The Italian adventure at the Puerto Rican pre-Olympic tournament starts, as expected, with a clear success against a Bahrain team that obviously cannot represent a danger at this moment for Pozzecco’s national team. However, Italy interprets the match in the right way, keeps the level of attention high and respects a decidedly inferior opponent, also playing good basketball. In the end, Italy wins 114-53, thus completing the Bahrain matter without the slightest problem while waiting for the very important match on Thursday against the home team of Puerto Rico. In a “Coliseo de Puerto Rico”, the beautiful facility in San Juan, practically deserted, Poz starts with the quintet presented in the last friendly against Spain, Spissu, Tonut, Petrucelli and the big men Polonara and Melli. The physical and athletic difference is clearly visible from the first minutes and if in attack the Italians take a while to get going, the defensive phase is really good and the Middle Eastern team has a crazy hard time finding good conclusions.
very tender bahrain
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Bahrain’s first points came more than five minutes into the match and a minute later the most representative player, Wayne Chism, a globetrotter after a good college career at Tennessee, thought it best to get his third foul called. Gallo’s great impact off the bench pushed Italy to a double-digit lead with the first quarter ending 19-9. Melli and Gallinari in the post were absolutely unstoppable for the Middle Eastern team’s defense, the former Bucks player was also very hot from long range, and Italy, with Mannion’s counterattack dunk, ran away to +18. Not even a brief lapse really hurt Melli and his teammates who quickly got back on track, closing the first half with great intensity. Gallo makes 3/3 from long range (and closes the first half with 12 points on the scoresheet), Tonut produces a couple of baskets of fine workmanship and Italy goes to the locker room ahead by 22 points, 47-25, with the result no longer in doubt. The third quarter opens with seven consecutive points by Polonara, the Azzurri move the ball well in attack and place a series of recoveries in defense. Bahrain does what it can but is unable to contain Italy who reaches +31 with Gallo’s layup, well fed by Pajola and closes the third quarter with Mannion’s basket for 76-42 on the buzzer that officially starts garbage time. Good start then, but from Thursday the serious stuff will begin against Puerto Rico, a team that knows how to excite itself in front of its very hot fans.
2024-07-02 23:16:43
#PreOlympic #Basketball #ItalyBahrain #Gazzetta.it
