By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Spain beat the previously unbeaten Serbs, however, for coach Sergio Scariolo and his players this is not something that should be celebrated much.
“The seriousness of our jersey is very contagious,” said Scariolo after the game and added: “We have seen this now and in many other times. Our players know we haven’t done anything. It’s another thing to be among the four best in the world and, considering the circumstances, would be an incredible thing”.
Speaking about the game, the Italian coach of the Spanish national team, highlighted the concentration of his players and also the abilities of Bogdan Bogdanovic: “We have been very serious, with a lot of concentration. We tried to put some variants in our game, and it was not easy to follow the changes. I have to say that Bogdanovic is ridiculous. I mean, it’s unbelievable. 78% on 2s, 40% on 3s and 100% free throws; 10 rebounds, 6 assists. I mean he’s an unbelievable player. Apart from him, we have contained the rest of them, and we have kept in low scoring numbers a team that usually scores one hundred points. They are still the best alongside the United States. We remain humble and take confidence”.
Rudy Fernandez echoed that sentiment: “It was nothing more than a victory, and we have to be patient. You should go easy; it’s a long road. At this point, we had to take a step forward, and we achieved that. Now we have to recover well and face a complicated game like the quarterfinals because it all depends on 40 minutes”.
Photo credit: FIBA.Basketball