Basketball, Pozzecco's first "cue" as coach: Slovenia defeats Italy

In Trieste he finished 90-71 in favor of the formidable national team Luka Doncic with 12 points

The friendly match that opens and marks the beginning of the Azorean summer Gianmarco Bosico On the bench of the national basketball team, he said that Italy was defeated in the match against it Slovenia. Indeed, at the Allianz Dome in Trieste, the Azzurri is bent 90-71 by the European champions, dragged by the absolute champion of the NBA as Luka Doncic. The Dallas Mavericks playmaker scored 12 points, for a really strong formation.

There was much anticipation for Gianmarco Pozzico’s debut at the helm of the Italian national team. Certainly for the former playmaker of Varese and Fortetodo Bologna, as well as assistant coach Ettore Messina in the last victory season for the Italian champions Olympia Milan, the challenge that opened his experience on the bench he inherited a few weeks before the Mio Saketti And that was not the simplest: in fact, there was Slovenia, in a friendly match, at the Allianz Dome in Trieste, and the current European champion, fourth in the Tokyo Olympics last summer, won with a score of 90-71. Now it will be necessary to lubricate the mechanisms in the coming days, given the July 4 match against the Netherlands in Almeira for the 2023 World Cup qualifiers. The guests (although truth be told, Trieste is located only 150 km from Slovenia) mainly led from the start: after 7 -5 signed by Spiso, in fact, the Slovenes never looked back.

Luka Doncic, along with Goran Dragic, allows the Balkans to start play, points and kick off, also touching +16 as the maximum advantage in the first half (37-53). In fact, Italbasket resists only a quarter in the face of the overwhelming force of the opponents, who in the second half significantly increased their gaps and in the third broke their double-digit advantage. For “Poz” there are definitely positive reviews from Achille Polonara (12 points and 10 rebounds) E Marco Spaceo, as well as beginners Leonardo Okeke and Thomas Waldentensi (13 points, 6 rebounds). Doncic finished 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in less than 24 minutes, resting most of the second half. Dragic 11 adds with 4 passes. All Slovenian players go to the score sheet.

Bozeco: “Bellinnelli and Hackett will not be Europeans”
Coach Bosico announced two heavy absences for Italy in light of the European Championship. I spoke to Marco Bellinelli and Daniel HackettWe decided by mutual agreement that the Europeans would not be there. A choice that saddens me, but today, inevitably, the basketball player has to make his own decisions. I thank Marco and Daniel for talking to me as a friend, we all shared a choice of this kind here, President, Union. As our boss Petrucci always said, full speed ”, said the Italian coach. And again: “It was a special day for me, I had a very long and stressful week, an earthquake of emotions brought me to the top tonight: when I entered the field I was visibly excited . The reception of the public in Trieste, Italy, I think I can also say in Slovenian, was unforgettable: I don’t think I deserve it, but it happens to me, and when I do, I feel happy and I thank you. Thank you everyone for this wonderful welcome. It’s been a week, and my staff can confirm that, people have been so loving, and I hope to always see that bond.”

There was also a special spectator: “Ettore Messina was here, it was one of the most beautiful things that ever happened to me: you know that I care most about human relations, and seeing Ettore arrive at the hotel to be close to me was exciting.” On the match: “It was a complicated match for us, I congratulate Slovenia, coach Ciculic and all his staff. Doncic was a great spectacle: he made a step back, I thought he was shooting for two meters – he was back on the bench – and he scored. It was his vision. Live is exciting, because we are the first to enjoy the talent. He, Dragic: Slovenia are European champions, and they are one of the strongest teams in the world.” “We created a team that did not allow us to bring in those who played the final of the tournament, but I am proud of my boys. This is the call-up area, I had important signals, we could not work much, because “It is also necessary to take into account the situation of playing together. The boys had a lot of tension in the match, that was normal, but they were good at never giving up and making sure the match was fun to watch for all the players as fans.”