Latvia-Italy 83-68 at the Acropolis tournament

Postcards from Athens: Spissu and its number 33 dedicated to Polonara, Gallinari Out, the empty building. It is a defeat against Latvia that will serve to review the unshakable certainties. In 83-68 there is an Italy different from that view in previous releases. Much less precise (2/17 from 3, the first triple arrives after 14 attempts). A beautiful Italy at times and dark. And without a real protagonist Spaccamatch (Spanish from 17, DIUF of 14). However, the penultimate commitment before Eurobasket is the useful ones, which serve to fix the shortcomings. Meanwhile, Pozzecco will have to put his head on Thompson, never really in the flow. But also to understand where the rooster is. Tomorrow, against Greece, the second commitment to the ACROPOLIS tournament, it is not said that he sees Danilo on the parquet. We need time and its time will have to arrive on August 28 with the European debut, the real one. Latvia made fury from the arch (15/31), if we want the big difference it was above all there. First blue defeat, but no dramas.

Defense reviewable

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In short, it was not the splendid shining Italy of other outings, certainly not the one at the beginning of the match. Energetic defense, but not impenetrable. Difficulty in shooting. Not signs, but concepts on which Poz will have to work: Eurobasket is around the corner. But of course after Trieste’s challenge, the remake against Latvia should have given some more guarantee. The first quarter is immediately uphill. Bertans and Porzingis sign the immediate 9-0 that climbs until 14-2, while the Azzurri struggle to unlock. Fontecchio finds no rhythm. An important theme will be that of physicality: the European is a matter of nerves. Spanish and Niang try to react, Diotf fights bounced, but coach Banchi men hit precisely from the arch. The blue shock, however, is there, especially with Niang. In the final Pozzecco gets a technician and the first quarter closes on 25-16 for Latvia. Thompson does not turn, too alien and still out of the games, an element that will have to find the right balance. Of course, time holds. And in these days Poz will have to meditate on. In the second Spissu and Diodi, the 6-0 signs the Azzurri at -3 (25-22). Spanish steals the ball in Porzingis and draws the accounts, then Melli erases the Latvian giant with a stain and launches the Fontecchio counterattack for 29-29. However, the problems are not over. In fact, Latvia immediately resumes control: Kurucs and Smits hit the arch, Bertans puts the triple of +10. Melli scores from the bezel in the final, but at the interval it is 42-33 for the men of Banchi.

Discontinuous

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It is not so much 0/11 from 3 to half a race to leave prior, but a game that is too high, certainly the daughter of the acidity of preparation and tiredness. The European will need continuity, especially in defense. And Triple. The first comes only in the third period (after 14, by Spissu). Latvia, on the other hand, has triples in her hands. With Smits and Bertans turn up to +20 in the middle of the period. Italy struggles to react, it is wrong and easy conclusions, while the opponents remain relentless from the arch. Pozzecco changes and reciprocates, but it’s an evening no. Niang lights the audience with a dunk and it is right in the final of Quarto that the first blue triple arrives after 14 errors. Diouf fights and closes with a 2+1, but at 30 ‘the scoreboard scores 66-49 for Latvia. In the last quarter Italy tries with Niang and Spanish. But Latvia remains solid with Porzingis and is not surprised.