Italy - 80
Slovenia - 71
(Boxscores)
Game recap: Alicante, 3 September 2007 - The Italian team started well this
experience winning the first game of the European Championship.
The coach
Charli Recalcati started with the starting 5 that we have seen a lot of time in the
preparation pre European: Bulleri, Belinelli, Mancinelli, Bargnani and Marconato;
The Italian Team started well the game with a 7-0 partial made of some great
actions by Bargnani and Belinelli.
Mancinelli did a great start stoling one of the 4 final steals and he finished the
action with a dunk in the fast break. The first quarter finished 23-13 for Italy.
SLOVENIAN RECOVERY After a difficult first period for the Slovenian
team
something chanched: they came back in the second with another mentalty;
they were aggresive and they finally hit some free shot.
Nesterovic
leaded his National team having 4 of 4 field goals (6-6 at the end), plus Lakovic
and Smodis helped him in this recovery, in fact Lakovic hit the final three pointer
at the second quarter buzzer, giving only a 5 point deficit at the half (the Slovenian
won the Second Quarter 20-15).
The third period was exactly the same thing; the Slovenian Team was trying
to reach the Italian one but at the end of this quarter they had only recovered
1 point (22-23 the 3rd partial).
ITALY CLOSE STRONG IN THE 4th The Italian Team reacted and they
closed the game early in the last quarter with an early 11-0 partial.
Bargnani
had 2 of three from behind the arc and with an inspired Bulleri and with the
Killer Instinct of Belinelli the Italian Team won their first game 80-71. Tomorrow
they will play versus the French team who had won versus Polonia today.
| Plays of the game | Watch the most exciting plays of the game
