Lithuania stunned the basketball world by defeating Team USA 110-104 in the second round of the FIBA World Cup. Among the standout performers for the Baltic giants was Vaidas Kariniauskas, who scored a team-high 15 points in just over 17 minutes of play.
However, it wasn’t just Kariniauskas’ performance on the court that garnered attention. The 29-year-old point guard also made headlines for his taunting of Austin Reaves during the game. Kariniauskas later explained that his actions were all in the spirit of enjoying the game.
In response to the viral moment and the taunting incident, Lakers guard Austin Reaves remained composed. When asked about his thoughts on the matter, Reaves commented, “It’s basketball. He’s competing, I’m competing. I don’t feel any type of way about him doing that.”
Asked further on whether he took it personally, Reaves maintained his sportsmanlike attitude, saying, “No, not at all. There have been many times in my career where people looked at me sideways or done stuff, so it’s basketball.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. He played a really good game. They played a good game as a unit and beat us, to say the least. We’ll bounce back.”
