To the sound of Willy Hernangómez's points and the leadership of an unleashed Rudy Fernández, Spain continues to live its fairy tale, as Scariolo described the adventure of his team in this Eurobasket. There are now eleven consecutive appearances for the Spaniards in the semifinals of the continental tournament after the signing against Finland, which became dizzy after a great first half and was overwhelmed after the break by a rival who never runs out of hunger.
Spain did not enter the game well, which despite the 8-2 was immediately dismantled by a much more inspired Finland. All the dangers that Scariolo had warned about before the game were coming true. The coach opted for Joel Parra to try to minimize the giant Markkanen, against whom Pradilla also made good assists. But that surprise effect was short-lived and the Finnish team, with a cheerful, fast and to a certain extent anarchic game, burst into the Berlin Arena parquet like an elephant into a glassware. The ball circulated at supersonic speed and Spain was not able to tackle their problems. Madsen culminated a counterattack that closed a partial 0-8 (9-14, minute 7). Things were beginning to look bad for Spanish interests.
But the match got even more uphill. The fineness in the triple of the Finns widened the differences on the scoreboard to worrying levels. A success that Jantunen sublimated from his own field, when the horn signaled the end of the first quarter, placing the score at 19-30, which was a real warning for Scariolo's men, who, located on the other side of the scale, saw the hoop the size of a lonely.
The reaction did not arrive and what happened on the parquet was not at all flattering. Valtonen stretched until 22-37 (minute 13) and all the alarms were already thundering on the Spanish bench. Scariolo took out his blackboard and ordered a zone defense that started well. A basket and its corresponding additional shot by Willy Hernangómez, who continued with the hero's cloak waiting for the irruption of an ill-advised Lorenzo Brown, put a band-aid on the scoreboard and lowered the barrier of ten points, a situation that Spain endured until the break with much defensive effort signed by Rudy and Garuba. But the numbers were not good. Spain showed an alarming 3 of 16 in triples compared to the excellent 7 of 13 of its rival who, in addition, had distributed a whopping 16 assists only in the first half, the result of his excellent ball movement.
But Spain in the 21st century is a team that is better never given up for dead, with a pride that overflows any deposit, and that gave a lesson in the second half, signed with the 57 points that were put in the backpack. Finland, a novice in these matters, got dizzy and her wrists began to shake. The triples no longer entered and, opposite, Spain had put the fifth gear. Willy Hernangómez's baskets returned control to Spain in less than five minutes and the Nordics entrusted themselves to Markkanen, who gradually inflated his statistics but never ended up being a lethal threat. Brizuela's moments of inspiration opened a gap in the scoreboard, giving the maximum until that moment for Spain (73-65).
But the tables had turned and Spain gave the finishing touch in the last act, in which the figure of its captain, Rudy Fernández, art and part of the Spanish triumph, who ended up shedding tears of emotion at the end, was enlarged. It was not for less, from being reviled Spain had gone on to be in the semifinals. Greece or Germany will be their rival on Friday.
100 - Spain (19 24 30 27): Brown (10), López-Arostegui (2), Parra (5), Pradilla (3), Willy Hernangómez (27) -starting five-, Rudy Fernández (11), Jaime Fernández (-), Brizuela (14), Alberto Díaz (6), Garuba (7), Juancho Hernangómez (15).
90 - Finland (30 22 15 23): Maxhuni (2), Salin (11), Jantunen (18), Huff (5), Markkanen (28) -cinco inicial- Little (6), Koponen (3) Kantonen (- ), Valtonen (4), Madsen (13).
Referees: Yonah Rosso (France), Martin Horzov and Kerem Baki (Turkey). Eliminated: Madsen (min.38).
Incidents: Eurobasket quarterfinal match played at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin before 7,975 spectators.
