Eurobasket, Italy overtakes Estonia. Tonight the Azzurri from Pozzecco challenge the Greece of Nba star Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Azzurri’s adventure begins in the best wayEurobasket 2022. In a forum that is almost sold out thanks also to the more than two thousand visiting fans, Italy exceeds theEstonia 83-62. An already important victory for the qualification for the eighths but the real test to understand where theItalbasket will be tonight against the Greece of the Nba star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“It’s nice to see the boys pass the ball like this”, comments the coach at the end of the match Pozzecco praising the blues’ choral game. The 24 assists and the five double-digit players (Melli, Mannion, Fontecchio, Polonara and Datome) testify to this. The blue attack works. In the first half alone, Italy scores 52 points thanks to shooting percentages higher than 50% and one Simone Fontecchio able to split the game in two thanks to three consecutive triples in the moment of difficulty in the middle of the second quarter. “These guys love to help each other, everyone has stepped back for to help the partner: this is the right way to play basketball ”, adds the blue coach who at the end of the game also finds time to joke with the audience of the Forum. Estonia does not have long dominants and the Azzurri took advantage of this by winning the rebound fight 42-28. Among the protagonists of the painted area there is Achilles Polonara. The long man who will play for the European champions of Efes from next year has a heavy task: to try not to make us regret the absence of Gallinari. And against Estonia he succeeds thanks to a double double with 12 points and 11 rebounds seasoned by 5 assists. “After Danilo’s injury we are all called to give something more – number 33 tells us at the press conference – this match was important because we needed it to break the ice in front of our audience who is our sixth man”.

In the stands there are many boys while in the parterre you can see some historical faces of Italian basketball including Dino Meneghin and Sandro Gambathe 90-year-old coach who won a European championship with Italy in 1983 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame Nba. And as in the best traditions of American basketball, in the middle of the second quarter within the walls of the forum the chorus “Mvp, Mvp” dedicated to Simone Fontecchio begins to resonate, splitting the game in two with three consecutive triples. The blue number 13, who will land in the NBA next year with the jersey of Utah Jazz, does not force and never makes mistakes closing with 19 points in 24 minutes and with 70% from the field. “I play lightly and with confidence because I feel the confidence that the coach and my teammates have in me – he explains at the exit from the parquet before going to the locker room – I am happy to be able to help the team in every way by taking rebounds, defending, passing the football, I can do whatever there is to do “.

But there is no time to celebrate. Tonight, in a building that has been sold out for weeks, the Azzurri will face Greece’s Antetokounmpo and will be able to test their ambitions against an opponent who is a candidate to get on the podium. In the Greek victory against Croatia, the star of the Milwaukee Bucks He scored 27 points in 28 minutes with 11 rebounds and 6 assists. “Nobody can defend against him alone – comments Polonara – five will have to defend. The team defense will win the game ”. But the problem isn’t just Giannis. “If it were just him it would perhaps be a little less complicated” adds Pozzecco. The team coached by Itoudis can count on Dorsey’s talent (27 points also for him against the Croatians) and on the experience of Euroleague players such as Calathes e Kostas Sloukas e Papanikolaou“It is one of the strongest teams ever – concludes the blue coach – but we will have to try to do the same things as tonight: pass the ball well, help each other and feel good together”.