With today’s narrow defeat with the Slovenian national teamThe Azzurri they say goodbye to the world championship with an eighth place finish which isn’t bad at all. Over the course of the two weeks they made us experience some exciting moments. The highlight was undoubtedly the beautiful victory against the Serbian national team, who will play for the gold medal tomorrow against a surprising Germany.
How did today’s match go at the “Mall of Asia Arena” in Manila? The boys of Pozzecco they played the first part much better, winning the first quarter 18 to 15. There was then a substantial balance on the parquet with the first half which ended with the Slovenians’ minimal advantage (41-42 on the scoreboard).
The third quarter was decisive for the economy of the match, with coach Sekulic’s team opening with a 7-0 and with the phenomenon Luka Doncic which brought his team to a maximum lead of +15 (50-65). Nonetheless, Melli and his companions did not lose their composure.
In the last quarter Italy played with conviction, with an impeccable Marco Spissu in the control room, closing the spaces in defense and effectively doubling the lead on the champion Doncic. The two teams reached the final minutes point for point. At 3’30” Pozzecco removed his player wearing the number 70 shirt from the field: he is the captain Luigi Datomewho was given a standing ovation, with his teammates going to hug him and the Slovenian basketball players to shake his hand, congratulating him on an excellent sporting career.
In the final, Slovenia was more lucid and Doncic – regularly doubled by the Italian defense – was good at always finding a free teammate. Thus came the triple of overtaking Jakob Cebasek and the free throw of mathematical security of Zoran Dragic (both players who wore the Pallacanestro Trieste shirt in their careers, albeit briefly). On the other side of the parquet the Azzurri committed a foul in attack with Fontecchio and in the last useful action they lost the ball.
The scoreboard decreed the Slovenian victory: 85-89 the final result in Manila. Applause to both teams, who emerged from this experience with their heads held high and who, we remember, just over a year ago also put on a show in the friendly match played by us in the “sold out” sports hall in Via Flavia.
(photo Fiba)
Share on your social networks
2023-09-09 15:19:12
#Trieste #players #Cebasek #Dragic #sink #Italy #final
