Yes! Our national basketball team will be “present” at the Olympic Games in Paris, as it completed its efforts in the Pre-Olympic Tournament in SEF with an absolute 4 out of 4. Last victim of our internationals following the Dominicans, the Egyptians and the Slovenians, Croatia, which Vassilis Spanoulis’ players destroyed with 80-69.
Our representative group will now travel initially to Lille and Paris for something big, for something important, for something historic that will be remembered for decades.
The team of Vassilis Spanoulis did not have an easy task, but they showed character, found answers to the problems and with top players Giorgos Papagiannis, Nick Kalathis, Giannis Antetokounmpo got the result in the crowded and hot Peace and Friendship Stadium.
In Lille, Greece will face Canada, Australia and the winner of the Valencia Pre-Olympic Tournament (Spain or Bahamas), with the aim of qualifying for the quarter-finals for which there will be a draw.
The Croatians are returning to their base following a good fight, but they were not a team in the national team’s cubicles. They fought and fought stubbornly in the final, but they had a quantitative issue as their rotation is relatively small and the talent of Smith, Hezonia, Saric, Zubac does not have the corresponding supporting cast around it.
THE RACE
With the classic five (Kalathis, Walkap, Papanikolaou, Antetokounmpo, Papagiannis) Greece opened the match, looking for the open field. Giannis attacked from the front, Kalathis shot for 9-12 in the 5′, but Papanikolaou and Papagiannis had significant wear with two fouls each before the seventh minute was completed. Even so, even if Hezonia did damage (10 points), the finale of the period found the two teams tied at 22-22 with the National team making 4/5 three-pointers and just two turnovers.
At the start of the second period, Antetokounmpo rallied once more and once more, hitting a mid-range shot and a layup over Zubac for 24-27 at 12′, before Papagiannis and Toliopoulos hit from the perimeter for 29-35. Big Papa’s fourth three-pointer made it 33-40 at 17′, the Croatians had amazing reactions in points where everything was pointing once morest them, they made three-pointers, four-pointers, reduced the score (39-40) but did not go ahead at halftime (39- 45).
The way the National team entered the second half was impressive, with Walkap and Kalathis keeping the gap close to ten, but the Croatians holding on, holding on, holding on and taking Giannis’ third foul in the 25th minute ( 50-55). It was followed by an outburst by Calathes who was irritated by the opposing coach (50-60 at 26′) and the finale of the third period (53-66) created a sense of security that the job would be easy or difficult.
The basket was closed at the beginning of the fourth, the free shots did not go in, but the defense was still there and broke up every effort of the Croatians. Sometimes with Giannis, sometimes with the guards. Antetokounmpo scored 2/2 for 57-70, he also made a shot for 60-72, before assisting Papagiannis for his fifth three-pointer (62-75) in the match. Who judged everything! And this year’s beautiful summer just got even more beautiful. The continuation on the screens…
Referees: Vazquez-Salins-Anaya. The 10 minutes: 22-22, 39-45 (d.), 53-66, 69-80.
GREECE (Spanoulis): Walkup 6 (3/3 2-pointers, 0/5 3-pointers, 5 rebounds), Larentzakis 3 (1), Toliopoulos 5 (1), Kalathis 14 (2/8 2-pointers, 3/6 3-pointers, 1/2 shots, 5 rebounds, 11 assists), Kalaitzakis, Papagiannis 19 (2/2 2-pointers, 5/8 3-pointers), Charalambopoulos, Papanikolaou 8 (1), Antetokounmpo 23 (7/15 2-pointers, 1/2 3-pointers, 8 rebounds, 3 assists), Mitoglou 2 .
CROATIA (Cesar): Filipovic, Smith 4 (1/9 shots, 4 rebounds, 7 assists), Kruslin, Hezonia 15 (2/5 2-pointers, 1/3 3-pointers, 8/8 shots), Saric 14 (14/6 2-pointers, 2/5 3-pointers , 12 rebounds, 4 assists), M. Drezniak 15 (3), N. Drezniak 2, Zubac 19 (6/11 2-pointers, 7/10 shots, 12 rebounds), Nakich
Greece’s team statistics: 18/35 2-pointers, 12/32 3-pointers, 8/14 shots, 36 rebounds (26 defensive – 10 offensive), 21 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, 3 errors, 21 fouls.
Croatia’s team stats: 15/31 2-pointers, 6/21 3-pointers, 21/26 shots, 39 rebounds (31 defensive, 8 offensive), 20 assists, 2 steals, 11 turnovers, 16 fouls.
OPPONENTS AND SCHEDULE
Greece won the SEF Pre-Olympic Tournament and ensured its presence at the Olympic Games.
The group stage will be held in Lille, while the continuation will be in Paris. Greece has been placed in Group A along with Australia, Canada and the winner of the Valencia Pre-Olympic Tournament.
The Olympic Basketball Tournament will begin on Saturday, July 27 and conclude one week later (July 10).
Group A
Australia
Hellas
Canada
Pre-Olympic winner in Valencia
Saturday, July 27
Greece – Canada (22:00)
Tuesday, July 30
Winner of Pre-Olympic Spain – Greece (12:00)
Friday, August 2
Australia – Greece (14:30)
#tout #lheure #Helladara #Olympiad #destroyed #Croatia #PHOTO
