On the first day of the second stage at the FIBA World Cup in China, former Euro champions Spain defeated Italy with a final result of 67-60. In a tough match with low points, Italy started the match by outscoring their rivals 15-5, forcing Scariolo to call his first time-out. After the short break, Italy made some changes and that backfired, as Spain made a 13-3 run, ending the first period with an 18-18 tie.
In the second period, both of the team’s defenses were tough and the Italians won out with a narrow 12-13. After half-time, both teams started with a lot of misses from the field, with Spain making some shots and winning the 3rd quarter with 20-17 score, making it harder for Italy as the pressure rose until the end, knowing that a loss would send the Azzuri home. In the last period, Spain scored only 2 points in the first 6 minutes, allowing Italy to take a 4-point lead which forced Spain’s coach to take a time-out. Like in the first half, Spain made a 10-0 run, taking back a 62-56 lead in the final 2 minutes. With this loss, Italy goes home, while Spain advances to the next round.
