Spain missed the victory against Canada (80-85) in the fourth friendly of five in preparation for the World Cup and added another defeat after losing to the United States. The team performed at its best in the previous games, and against Canada they did not leave anything inside either in one of the last opportunities to get in shape before the World Cup in Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan, which starts on August 25 until September 10.
Canada took the lead in the first quarter, getting within nine points, but Scariolo’s early substitutions woke Spain up. Sergio Llull appeared after not having played in any of the previous friendlies. The Real Madrid player appeared with a triple at the right moment to give his team a boost. Garuba, who was also playing again after retiring injured against Slovenia, excelled with a counter-attacking dunk to prevent the Canadians from drifting away. (21-27)
Spain improved on defense in the second quarter to contain Canada. A three-pointer from Rudy Fernádez right at the start and another from Víctor Claver put the team ahead for the first time in the match. Canada barely scored in the first five minutes of the quarter, with only one free throw scored. But Gilgeous-Alexander, who added 22 points, brought the game back to equality with a shot from outside the perimeter. Juancho, shy until then, was seen with four points that sent the game to rest with Spain ahead. (44-40)
The team slowed down in the third quarter, although Canada, also not very successful, was not able to recover (56-50). The equality was maintained in the last period, without any of the teams being able to move away on the scoreboard and ending with a draw (73-73). Canada picked up speed in extra time and although Spain tried, they could not recover, adding another defeat on their way to the World Cup.
If against Slovenia and the United States it was Santi Aldama and the Hernangómez who kept the team, on this occasion the leadership was distributed more evenly. Juancho, with 12 points, was once again the top scorer for a team in which all the players scored except for Alberto Díaz. Garuba, with 10 points and 7 rebounds, also stood out in his return. Juan Nuñez once again led the team from the starting five in which he has already earned a place. The 19-year-old point guard has proven to be the best alternative to replace the injured Lorenzo Brown and Ricky Rubio. In Canada, Gilgeous-Alexander was the best, followed by RJ Barrett (18) and Olynyk (13).
Spain only has one friendly preparation left to pick up the pace before the World Cup. It will be against the Dominican Republic tomorrow at 9:30 p.m., a week before the debut in Jakarta against the Ivory Coast. Scariolo has yet to rule out three names from the shortlist, up to the 12 chosen to defend the title won in China in 2019.
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2023-08-17 22:13:25
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