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Spain forgets all its limits

Spain is already in the quarterfinals of the Eurobasket. The selection did not fail, again brilliant at the moment of truth. Magnificent victory in a giant duel against Lithuania, which demanded the best from Scariolo’s team, forced to come back eleven points in the second half and survive extra time. Joy that orders a place in the quarterfinals, where the winner of this afternoon’s duel between Finland and Croatia will be measured.

Lithuania reappeared yesterday on the road to Spain. A classic of the continental basket that arrived this time very soon. Duel at the first change that greatly complicated the path to medals. During the summer tour, the team had already seen the toughness of the Baltics in two friendlies that ended in defeat. Disappointments that served as an incentive to prepare for a round of 16 clash that turned out to be very different. So was the selection, a rockier set than the one that was under construction in mid-August and which was missing important pieces. Yesterday, with everyone on the track -including the recovered Rudy Fernández– Spain started without complexes. It was Willy, like almost the entire championship, the offensive stiletto on which the starting team relied which mitigated the brilliant start of the Lithuanians. It was an intense duel, without respite, in which each attack was a battle and no one managed to break away on the scoreboard.

The track entry of the second unit of the selection changed the landscape a bit. Replacement that used to go up a gear in defensive energy and whose presence short-circuited Lithuania’s attack. With Valanciunas on the bench after his second personal foul, the greens lowered their effectiveness a lot. That was taken advantage of by Spain to open a small gap that seemed like a treasure at that point. Seven points after a triple by Brizuela that forced Maksvytis to draw a white flag (27-20, min. 12).

Spain, against the ropes

The Lithuanians reacted hand in hand with Jacobite, whose left foot entangled Spain throughout the match. Five points from the Barcelona point guard kicked off a 10-1 run that turned the score around (32-36, min. 17). The team’s first crisis, resolved with a final outburst of pride from the other Hernangómez on the team, author of four points when the fourth was dying (40-45).

Spain missed its strength in rebounding and foreign success. After a notable first period on the perimeter, the team missed 7 straight shots before the break. A black hole that continued with the return of the changing rooms. Scariolo’s men were unable to score from outside and that made his attack predictable. Too easy for the Lithuanians, who took advantage of the blackout to break up the match (47-58, min. 25). The green team dominated at will and that Valanciunas had not played again since his third personal foul in the first half. Absence that, paradoxically, came in handy for his team. Especially Kuzminskas, very successful in the triple and away from his usual irregularity. His effervescent talent was unaltered yesterday. A national nightmare. His wrist infected his teammates and Spain began to receive a shower of triples that was difficult to digest. The team did not lower their arms, proud of their effort. Unable to give up despite his limitations.

It was Rudy who led the reaction with eight consecutive points -first triple in almost twenty minutes- that mitigated the damage (66-70, min. 31) and re-engaged the team. Spain believed again (if he had ever stopped doing so) and continued to chase victory, wasting courage in every action. Challenging his own destiny.

Willy and Brown – who improved after a disastrous first half – took over from the captain to make Spain dream, who managed to take the lead at the last minute. A triple by Braddeikis forced the team to one last effort and there is no one better than Garuba in that regard. His infinite jump to catch the rebound after Aróstegui’s mistake raised him to the sky of Berlin and his fingers caressed the ball to introduce it in the hoop (81-80, min. 39). One last possession remained for Lithuania, which did not have Spain’s secret weapon. An Alberto Díaz who, like the day in Turkey, was once again decisive by forcing an attacking foul that seemed to definitively decide the match. He didn’t, because of Willy’s miss on one of the subsequent free throws. Extra life that Lithuania took advantage of to order an unexpected extension.

The greens celebrated in a big way, but there was only one team on the field. The collective effort had turned Spain into a rock. Indestructible team that showed no cracks in extra time and met a superb brown, author of 12 points and two assists in the last five minutes. Lithuania, also magnificent in their effort, grabbed the triple as the only argument to prolong their agony. Victory argument that extends the dream of this Spain that has no limits, that is already in the quarterfinals and that looks to the future without complexes.

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