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Spain started the second qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup with a comfortable victory against Iceland. The Nordics are very far from Greece or Lithuania and the national team thanked them for adding a victory and fueling their spirits against the Eurobasket. Willy was once again the team’s best weapon (19 points and 8 rebounds in 14:32). The center was supported by Brown (4 points and 9 assists), Pradilla (14 points and 6 rebounds) and Rudy (13 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists).
For placing us Less than a week before the start of the Eurobasket, Spain has to play two official matches of the “FIBA Windows” corresponding to the second qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup. The top three classified achieve the World Cup passport. Italy and Spain have it almost guaranteed. The third place will be played by Georgia and Iceland. Against the Nordics, in Pamplona, Scariolo must rule out two players. López-Arostegui and Parra stay out. Does that mean something for the final discards for the European Championship? Only Scariolo knows. Jaime Fernández replaces López-Arostegui in the starting lineup. The rest are the “classics”: Brown, Pradilla and the Hernangómez brothers. Opposite Iceland, a team that beat Italy in the first phase after two extensions and that has a perimeter of short shooters, not scorers, and the giant of Casademont Zaragoza Hlinason. A drinking quintet and a filling bench.
Iceland competes while the Spanish defense is not adjusted with the outsiders. It’s barely five minutes. The game serves to show that Lorenzo Brown is more than attached to the gear of the selection. The only doubt that he raises is if he will be able to score more than he does in real games. He generates play like nobody else and if he goes around ten points per game he is a more than respectable point guard. His connection with Willy remains Spain’s biggest source of scoring. But against Iceland he also fed Pradilla. The Valencia forward is one of the best news of the last month. He added points to his usual stewardship and that makes him a fundamental element. And more if Garuba and Juancho are still very far from the players they should be.
Scariolo has already given a wake-up call to both, but both are still absent. Garuba is apologized for his physical problems. Juancho is a mystery (3/11 shots) and there is less and less time left to solve it. The one who never fails is Rudy. The captain fulfilled 237 caps as international against Iceland beating his friend Felipe Reyes. He now only has Epi ahead of him, whom he will beat in the Eurobasket, and his friend Navarro of his, whom he would beat next summer.
Spain, in the Juan Núñez’s debut in the official partywas more balanced than in the previous preparation matches. But beware: Greece and Lithuania were not in front. Iceland, which at half-time was almost at a loss per minute, belongs to the continental lower-middle class and will not be in the Eurobasket. With a well balanced team on both sides of the track, the selection soon took off. In the second quarter he already doubled the spirited Nordics on the scoreboard. Saiz brought his traditional intensity; Brizuela added from the bench… at the break everything was already decided (51-28). “We pressed behind, but you have to know the type of game and the type of rival it was. We’ve had a good time with the ball, we’ve moved the ball well… we have to generate open shots and trust that we’ll be scoring”, commented Scariolo after 5/20 in triples. On Saturday, another official rehearsal against the Netherlands.
87. Spain (26+25+18+18): Brown (4), Fernández (7), Pradilla (14), Juancho (7) and Willy (19) -starting quintet- Saiz (11), Llull (0), Rudy (13), Brizuela (9), Garuba ( 2), Núñez (0) and Guerra (1).
57. Iceland (15+13+17+12): Steirnasson (5), Fridriksson (14), Palsson (7), Vilhjalmsson (0) and Hlinason (6) -quinteto titular- Bjornsson (11), Jonsson (0), Acox (6), Thrastarson (0), Thorbjarnarson ( 8) y Petursson (0).
Referees: Marques (Por), Gedvilas (Lit) and Praksch (Hun). Without eliminated.
Incidences: 11,000 spectators at the Navarra Arena. First match corresponding to the second qualifying round for the 2023 World Cup.
Group J classification (wins/losses): 1. Italy (4/1); 2. Spain (4/1); 3. Iceland (3/2); 4. Georgia (3/2); 5. Ukraine (1/4); 6. Netherlands (0/5).
