Battle over Riga and “Ventspils” against Tartu

• From At 14:00 today, the first round of the Latvia-Estonia playoffs, or the quarterfinals, will begin.

• After the regular season, the place in the quarter-finals was secured by Tallinn’s “Kalev”/”Cramo”, champion “Prometey”, “VEF Rīga”, “Ventspils”, “Tartu Ulikool”, “Rīgas” Zellii”, “Ogre” and “Parnu Sadam”.

• Compared to last season, there are two changes in the top eight – Pärnu returned to it after skipping the season, but “Viimsi” and “Avis Rapla” will not play in the quarterfinals.

• Already in its debut year, Riga “Zeļļi” reached the quarterfinals, becoming the second team in the history of the league to do so. “Viimsi” in their debut year in the league played until the final, where they lost to VEF.

• It will be against VEF “Zeļliai” in the quarter-finals and the first match of both clubs is expected already at 14:00. Live broadcast on TV4 channel and “Sportacentrs.com” portal.

• The new Riga derby or “Battle of Riga”, as it is called “Zeļļi”, has already taken place three times this season. The debutants won the first game (93:86), and VEF won the next two – 98:77 and 94:69 in the Latvian Cup final.

• In the course of the season, both teams underwent extensive changes in the composition. Aleksandar Madsen, Aizeya Pinheiro and Brendan Adams left VEF after the withdrawal from the FIBA ​​Champions League. PJ Pipes and Greg Whittington took their places, proving their worth.

• VEF’s Arnaldo Toro is the undisputed top scorer of the tournament (12.35 rebounds per game). He also has a season record in this indicator – 21 balls against Liepaja, 20 against Avis Rapla.

• Due to an injury, the season is over for Robert Bērziņš, also captain Dairis Bertāns, who has a broken arm, will not help VEF in the series.

• Francis Lācis and Zigmārs Raimo left “Zeļlius” due to 3×3 basketball during the season – both played important roles in the team. Dāvids Vīksne did not play in the last matches, but the Australian Jordan Hunter became the last addition. The center position was supplemented by Mārtiņš Meiers.

• At At 17:00 on the live broadcast of the “Sportacentrs.com” portal, “Ventspils” will fight against “Tarta Ulikool” in the quarter-finals for the second year in a row. It will also be possible to watch the second half live on TV4.

• A year ago, Ventspils started the series with a victory in Tartu, but lost the next two matches (79:88, 69:92). Later, Tartu became the bronze medalists of the tournament.

• Ventspils are the champions of the first season of the combined league, but this has become the only season in which the club has played in the top four.

• 2019/2020 2020/2021 season was terminated prematurely due to Covid-19. “Avis Rapla” lost in the quarter-finals of “Final6” of 2018, but “Viimsi” lost in the quarter-finals two seasons ago.

• Tartu changed its head coach after the successful previous season – Nikolaj Mazura was replaced by compatriot Gundars Vētra, for whom this is a return to men’s basketball.

• “Ventspils” won both games in the regular tournament – in the first match of the season with 88:83 and at home with 92:63.

• Ishmaels El-Amin, the leader of Ventspils, is the most productive basketball player in the entire league (21.1 points per game). 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds for Linards Jaunzemas, and 14.5 for Artūrs Ausējs.

• Two Latvians play for Tartu – Rinald Mālmanis is one of the club’s most productive basketball players (10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds), while Dāvis Rozītis moved from the Spanish second league during the season (12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds in six games).

• In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, series of up to two wins are played. Play for third place and in the final, everything will be decided in one game.

Quarter-finals of the United Latvian – Estonian League

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