Eurobasket champions Spain faced a tough challenge this Tuesday. They lost to Italy by a score of 67-63. This game was the fourth and second-to-last match in Group C. Now, Spain must wait until the final matchday to secure their spot in the round of 16.
The Spanish team started strong, jumping out to a 13-0 lead. They held control for most of the game, nearly until the end of the third quarter. That’s when the Italian side pulled ahead. Spain had a chance to tie things up in the final moments. However, a crucial play by Willy Hernangómez and an unsportsmanlike foul from Joel Parra sealed their defeat.
For Italy, Mouhamet Diouf stood out with 14 points and eight rebounds. Saliou Niang also had a strong performance, adding 10 points and 10 rebounds. Santi Aldama was Spain’s top player. He scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Yet, even his excellent effort couldn’t prevent the loss.
After this outcome, Spain sits in third place in Group C with six points. Greece and Italy have already qualified, each holding eight points. Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina also have six points. Cyprus, the host nation for Group C, is eliminated with four points. Spain needs a win against Greece to avoid relying on other results. Otherwise, they will hope Bosnia-Herzegovina does not beat Georgia.
Greece Suffers First Loss, Bosnia Shines
In another Group C clash, Greece, already qualified and leading the group, suffered their first Eurobasket defeat. Bosnia-Herzegovina beat them 80-77. The Greek team played without their biggest star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was rested for the game.
The Bosnian team took advantage of the Milwaukee Bucks player’s absence. They earned their second victory of the tournament. Jusuf Nurkic, from the Utah Jazz, was a dominant force for Bosnia, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. John Robertson also contributed 18 points. For Greece, Kostas Sloukas led the way with 15 points and eight assists.
Georgia also secured its second win. They defeated host Cyprus, who still remains without a victory, by a score of 93-61. Tornike Shengelia was instrumental in Georgia’s success with 27 points. Goga Bitadze also delivered a strong performance, adding 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Group D Action: Slovenia’s Turnaround and Israel’s Clinch
Moving to Group D, Slovenia found its rhythm after two initial losses. They recorded their second consecutive win. Slovenia handed Iceland their fourth straight defeat with an 87-79 victory. Luka Doncic once again delivered a decisive performance. He scored 26 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
The star from the Los Angeles Lakers received solid support from Aleksej Nikolic, who contributed 17 points. For Iceland, Martin Hermannson tried to keep his team in the game with 22 points and six assists. However, his efforts were not enough for Iceland to secure their first win.
Israel punched their ticket to the next stage by beating Belgium 92-89. A strong final period, where they outscored Belgium 35-21, made the difference. Key players for Israel included Deni Avdija with 22 points, Roman Sorkin with 18 points, and Tomer Ginat, who had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
This result meant Slovenia also qualified for the round of 16. It also brought France along for the ride. France took the court against Poland with no pressure to win. Despite this, the Olympic runner-up did not hold back. They defeated Poland 83-76.
France’s Guerschon Yabusele delivered the best individual performance of the day. He notched up 36 points and six rebounds. His stellar play helped overcome a good team effort from Poland. Poland had three players scoring 15 or more points: Jordan Loyd with 18, Mateusz Ponitka with 16, and Michal Sokolowski with 15.
The final games in Group D, hosted in Poland, will only decide the exact final standings. Israel currently leads with seven points, a total matched by the host nation and France. Slovenia trails slightly with six points. Both Belgium, with five points, and Iceland, with four points, are already out of the competition.