The game between Spain and Belgium was, to put it mildly, an unattractive affair. With neither team having anything to play for, and both already qualified for the Eurobasket, the encounter lacked any real tension, making for a difficult watch. In the end, Spain emerged victorious, winning 59-52, and closing out the group with a 3-3 record to finish second.
This is a period of growth for the Spanish team – a time to plant seeds that, with trust and minutes, can blossom in the future. Ideally, this should have been an opportunity for the younger players to shine, but the reality was far from enjoyable. The only notable moments came from a Saint-Supery plug in the first quarter and the penetrations and intensity of Hugo González, who never stopped trying and is definitely one to watch for the future.
The first half was a struggle, with both teams combining for just 18 baskets and 21 turnovers by the intermediate mark. Spain managed to score almost a point per minute for much of the first part, but the Belgians, missing their top scorer Obasohan, weren’t much better, shooting a dismal 3/20 from three-point range.
In the second half, Spain found its competitiveness, led by a defensive surge that put them ahead 39-37. By the start of the fourth quarter, the score was 42-40 after a notable play by Rubén Guerrero. The turning point came with a 14-2 run that opened up a decisive lead (56-45), thanks in part to López-Arostegui and Hugo González, and later two baskets from Parra. This was the only stretch of the game that showed any semblance of quality basketball.
The match was marred by questionable refereeing decisions, culminating in the expulsion of Coach Scariolo for two technical fouls, a fitting end to a terrible encounter that saw both teams combine for 8/54 in threes and 40 turnovers. It’s clear that when it comes to the Eurobasket, Spain will need to bring a very different level of play.
- Spain (59): Rafa Villar (1), Xavi López-Aróstegui (13), Yusta (4), Parra (7), Almanza (5); Puerto (5), Mario Sant-Supery (5), Vila (2), Hugo González (9), Sergi MartÃnez (-), Guerrero (6), saved (2).
- Belgium (52): Buggenout (-), Schwartz (5), Mowema (21), Tomb (9), by Ridder (4); Ledengen (2), Meeusen (2), Van Vliet (5), Izaw (4), Buysse (-).
- Referees: Julio Anaya (Panama), Martin Horozov (Bulgaria), and Orhan Cagri Hekimoglu (Türkiye).
- Incidents: The game was played at the Municipal Sports Palace of León in front of 6,000 spectators. During the break, a tribute was paid to former basketball player Urbano González, who is suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ELA), where he received a Spanish team shirt with his number 5 from the president of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), Elisa Aguilar, and the mayor of León, José Antonio DÃez.