On the morning of July 5th, the men’s basketball Olympic qualifying tournament group stage continues, with Puerto Rico facing Italy.
The Italian men’s basketball team is a regular at the Olympics, having participated 13 times historically and winning two silver medals. In the previous Tokyo Olympics, Italy returned to the Olympic stage after a 17-year absence. They faced the formidable French team in the quarterfinals. The game was intense, with Italy trailing France by 14 points with less than 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter. They didn’t give up and rallied to tie the score in regulation time. Unfortunately, in overtime, France went on a 11-2 run and Italy ultimately lost. However, they showed great resilience.
This is Italy’s third Olympic qualifying tournament appearance. In 2016, as hosts, they lost in the final to Croatia, who had previously beaten them. However, in 2020, Italy triumphed in the final and secured their spot in the Olympic main event. Italy is a strong team, but they are currently undergoing a transition.
They opened their campaign yesterday against Bahrain. Facing a weaker opponent, Italy emerged victorious with a 114-53 win, dominating in all facets. Seven players scored in double figures. Against Bahrain’s weak defense, Italy shot 60% from the field. Melli started the game and led the team with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Gallinari also had 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Polonara contributed 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Only two Bahrain players scored in double digits.
Including their win over Bahrain, Italy has achieved a 5-game winning streak across all competitions, indicating their strong form.
Puerto Rico, however, has been inconsistent recently. Nevertheless, they also defeated Bahrain in their earlier game this morning. The Puerto Rican men’s basketball team once famously defeated the United States by 19 points, gaining widespread recognition. At last year’s World Cup, Puerto Rico impressed fans. Over the past season, Puerto Rican player Waters joined the CBA, and his skills are undeniable.
In today’s game, Puerto Rico comfortably defeated Bahrain 99-56, dominating in all facets. Waters scored 9 points and 3 assists in the first quarter. Thompson came off the bench to lead the team with 20 points. Conditt tallied 17 points and 8 rebounds. Five players scored in double figures. In the AmeriCup qualifiers, Puerto Rico avenged their loss to the Bahamas, demonstrating their strong capabilities.
Last year’s World Cup saw Puerto Rico face Italy once. Italy ultimately won 73-57, meaning that in their last 5 encounters, Puerto Rico has yet to win against Italy, giving Italy a significant psychological edge. In tomorrow’s game, Puerto Rico will play back-to-back. Facing Italy, which is undergoing a transition, they will be looking for revenge. It will be interesting to see if they can achieve this feat.
Here are the player rosters for both teams in this tournament: Puerto Rico: Tremont Waters, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Howard, Gian Clavell, Stephen Thompson, Isaiah Pineiro, Davon Reed, Alim Ford, Chris Ortiz, Ismael Romero, Annaldo Toro, George Conditt IV Italy: Gallinari, Mannion, Nicola-Melli, Marco-Spissu, Audu-Abass, Stefano-Tonut, Gianpaolo-Ricci, Giordano-Bortolani, Guglielmo-Caruso, Achille-Polonara, Alessandro-Pajola, John-Petrucelli.
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