Spain gets stuck against Lithuania
The great performance of Willy Hernangómez does not prevent the second defeat in three preparation games
MADRID, 16 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men’s basketball team suffered its second loss this Tuesday against Lithuania (77-82) in the third preparation match for the next Eurobasket, a duel played at the Gran Canaria Arena where Sergio Scariolo’s pupils left obvious deficiencies before the great date and to travel to Vilnius this Thursday to seek revenge.
The national basketball team stumbled again, after doing it with Greece a week ago, in a new friendly against Lithuania, which showed no mercy in the first round. The well-oiled quintet of visitors was putting the one from Spain in its place, which needs quite a few adjustments before September 1.
Brazdeikis was very comfortable in the first quarters, with terrible holes in defense and loss of concentration on the rebound. Spain suffered in both hoops until Willy Hernangómez woke up and was heavenly. His success prevented the distance from growing for his rival (12) and brought the team closer just before the break.
Four consecutive points and two good actions in defense resulted in a 30-37 scoreline that gave Scariolo’s team some air despite the good work of Valanciunas and Giedraitis, who celebrated his birthday with 11 points. The match got complicated when it was tighter, shortly after the third round began and with 42-44 in the electronic score.
The Spanish coach heatedly protested a decision by the referees and the technical foul ended up condemning Spain, which fell into haste in attack and mistrust. That 44-55 gave the Lithuanians air again, grown when Sabonis went into action. It was then that the only thing left was to play fearlessly against the clock.
In that final impetus, with Lorenzo Brown a little more liberated in the shot, and with the improvement in man-to-man defense, combined with plays in the zone, Spain was only one point away (67-68) after the last-minute outburst. There were then four minutes left and anything could happen in the Canarian pavilion.
Kazys Maksvytis’ men did not give in to Spain’s push and resisted, using their talent and patience that their opponent lacked. Not even the presence of Usman Garuba, who contributed 6 points and good minutes, could put an end to the Lithuanians.
A new stretch of 7 points and a good defense left the game more than resolved despite Brown’s final triple that lengthened the duel between free throws. The defeat will have options to be avenged this Thursday, in a new warm-up friendly. This time it will be in Vilnius.
SPAIN: Brown (11), López-Arostegui (-), Pradilla (2), Juancho Hernangómez (14), Willy Hernangómez (25) –starting five–, Brizuela (7), Llull (5), Rudy (2 ), Guerra (2), Garuba (6), Parra (-), Saiz (2).
LITHUANIA: Jokubaitis (9), Brazdeikis (19), Giedraitis (11), Sabonis (13) and Valanciunas (10) –initial quintet– Echodas (2), Masiulis (-), Grigonis (11), Lekavicius (4 ), Tarolis (-), Dimsa (-) y Butkevicius (3).
–REFEREES: Spider, Torres and Padrós. Without eliminated.
–PAVILLION: Gran Canaria Arena. 5,647 spectators.
