By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Despite being the big favorite to advance to the 2024 Paris Olympics from the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Sergio Scariolo’s team struggled before securing their place in the final.
After a hard-fought battle, Spain recorded a narrow 81-74 win over Finland in the final moments. They now move on to face the Bahamas for the Olympic spot.
Barcelona’s big man, Willy Hernangomez, had a standout game for Spain with 28 points on 8/12 shooting from the field and 12/15 from the free-throw line. He also scored crucial six points in the last two minutes that put his team ahead.
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Lorenzo Brown followed with 15 points and seven assists, while Santi Aldama was also on the verge of a double-double, scoring 15 points with eight rebounds.
As for Finland, which almost stunned Spain without their main star Lauri Markkanen, Andre Gustavson played a significant role with 15 points, while Mikael Jantunen was a rebound shy of a double-double with 13 points.
Edon Maxhuni added 11 points, while Alexander Madsen scored eight with eight rebounds.
FIBA OQT Valencia
Semifinals
Bahamas – Lebanon 89-72
Spain – Finland 81-74
Final
Bahamas – Spain (7/7, 20:30 CET)
The winner goes to Group A of the Olympic Games alongside Australia, Canada, and the Piraeus OQT winner.