By Rigas Dardalis/ dardalis@eurohoops.net
Playing without Manu Ginobili, Argentina didn’t have the tools to keep up with the loaded roster of Brazil. Despite a good 21-13 start by Argentina, Brazil reacted, got a double digits lead before the end of the third quarter and cruised to the final 85-65 win.
Marquinos Vieira (13 p.) and Raul Neto (21 p.) proved to be the keys in the big win, that sends Brazil to the quarterfinals against Serbia. The front line of the winners kept Luis Scola to six points and Andres Nocioni to four. Without those two players, Prigioni (19 p.) and Campazzo (11 p.) tried to lead Argentina back into the game, but couldn’t.
However one of the veterans of the team, Leandro Barbosa, was the happiest of the winners: “We are definitely very happy about it. It was the reason that we were invited to this tournament and we did our job. We’re happy, but we have to keep going. The team feels really great. We’re together right now as a team. Hopefully we go to the Final. This is historic for our country. So we want to do something special for our country and I think this is about time. Serbia is a great team, a tough team. They play tough. We’re going to have to do well if we want to do go to the next level”.