Guil’s Spain also wins

Spain debuted its number one in a match without much history against Iceland (61-80). The National Team, which surpassed the United States in the FIBA ​​ranking after the November Window, defends that first place in the year of its centenary. That and the expansion of the number of players that orbit around the Selection were the objectives set in a Window in which Spain does not play anything else. He will be in the World Cup this summer, but he had already earned that right in Huelva against the Netherlands a few months ago.

The National Teams that met in Pamplona (87-57) and Reykjavík have little to do with each other. With the Eurobasket one week away, Spain went to the Navarrese capital with almost everything while now, and making a possible list for the World Cup, only two almost fixed names appear for the Asian event: Alberto Díaz and Joel Parra. The two started as starters, but the Selection did not finish carbureting at the beginning. Juan Núñez, who at 18 years old was playing his fourth game at Las Ventanas, finally made his debut with his first two points, that put the 4-7.

The party offered two very different styles. While Iceland took advantage of their superiority in the area (Hlinason, 8 points in the first quarter), Spain, without a clear internal referent (and with two bases most of the time)played open and doing damage from triple (4/5). Everything changed in the second round. Two free throws from Tyson Pérez gave Spain a small lead (21-29), which Iceland made disappear with an 8-0 run. But Rubén Guerrero grew a few centimeters in the paint (six points in a row) and with a triple by Núñez, with a small step back and zero possession, the National Team left by ten, difference with which he reached the break (33-43).

Spain extended their advantage in the third quarter (48-62), although they must put a big downside to their game in this period: too risky which resulted in many losses. Spain closed the quarter with ten errors (15 in total), but He made up his performance a bit thanks to the success in triples, which was still excellent (11/18). Spain finished the game with the best success of three (14/25, 56%) than two (14/31, 45.2).

Tyson Pérez, who has given Betis a different air with his arrival, He showed that no one can beat him in the paint (13 rebounds, 6 offensive). Miquel Salvó was the benchmark in attack (18 points) and Joel Parra exercised well in his debut as captain, very active as always on the track, but also on the bench. It was also a comfortable debut for Luis Guil, who on Sunday he will already take a step back with the return of Sergio Scariolo to the bench. Italy awaits, again with number one at stake.