Nikola Jokic and teammates have been overwhelmed by a former UNICS player, Bojan Bogdanovich’s workforce was punished by Lauri Markkanen.
Eurobasket-2022
1/8 finals
Poland – Ukraine – 94:86
Finland – Croatia – 94:86
Italy – Serbia – 94:86
Greece – Czech Republic – 94:88
France – Turkey – 87:86 (OT)
Slovenia – Belgium – 88:72
Germany – Montenegro – 85:79
Spain – Lithuania – 102: 94 (OT)
1/4 last
September 13
Germany – Greece
Spain – Finland
September 14
Slovenia – Poland
France – Italy
If on Saturday all the favorites, albeit with issue, handed the initial round of the EuroBasket playoffs, on Sunday there ended up a pair of large-profile sensations. Selection one, of training course, is Serbia’s defeat in opposition to Italy. The staff led by Svetislav Pesic handed the group phase with good self-confidence (5 wins out of 5, the regular difference is +21) and in the 1/8 finals simply conquer the Italians, who shed their major star Danilo Galinnari just before EuroBasket. But the failure of a quarter cost Nikola Jokic and his companions almost certain medals. The Croatian national workforce also returns property. Bojan Bogdanovich seemingly intentionally missed no cost throws at the stop of the team stage match with Ukraine … so as not to satisfy Slovenia in the quarter-finals. The logic is very clear, but these kinds of math in basketball is normally punished. And so it took place. Lauri Markkanen scored 43 details in the Croatian ring to just take Finland to the quarter-finals.
Pesic calculation error
Prior to EuroBasket, Serbia, along with France, had been deemed the principal favorites for the event. Legitimate, the determine of the head coach of the Serbs has raised issues. Of course, below Pesic the national crew very last gained a key tournament (2002 Earth Cup), but the previous Barcelona and Dynamo mentor is by now 73 decades aged. In the latest many years Pesic has ceased to interest Euroleague golf equipment and was planning to retire, but then came the request to guide the countrywide workforce.
Pesic agreed, but frankly he messed up the composition. He did not bring the outstanding Milos Teodosic to EuroBasket (indeed, Theo is already 35 a long time previous, but his studies are however significant), he recruited a lot of players in the nationwide staff who know how to do the filthy get the job done (Davidovac, Yagodic- Kurija, Ristic), but not to generate. In addition, Vasily Mitsich (the 2nd star of the team) and Nikola Milutinov arrived at EuroBasket with accidents.
Accurate, it was challenging to discover critical issues in the group phase. Nikola Jokic showed insane stats and his companions supported him a whole lot. But the playoffs arrived and Pesic failed. Serbia managed with self-assurance the progress of the match for 3 quarters with Italy. Seemingly, the coach felt the perform was completed and gave his leader a crack. Without the need of Jokic, the Italians created a 16: 2 turn.
The finest of the winners was previous UNICS basketball player Marco Spiss. The place guard showed superb data: 22 details (6/9 – from 3 details), 6 assists, 4 rebounds. Utility issue – 29. Furthermore, just about all of Spiess’s very long-variety successes came when Italy improved course.
Serbia had 7 minutes to close the hole by 10 points, but all the players on the roster had been fearful to attack and gave the ball to Jokic. The Italians understood this and introduced two potent blocks at the NBA MVP (Nicola Melli and Simone Fontecchio).
So ingloriously the Serbs finished the tournament. “We stunned the full globe,” mentioned Italian mentor Gianmarco Pozzecco soon after the match, who was sent off during the match.
“I think the removing of our mentor has opened something inside us,” reported Marco Spissa. We started out to engage in improved on the defensive and created a whole lot of three-place photographs. He has put us back again in the activity. Defeating this sort of an opponent, obtaining trouble with composition, is like a desire.
Help save Gobert
Italy will experience France in the quarter-finals. Vincent Collet’s workforce also virtually flew to the 1/8 finals. Ahead of the ultimate quarter, Turkey had a “+8” guide and 12 seconds ahead of the conclusion of the fourth quarter, Jedi Osman missed two cost-free throws with a rating of 77:75. Evan Fournier skipped the very last assault, but Rudy Gobert finished the rebound with a dunk, sending the match into time beyond regulation with 2.5 seconds still left of the remaining siren. In additional time, France snatched the victory many thanks to the decisive defeat of Furkan Korkmaz.
In excess time, the winner was also unveiled by Spain and Lithuania. The hero of the match was a different participant who performed for UNICS past time. Lorenzo Brown scored 28 points, 8 helps and 2 steals in 33.5 minutes on the floor: “I never even know what this group would be like with out Lorenzo, simply because they signed him this summer time. But what he is, he is, “Lithuanian striker Mindaugas Kuzminskas complained right after the match. Indeed, even in Spain alone, many ended up dissatisfied with the naturalization of the American playmaker. Immediately after the match with Lithuania, Brown’s villains in the Pyrenees they ought to be minimal.
In the quarter-finals, “Purple Fury” will deal with the resistance of the Finnish staff. And underestimating the opponent can direct to sad consequences. Croatia has currently acquired 43 details from Markkanen. Let us see what the specialist Sergio Scariolo is accomplishing towards the Utah striker. By the way, the Croatians are eradicated for the next consecutive EuroBasket in the 1/8 finals phase. In 2017 they lost to the Russian group.
An additional milestone for Doncic
Slovenia had been the only workforce to conquer the 1/8 finals with out any problems. Belgium turned another sufferer of Luka Doncic. The Dallas level guard scored 35 points, 5 rebounds, 5 helps and 4 steals. He grew to become the very first player in around 30 several years to rating extra than 30 details in a few consecutive EuroBasket video games. Then the Slovenians will meet up with Poland, who managed to beat Ukraine. For 40 seconds in advance of the conclusion, Igor Milicic’s staff led only “+2”, but in the decisive assault the “Toronto” defender Svyatoslav Mikhailyuk designed a fatal slip-up. The hero of the match was previous Zenit captain Mateusz Ponitka: 22 factors, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Poland arrived at the quarter-finals of EuroBasket for the 1st time in 25 years.
Germany and Greece will fulfill in one more quarter-final. The Germans defeated Montenegro thanks to Denis Schroeder’s 22 points, although the Greeks managed to end the Czech Republic with terrific issues. Ahead of the start out of the remaining quarter, Dimitris Itoudis’ group was shedding “-4”, but due to their leader’s super recreation, they managed to convert the tide of the match. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points, 14 of them in the previous 10 minutes.
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