Scariolo’s team, inferior in rebound and very steady in shooting, had the confidence to hold the duel against the mighty Baltic team to the end
The third test of preparation for the Eurobasket for Scariolo’s Spain left positive readings, such as Usman Garuba’s performance with a good tone or the ability to hold on to a match that already seemed doomed in the third quarter. Also disturbing aspects such as the inferiority in the rebound against Lithuania, yes, one of the contenders for the medals, or the low percentage of success in the shot and the jam this sometimes caused when generating points outside Willy Hernangómez, again the best goalscorer .
It all started with a classic Lithuanian basketball tone, fast transitions and three shoots as a life philosophy. And what this Baltic team can clearly boast of is an intimidating novice interior couple with Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas. Faced with this threat, the Hernangómez family, Willy and Juancho, pulled the car. They are currently two pillars of Spain for a reason, although Lorenzo Brown, who was more focused on staying with the team he will lead in the Eurobasket than on the purely individual aspect, was the only one who worked with the brothers. contributed to the scoring. Many failures in the shot despite a promising distance start and Garuba’s debut in the preparation as the best news against the certain Spanish traffic jam.
The start of the second set brought with it the first serious Lithuanian spill at 18-27. Willy Hernangómez, Spain’s best points generator so far, tried to save Spain from the paint, but Lithuania was still comfortable, without the right squires for Scariolo’s interior reference and with Brazdeikis and Giedraitis in tune with the triple.
Brown (11), López-Aróstegui (-), Juancho Hernangómez (17), Pradilla (2) and Willy Hernangómez (22) -first quintet-. Llull (5), Quino Colom (1), Brizuela (7), Rudy Fernández (2), Parra (-), Sáiz (2), Garuba (6) and Guerra (2).
Jokubaitis (11), Brazdeikis (19), Giedraitis (11), Sabonis (11) and Valanciunas (10) -first quintet-. Grigonis (11), Lekavicius (4), Masiulis (-), Dimsa (-), Zemaitis (-), Butkevicius (3), Echodas (2) and Tarolis (-).
Willy doubled the bet after the break and went to 20 points with almost half a game left. Spain was already behind by just two points, boosted by the starting center, but in that there was an unusual anger between Scariolo and the referees in a friendly and another Spanish disconnect afterwards, leading to a seen and not seen in a significant Lithuanian benefit. With just over three minutes left in the third quarter, they are 16 points behind. It was already almost checkmate, based largely on the Spanish disadvantage in rebounding. And it is that he even doubled the Baltic team in the catches. Therefore, the dose of extra energy under the hoops that allowed Garuba’s return to the parquet was noticed.
There are doubts about the Rockets player’s physical condition and the role he should play in the team of the future is not small, so the good minutes of the former Madrid player were the good news that warmed the Gran Canarian crowd , certainly involved in the game for a rush of two consecutive baskets by Lorenzo Brown to achieve an unprecedented draw from the start. He exuberantly celebrated the point guard of American descent, as if not long ago he wanted to show his devotion to a completely foreign country. The game was in hand when it looked lost minutes before it was lost, but that’s where the success of three Lithuanians came to the fore again and between Jokubaitis and Brazdeikis they were responsible for closing the game, despite Spain’s confidence to close the game against a of the candidates to hold the medal in the Eurobasket.
Source: La Verdad
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