FIBA Pre-Olympic Tournament – Group A – working day 1
Spain began its road to the Paris Games with a dance against a weak Lebanon. Scariolo’s team easily defeated its first rival in the pre-Olympic tournament in Valencia, especially in the second half, and this Wednesday it will face Angola (20:30, Teledeporte) in search of the semi-finals of the tournament. Bahamas beat Finland 85-96 in the other part of the draw, which anticipates greater curves for the national team than it had to face against the Lebanese team. The test served to speed up the run-in, grease the pieces and share responsibilities. Lorenzo Brown handed out candy (nine assists) and Aldama (17 points), Garuba (15) and Pradilla (14) filled the basket with baskets. The cross was the adductor injury of Juancho Hernangómez, who is awaiting tests to see if he can continue with the group.
Spain spent a couple of glances trying to get a hold of an “atypical” team, as Scariolo had warned, one of those teams that moves under the radar. The outside trio that the coach planted, with Lorenzo Brown, Llull and López-Arostegui, were successful from the perimeter and gave the first lead to the hosts (8-13). Lebanon tried to shake the ball a lot in search of penetrations while its inside men probed Willy’s weak point, the defensive cut. With that body with which he is lined, the Spanish pivot opens cracks in the protection of his strength. It is true that in the opposing basket he fills his pockets with points, well assisted by Brown. The Fonteta applauded the point guard when he was substituted by Núñez and Scariolo accelerated the rotations to close the first quarter (18-24).
The team is different with Lorenzo Brown. Around him all the pieces fit better. Rudy kept the fever in the Spanish team, plugged in for the last great challenge of his career, becoming the first basketball player in history to play six Olympic Games. Llull doesn’t understand nights of relaxation either. Opposite, Lebanon showed little ability to keep its fists up (21-35), without a clear game plan or way to bite in attack. Spain played at another speed with the ball in its hands. The Valencia crowd celebrated the entrance of a local boy, Jaime Pradilla, and the team maintained its high performance despite the carousel of substitutions. Aldama and Garuba took advantage of the concessions to take a step forward before the break. The tasks were on track: 31-51.
Without the injured Juancho, Spain could pace itself while waiting for higher walls. The rival let things happen, although Scariolo did not allow any screw to loosen. The pre-Olympic tournament is a competition that does not allow the possibility of a slip and the team must go down this path with its batteries always charged. It is no longer that team brimming with geniuses that could solve a half-hearted night; today it is a group of pawns at the service of a cause. Men like Brown, Llull and Rudy symbolize this union feeling.
Spain took advantage of the second half of a comfortable start to increase their lead and calmly await the next encounter. After two tight preparation matches, Lebanon was a rather soft touch. The team was subjected to a huge shake-up by its first opponent.
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