Spain is still Spain

Eurobasket

- round of 16 - day 1That's how it was

Spain

102 94

Finalized

Lithuania

Years go by, generations are exhausted and names change, never as much as in this Eurobasket to which the team appeared with seven rookies in a great event.

But Spain is still Spain, a team with an indestructible competitive DNA, capable in Berlin of another feat when it was on the canvas: coming back with as much faith as the game against Lithuania and qualifying after extra time for the quarterfinals, a round in which will face on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. the winner of this Sunday's duel between Finland and Croatia (2:45 p.m., BeMad).

La Familia is still in the elite due to the many new faces that sit at the table.

As an example, the last to arrive, Lorenzo Brown, who even plays on the pocha, decisive with 28 points and eight assists, unstoppable in extra time.

The exam against Lithuania was postgraduate.

The team had hit a bone even though it was first in the group.

Scariolo traced the initial five of the last dates with Pradilla as Willy's partner.

It was the center of the Pelicans who once again refined the start with the first six points.

The cut under the rim was aúpa against the stampedes of two buffalo like Sabonis and Valanciunas, and Pradilla stuck out his chest to accept the shocks.

Sparks flew in the painting between the two pairs of towers.

Spain had a hard time stopping the penetrations of the Lithuanian outsiders, sprinters like Jokubaitis and Grigonis, and ran out of gas in a couple of attacks without knowing what to do with the ball.

Scariolo shook the cocktail shaker and immediately enrolled Brizuela, Juancho and Garuba, needing the team of a troublemaker upstairs and relays downstairs.

The Rockets center caused Valanciunas' second foul, and Rudy and Alberto Díaz gave air from the triple (19-15), but what they had won with pick and shovel slipped into the backyard (19-20 at the end of the first quarter).

Too many cracks.

The fever of Alberto Díaz and the gall of Brizuela, an expert in blowing up games, drew a partial 8-0 (27-20).

Like water, this Spain needs those moments of inspiration from its pawns: a free kick caused by Díaz in attack, an offensive rebound by Juancho, a snatch by Brizuela... Each step is a treasure in a team in which there are no secondary all soldiers.

Lithuania pulled talent, with open wings and a lot of hustle and bustle, the short ones from one side to the other (31-29).

The green team risked returning the gladiator Valanciunas to the arena and paid for it with his third foul with four minutes to go before intermission.

Willy took it out, whom Scariolo had picked up seconds before for that body.

Baskets are also made from the bench.

More information

Video with the summary of the Spain Lithuania of the Eurobasket 2022

Without the beast on the court, Sabonis changed his cap: from passer to executor allied with Kuzminskas (34-38).

It was not the game that was convenient for the team because in the exchange of blows they were the losers.

If it was attack against attack, Lithuania ruled (40-45).

The match had picked up speed in one direction and Spain continued to concede slaps, suffering in attack to find space, unable to stop the bleeding.

Brazdeikis, Jokubaitis and Kuzminskas ripped apart the team from a distance, accurate with their three-point arrows.

Lithuania made the most of their offensive arsenal and did not miss a free kick (17 in a row for a total of 21 of 24).

The gap opened up to 47-58, 11 points that seemed definitive.

The selection feared the interiors, but it was the shooters who feasted.

Spain had the pride of so many years on the podium.

An offensive rebound by Garuba caught with the soul and a triple by Rudy still kept the sick man alive: 63-68.

Rudy did not stop spurring the troops despite missing one triple after another.

The last option for Spain was extreme suffering, the feeling that each action was the last.

Rudy ordered to close ranks setting an example.

Defense, defense and defense.

No one fights like the captain, and that's how Scariolo's team clung to each possession, discounting point by point with an ant job while the Spanish network forced Lithuania to continue betting everything on the perimeter.

Brown finally took that step forward in attack that Spain urgently needed and the game came alive to the last three minutes (74-75).

Lithuania had trusted everything in the magic of their scorers and the gunpowder had been wet.

From behind came a freight train, a selection thrown with the knife between its teeth.

Two decades of medals have given the Spanish team reverential respect.

The Lithuanian team felt the weight of history, the hoop became small.

Spain felt that it could climb that Everest.

A tap by Garuba sent the team one up with 16 seconds on the scoreboard and Alberto Díaz caught a foul by Sabonis in attack.

Willy had fate in his hands with two free throws.

But he missed one and in the last hundredth another tapping by Brazdeikis between many hands led to extra time (83-83).

🇺🇸 Lorenzo Brown and Willy Hernangomez were the stars of the night!

They combined for 49 PTS, 11 REB & 10 AST 💪#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/tL8jfMovgy

— FIBA ​​(@FIBA) September 10, 2022

Spain was already another, with faith through the roof.

And Lorenzo Brown more enlightened than anyone to add 12 points in that extra time, unleashed as a shooter and passer (92-88), released playing shooting guard with Alberto Díaz next to him.

Another chess game won from the bench by Scariolo, decisive with his plan.

Of the 19 points of the selection in extra time, Lorenzo Brown participated directly in 17: his 12, with a triple included, plus two assists, one to Garuba with a chopped pass that served him the mate on a tray and another brushing the line to Willy in the background, which was a two plus one.

The newcomer had thrown the equipment on his back in a show of personality and there was no one to stop him.

Lithuania, stopped with a zone (another success on the board), found the sentence in those triples in which they had previously taken refuge:

He shot 30 in the match (11 hits), almost as many as shots from two, 31. The game was already Lorenzo Brown's and the national team's.

Spain again.

Spain: Brown (28), Jaime Fernández (0), López-Arostegui (4), Pradilla (2) and Willy Hernangómez (21) —starting five—, Rudy (13), Díaz (8), Brizuela (5), Juancho Hernangómez (13), Parra (0), Garuba (8) and Saiz (0).

Lithuania: Jokubaitis (13), Giedraitis (0), Grigonis (8), Sabonis (15), Valanciunas (5) —starting five—, Brazdeikis (17), Echodas (0), Kuzminskas (18), Lekavicius (15) and Butkevicius (3).

Referees: Rosso, Zurapovic and Glisic.

Butkevicius and Brazdeikis were eliminated.

Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, before 12,938 spectators.

The crosses in the final phase of the Eurobasket.

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