JWSport Jacek Waszak – Sport journalist
Polish national team won against Spain 80:69, making it much easier for them to get to EuroBasket 2021.
Quarter-final match against Spain at the World Cup in China was one of the best Polish team. The White-Czeroes long resisted the future world champions, but eventually lost by 78:90.
Polish basketball players sensationally beat Spain 80:69 in the European Championship elimination match played in Zaragoza. This is our first triumph over this rival since 1972.
This is how coach Mike Taylor set the top five Aaron Cel, Michał Sokołowski, A.J. Slaughter, Adam Hrycaniuk and Łukasz Koszarek (two hundredth match in the team)
The Spaniards were free to go under the basket and won all the duels in the attack as well as on the boards (14 to 6 in rebounds). Slaughter “jammed”, hitting only 2 on 7 throws. The action, in which Rabaseda blocked him on a simple lay-up in a quick attack, was significant. Despite the terrible statistics, the quarter ended with a mere 4-point lead by the Spaniards
7:15. It’s not as bad as the beginning showed. We stopped the first quarter and didn’t let ourselves be dominated.
In the second quarter Taylor’s team successfully played the action and the effectiveness of the throws improved, and in the case of the Spaniards not all of the throws entered the basket, which gathered as many as 14 inaccuracies, some forced by a tight defense. However, Poles were throwing better by the minute and this element was significantly improved by White and Red (from 35% to 50%).
At the end of the third quarter Mike Taylor’s charges jumped to nine (51:60), and then to 11 points – 53:64. It was the effect of the great A game. J. Slaughter, who did not do anything about buzzing the Spanish audience
Łukasz Koszarek has already played 200 matches in the Polish National Team. He made his debut in white and red colours for the first time in 2003. As a 36-year-old player he proved good form in this match.
This is the first victory of Poles against Spain since 1972. We won during the Olympic Games in Munich (87:76). Now, for the first time in history, we defeated the reigning world champion.
The fourth quarter was crazy and our players woke up as if they were in a different dimension from the first minutes on the court. For this Slaughter, who once again took on his shoulders the burden of scoring points and scored 26 points. However, it’s also impossible to type the best players in Taylor’s team. On that day, each of the White-Red went down from the floor with his head raised. Next 17 and 13 points were scored by Cel and Sokołowski, and 7 assists were given by Koszarek. The team? 11 intercepts, 18 assists, 3 blocks and 27 rebounds.
It was a team win, I’m proud of the team – after the meeting, Mike Taylor gave an interview for Canal + Polish National Team Coach.
Spain – Poland 69:80 (19:15, 16:23, 20:27, 14:15)
Spain : Diez 16, Saiz 15, Rabaseda 7, Beiran 7, Brizuela 6, Justa 6, Alocen 5, Barreiro 4, Bassas 2, Llovet 1, Miguel 0, Pina 0.
Poland : Slaughter 26, Cel 17, Sokołowski 13, Kulig 6, Gielo 6, Balcerowski 4, Koszarek 3, Michalak 3, Zyskowski 2, Hrycaniuk 0, Gruszecki 0, Kolenda 0.
Table Eliminations EuroBasket 2021.
M Pkt Z P Kosze
1. Polska 2 3 1 1 151:144
2. Hiszpania 2 3 1 1 153:151
3. Izrael 1 2 1 0 75:71
4. Rumunia 1 1 0 1 71:84
