Time.news – After the winning debut against Germany, Italy in basketball surrenders to the fearsome Australia on the second day of group B, losing 86-83. A great test of character is not enough for men of Meo Sacchetti, who in the final suffer the opponent’s physicality in rebound, granting too many extra decisive possessions. Five yellow-green players in double figures, while another excellent performance by a 22-point Fontecchio and a 21-point Mannion is not enough for the Azzurri.
Decisive Nigeria
Thus the last match of the group against Nigeria, scheduled for Saturday 31st, will be decisive. A lot of balance in the early stages of the match, with the two teams responding blow for blow without ever being able to stretch the score. Only in the second half of the first quarter did Australia try to escape on +6, but the Azzurri, capable of showing off excellent basketball on both sides of the field, are not there and manage to recover the disadvantage by taking to the first mini. rest on 25 all. In the second quarter it is the men of Meo Sacchetti who they attempt the extension led by Fontecchio and Mannion, the ‘boomers’ however’ do not let themselves be intimidated and with patience, flanked by a couple of heavy triple from Ingles, they recover the disadvantage arriving at the interval at -1 (45-44).
Balanced recovery
The beginning of the third quarter is practically a photocopy of the second, with the blues immediately placing the mini partial, recovered and overturned in a flash by Australia, capable of reaching +4 forcing Sacchetti to call time out. The tricolor attack seems to be jammed for a moment, but with the defensive determination of Pajola and the unscrupulousness of Polonara and Fontecchio, Italy mends again the disadvantage by staying in the game. We arrive in the last quarter with Australia ahead of three (65-62). The Azzurri suffer a lot in rebound and grant too many extra offensive possessions to the boomers, good at capitalizing them in the best way, reaching +8 with Landale’s triple and 4 minutes on the clock to play. However, he returns from time out and Fontecchio places a bomb with a foul that immediately halves the blue disadvantage, rekindling the emotions of the final match. Ingles puts in a poisonous triple on the umpteenth Australian offensive rebound situation, allowing his team to escape, but in the last moments of the match Italy does not want to give up and tries with the heart to reopen the discussion. This time, however, it is not enough, Australia 86-83 passes and reaches first full points in the group (4) followed by the Azzurri and Germany on equal points.
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