Spain fixes the triple before the Eurobasket
Those from Scariolo go back to the Netherlands to bring the World Cup closer to five days before the continental debut
MADRID, 27 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men’s basketball team finished with victory (64-86) this Saturday against the Netherlands, the last step before debuting in the Eurobasket on September 1 against Bulgaria, turning around a bad start based on triples to add the fifth victory in the qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup.
Sergio Scariolo’s men took an important step to be in defense of the World Cup, leaders of Group L of the second phase with 11 points, without complicating themselves at all against the bottom team. After the victory on Wednesday against Iceland, Spain reacted with Rudy Fernández to a 20-6 and the success spread as Scariolo’s team needs to compete in the continental event.
Spain encountered an ugly match on a bad day: the last match before the European Championship. Normally it is usually a friendly, but Scariolo’s team was also playing two points to caress the pass to the 2023 World Cup. The ‘Oranje’ was better from the start, with the Spanish team entangled in losses and without clear ideas.
The visiting team did not score a single one while the Netherlands began to believe their options (20-6). The game also got weird with the fouls by Willy Hernangómez, three in attack in a short time that took him out of the equation of the last preparation test. The Spanish adaptation to the match came, although it was slow and they had their option thanks to three triples by Rudy Fernández.
The captain, who jumped onto the parquet floor wearing a Sergio Llull shirt, assumes his seniority and leadership twice, with the injury of his teammate at Real Madrid. The rebound also gave life to Scariolo’s, despite a clear absence of inside play and the triple was a savior against the odds after what had been seen so far.
Brown, Brizuela, Juancho and Jaime Fernández stretched their wrists and gave Spain some relief in their need to find points. The defense achieved the physical level that they had to serve and, with an 8-23 lead in the second quarter, the Spanish team turned the situation around with 20 minutes to go so as not to relax.
The resumption was by Brown, stretching the lead (32-45), along with Garuba. The locals found some basket but Brizuela maintained the wide lead in the last quarter (50-68). Willy had a few minutes again, although not with the script that the Eurobasket will require of him, stopping Jito Kok who was the best local player.
The scoring talent that Scariolo is concerned about appeared at the Topsportcentrum in Almere, although he did not stop pressing from the flank, and the Netherlands ended up being the ideal opponent to take a run. Spain aspires to a fourth European gold and is not so far away if it manages to continue with the individual and collective progression of a long summer.
DATASHEET:
–RESULT: NETHERLANDS, 64 – SPAIN, 86. (32-40, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT:
–PAÍSES BAJOS: De Vries (8), Charlon Kloof (8), Worthy De Jong (11), Olaf Schaftenaar (6) y Jito Kok (16) –quinteto inicial–, Matt Haarms (2), Roeland Schaftenaar (6), Hammink (3), Williams (4).
–SPAIN: Brown (11), López-Arostegui (9), Pradilla (4), Juancho Hernangómez (5) and Willy Hernangómez –starting quintet–, Brizuela (13), Jaime Fernández (5), Parra (2 ), Guerra (4), Garuba (10), Rudy Fernández (9), Saiz (4).
–PARTIALS: 24-17, 8-23, 18-28, 14-18.
–REFEREES: Yilmaz, Gurion and Zapolski. Without eliminated.
–PABELLON: Top sports center.