The Spanish team beat the Netherlands with difficulty (84-72) in a basketball party at the Carolina Martín Palace in Huelva, a court where Sergio Scariolo's men already jumped with the qualification for the World Cup in their pocket after the victory of Italy over Georgia (84-85).
That led to a constant carousel of changes and tests in the systems before a Dutch team that showed, despite being bottom of the group, they have a good hand in the shot if they are not defended with intensity. After two very even first quarters, 21-21 and 22-22, Spain was slightly more in the third quarter (18-16) and sentenced in the final (23-13). European champion Darío Brizuela was the top scorer for Spain with 16 points and Olaf Schaftenaar was the game's top scorer with 19.
The national team, in its first meeting in Spain after winning the Eurobasket, took to the court very successfully, strongly encouraged by the public. After the halfway point of the first quarter, he already doubled his rival's score (14-7) after triples by Alberto Díaz and Joel Parra.
But little by little the forces began to equalize, with a greater control of the rebound of the Dutch and a great success from the outside line. The figure of Olaf Schaftenaar emerged, author of 12 points, and led the duel to a 21-21 draw, which Yankuba Sima did not undo when he missed a triple in the last breath of the period.
In the second quarter, also very close, the Netherlands took the lead with a great outside shot, 7 of 11 in triples, although worse statistics in shots from two. The reaction came from the hand of Vila, who with a triple put Spain back on top and struck again with a 2 1 after a sensational assist without looking from Jaime Fernández (39-42). Already at the end of the fourth, Keye van der Vuurst de Vries (8), who took over along with Luuk Van Bree (8) in the scoring of a braking Schaftenaar, did not miss from the free throws and left the 43-43.
Spain applied a little more in defense in the third quarter against an opponent who survived with the triples. It was noticeable when Joel Parra, who finished a counterattack and signed a triple to add 10 points, Jaime Fernández, Sebas Saiz and Alberto Díaz met on the track. That allowed to open a gap of around five points (58-53). But the errors in a selection with many mechanisms to acquire in the youngest did not allow them to put more distance and the duel went 61-59 to the decisive fourth quarter.
In it, four consecutive points from Spain increased the advantage, which subsequent triples by Santis Yusta and Darío Brizuela placed for the first time in the match at 10 (71-61) with five minutes to go. In the exchange of baskets, the Spanish quality came to the fore and they did not allow their rival to jeopardize the victory, which came by 12 points (84-72).
