The Virtus winger scores 23 points and leads the Azzurri to their third consecutive success: now a victory in the last two matches will be enough to access the second qualifying phase
Italy one step away from moving on to the second phase of the World Cup qualifiers: a victory in the July window will be enough, with the two matches in Iceland and then in Rome against Lithuania, after having collected the third victory in a row in Livorno against Great Britain (84-75) to give coach Banchi’s Azzurri the solitary first place in Group D. The bad evening experienced for almost three quarters in the three-point shot (in the 27th minute it was 2/17) certainly made the national team struggle more than +36 on Friday in Newcastle again with the British, this time led by the Milanese Ellis who wasn’t there at the time, and certainly more than what was expressed on the pitch. With the decisive break between the last two quarters with two clear matrices: the defense that gagged Great Britain for four minutes and the rediscovered three-point shot that gave the right extension. And a clear face on the cover, that of the 21-year-old Virtus winger Saliou Niang, dominant even more than his maximum in blue of 23 points suggests, with 10/12 shooting, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Immarkable.
great niang
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Niang’s show begins with a 15-point first half of unstoppable physical exuberance with 6/6 shooting including four dunks and three three-point plays. Aligned with the captain, the Pisan Tessitori, however held back by fouls (3 already before the break), the Virtus winger first makes the first shot for the 10-0 which sends the Azzurri 12-7 in the 4th minute. Then, with Great Britain keeping themselves in the game with attacking rebounds, the verve of the Milanese Ellis (10 points and 3 assists at half-time) and the triples of the Venetian Wheatle (also 31-35 at 14’30”), Niang’s return completes the 12-1 in 4′ of the first real Italian push: 43-36 at the 18’30”, rounded by Della Valle to 48-38 at 21′.
triples and defense
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An illusory extension, because, having disguised the first half as 1/12 from three by shooting with an unreal 70% from two, continuing to fire volleys of three takes the earth out from under the feet of the Azzurri: held back by the percentages to a juncture of 6 points in six minutes, while from there Ellis who continues to preach basketball by turning on Hesson, they even resumed on 54 equal in the 27th minute. It is here that the arrival of Flaccadori first removes the cap on the three-point shot, three by the team in 4′ after having missed 15 out of 17 so far, then with him a quintet with a strong defensive imprint (with Tonut, Ricci, Petrucelli and Akele, then Niang) holds Great Britain 4′ without scoring for the decisive breakaway: 10-0 for 71-59 in the 33rd minute. Italy finds the success it had lacked in the last three official matches played in Italy, ending with 7,900 at the Modigliani Forum chanting “mvp mvp” to Saliou Niang. Indisputable.
Italy: Niang 23, Petrucelli 13, Della Valle 10.
Great Britain: Ellis 19, Wheatle 15, Hesson 12.
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