess. Kurtinaitis acknowledged the team’s struggles in the final stretch, admitting they conceded 30 points in the last six minutes of play. “We weren’t broken, everything was okay. Maybe I could say this: it turns out that in life there are situations when one team plays well – I indicate our team, because I have no complaints about any player for their desire, effort, yes, there were some mistakes, but basically I have no complaints about anyone – and there are times when the other team plays a little better. We saw that today,” Kurtinaitis said after the game.
The coach drew parallels to a previous game against Great Britain, where a similar late surge by the opposition nearly cost Lithuania the victory. “We emphasized this situation, when the English played here against Iceland and had the same 21-point difference, and with 3 minutes left Iceland had reduced it to 6 points. Only thanks to a lucky three-pointer did the English win by 9 points. Our players were unable to do that today. The situation was one to one. We emphasized that before the game, that we have to play for 40 minutes, no matter what the score is.”
Kurtinaitis downplayed the severity of the loss, emphasizing the need for the team to regroup and prepare for the return match against Iceland, scheduled for March 2nd in Klaipėda. “I don’t think this is a tragedy. We need to revive the players in two days. Now it’s more of a psychological moment – two days after such an emotional high for the opponent’s team and for us – losing such a game is a blow to the head. We need to be able to recover in two days and head into battle – there’s nothing else to do,” he stated.
The coach also addressed concerns about defensive lapses, acknowledging Fridrikssonas’s dominant performance, scoring 34 points, including 6 three-pointers. He defended the team’s adjustments, noting they switched to a smaller lineup to defend against the Icelandic guard. “We reacted to those things, we played with five smalls – we specifically set up such a lineup to defend them. Since we didn’t need a considerable man, they didn’t play with their big man, we switched five times, unfortunately, we didn’t switch as actively as the coaches would have liked. I would say it was really fantastic luck on their part to pull off such a game.”
Regarding a potential foul on Fridrikssonas during the game-winning play, Kurtinaitis stated he would not file a protest, accepting the outcome. “I don’t want to get into that. There are referees – they do their job. We tried to talk about it. Are we going to write a protest now? No. It happened, it happened. As often happens in life – we have to swallow that bitter pill, we have to get back to ourselves. It is important for me that the team recovers in those two days and we can play full-fledged basketball at home.”
The availability of Žalgiris Kaunas players for the upcoming match in Klaipėda remains uncertain, with Kurtinaitis acknowledging potential challenges in securing their release from club commitments. He expressed hope for a resolution, but also acknowledged the club’s priorities. “Now I don’t even know what we will have from the players, how many will stay with us, how many will leave, who will go somewhere, who won’t – we have to sort that out. And what, we look ahead. Of course, we wanted to go to the next stage with wins, because there is such a system. It didn’t work out. Now we will try to go out. It remains to be seen how it will turn out.”
The next match against Iceland, scheduled for March 2nd in Klaipėda, will be crucial for Lithuania’s hopes of advancing in the World Cup qualifying tournament.
