By Rigas Dardalis/ dardalis@eurohoops.net
Gigi Datome (photo) saved Italy in regular time, by sending the game in overtime with a buzzer beater (70-70) and then his team beat Spain 86-81 as Alessandro Gentile took action and finished the game with 25 points. After this win Italy got the third place in Group F standings, Spain is fourth and the question for many is if Spain wanted to chose its opponent in the quarterfinals.
After Greece’s defeat by Croatia, it was decided that the winner of the game will finish third and face Lithuania in Eurobasket’s quarterfinal knock out game, while the fourth team will compete against Serbia for a spot in the medal round. Our opinion is that if Spain wanted to avoid the front line of Lithuania, they wouldn’t wait for Datome to send the game in overtime with a buzzer beater. After all Marc Gasol put a monster effort by scoring 32 points and maybe, if Greece have beaten Croatia putting Spain’s qualification in danger, their motive for a win and their focus would be bigger.
The quarterfinal couples of Eurobasket 2013 after this game are set and they are the following: Serbia – Spain, Croatia – Ukraine, Lithuania – Italy, Slovenia – France. In the last game of the night and also of the second round, which couldn’t alter anything in the standings, eliminated Finland beat host Slovenia 92-76. As coach Henrik Dettmann said: “As Belgium did yesterday, we did today. We showed that we respect the game”.