Another dramatic finale was in store for us on the first day of the round of 16 of the World Cup.
THE Latvia made a huge showing against the Spain, taking a 74-69 “thriller” victory, despite starting the third period with an 11-point deficit. The “furious rocha” did not show itself capable of ending the match earlier, which Luca Banki’s players took advantage of, putting “fire” in the 12th group of the competition.
Bertans was Latvia’s leading scorer with 16 points, while Rodions Kuruks recorded 13 points and 8 rebounds.
On a good day the Hernangomet brothers, with Willy stopping at 14 points, being Spain’s leading scorer. At 9, Huatso, with the Panathinaikos player also collecting 5 rebounds, 11 points for Ousmane Garouba and Dario Brithuela.
The next game is strong for Spain, which completes the round of 16 against Canada (03/09, 16:30), while Latvia will have a final against Brazil (03/09, 12:45).
The match
The pace was completely balanced in the first period. Many changes in the score, with Latvia squeezing Spain to the “ropes”, leading 16-17 at the end of the quarter.
In fact, the difference reached up to 7 points (18-25 at 16′), with the “furious rocha” responding thanks to a 9-0 run for 27-25, 1 minute and 46 seconds before the break. The tempo of the match did not change, with the first half ending at 32-29.
Little changed in the opening minutes of the second half, and while Luca Banki’s side looked to be in control. Sergio Scariolo’s side were chasing the score in the first half of the third period, making a terrific burst afterwards. A 14-0 run brought the score to 54-42 (28′), with the score at the end of the third quarter standing at 58-47.
Latvia didn’t seem to “chew”, entering the last period, reaching the total reversal (61-61 at 35′). The Baltic team found big shots and short-circuited the Spaniards, taking the lead with Zoriks (63-65 at 37′). The last few minutes were dramatic, with big runs from both sides and Luca Banki’s side controlling the pace. Spain did not show composure commensurate with its experience and the 74-69 loss came naturally, at the final whistle.
The quarters: 16-17, 32-29, 58-47, 69-74
See the match statistics here
Source: Sport Fm
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