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Spain come back with character to reach the quarterfinals in extra time

Eurobasket 2022

The team, which lost by 11 points, also overcame, led by Brown and Willy, the hard blow that Lithuania dealt them at the regulation time horn

Amador Gomez

Spain had to play an extension, forced by Lithuania at the buzzer of the last set (83-83), but Sergio Scariolo’s renewed team recovered completely from that hard blow that the Baltic team dealt him to reach the quarterfinals of the Eurobasket in a match of infarction. Spain also reacted during regulation time, because they were down by 11 points midway through the third quarter (47-58) and were able to come back with faith and energy, led by Lorenzo Brown, who was immense in a highly demanding match, due to the game interior of Willy Hernangómez, and by a defense that annulled an opponent who had numerous offensive alternatives. Juancho also shone, the destructive game of Garuba and Alberto Díaz, who also contributed points of merit, and Rudy Fernández, whose experience is fundamental in an event of such importance.

Spain does not have the talent of the glory days, but with the usual character and sacrifice as its main hallmarks, it knew how to suffer and fired Lithuania from the continental championship to be one step away from re-entering the fight for the medals . Spain will play on Tuesday the pass to the semifinals against Croatia or Finland, rivals a priori more affordable than the Lithuanian team. Having overcome the stumbling block against Lithuania in the first do-or-die tie, the team has already earned the right to dream of everything in this Eurobasket in which it was not a candidate for the podium but continues its progression.

The duel was very complicated for Spain, surpassed until the last quarter by Lithuania, but the team was patient and knew how to offer their best game when the match was tilted for the Baltics. Despite the power of Lithuania, Spain had the necessary calm in moments of maximum tension and their zone defense also melted the rival’s leads. Spain always believed in victory and, with their mental strength and their basketball, although they crashed again with the triples (7 of 31 for a lousy 23% accuracy), they found the way to overcome Lithuania, even if it was with a lot of suffering.

Spain, with four players with double digits in attack and a colossal defensive effort, balanced the physical power of the Lithuanians -only two rebounds less than the Baltics- and competed like the greats, although when over regulation time they allowed a pat that the led to extra effort in extra time. She did it without ever being intimidated, wanting to command and dominate in moments of truth, and with surprising patience, represented, above all, in Lorenzo Brown. Even better than in his debut match, the recently nationalized American point guard played an outstanding game against Lithuania (28 points and eight assists for a PIR of 28), for which the inside game of Sabonis and Valanciunas were not enough – annulled by Willy and company- nor abroad. Willy, with 21 points and eight rebounds, became very strong in the paint against the Lithuanian towers and once again signed another great game, as he has been doing in most games in this European Championship. Domantas Sabonis and Kutzminskas were very intimidating and did the expected damage on the inside (also on the outside, with four triples), but the older of the Hernagómez, helped in the paint, fundamentally, by Garuba and his brother, became enormous.

On the opposite side, Sabonis, who threatened to make a break for Spain after the break (eight points and three rebounds in the first half), was deflating, while the Hernangómez brothers maintained their level and Scariolo found a mine in the point guards ( Brown and Alberto Diaz). The recently nationalized, keeping up the pace and moving judiciously to find the best options, and the game director from Malaga, who was picked up at the last minute due to Llull’s loss, who was huge on the defensive side. On the other side, the great encounter between point guards Jokubaitis and Lekavicius did nothing for Lithuania. .

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