Spain emerged as the sole undefeated team in Group G of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, securing an 18-point victory of 96-78 against the 15th-ranked Brazil on Monday at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta.
Following Iran’s earlier loss against Ivory Coast, La Roja now stands on the cusp of advancing to the second stage of the tournament.
A 12-point swing in the fourth quarter dashed Brazil’s hopes of a potential comeback, as a Sergio Llull pull-up jumper propelled Spain to its largest lead of the game at 82-63.
La Roja capitalized on a surge in the second quarter to keep the Cariocas at bay. Breaking a 26-all tie, they ignited an 18-6 run powered by three-pointers from Diaz, Rudy Fernandez, and Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama. This run established a 12-point advantage of 44-32.
As they head into their potentially clinching match against Iran on Wednesday, Aldama led Spain’s charge with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Willy Hernangomez filled the stat sheet with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. Atlanta Hawks center Usman Garuba brought added energy and interior depth, contributing eight points, one rebound, and four assists.
Brazil, missing Cleveland Cavaliers guard Raul Neto due to a right patellar tendon rupture, was led by former NBA talent Bruno Caboclo with a double-double performance of 15 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
In the opening match, Ivory Coast secured its second-ever World Cup win by narrowly outlasting Iran with a score of 71-69.
Three clutch free throws from Solo Diabate sealed Les Elephants’ first victory in the 2023 global showcase. Team Melli’s Behnam Yakchali missed a game-winning triple, sealing the result at 71-69.
Maxence Dadiet and Yakhchali traded crucial baskets in the late stages of the fourth quarter. Iran briefly took the lead with a layup from Arsalan Kazemi, 68-69, with 13 seconds left.
Team Melli and Les Elephants, who had both lost their World Cup openers against Brazil and Spain, remained closely matched heading into the final frame at 54-56. They exchanged an 8-2 run and a 12-3 spurt, respectively.
The determined Les Elephants maintained their strong first-half performance, with back-to-back triples by Nisre Zouzoua fueling a 12-0 run against Team Melli, resulting in a score of 27-20.
Zouzoua led Ivory Coast’s offense with 17 points and four rebounds, while Dadiet and Amadou Sidibe each contributed 10 points before their crucial final group stage game against Brazil on Wednesday.
Yakhchali’s 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists, along with Mohammad Amini’s 15 points, were not enough for Iran, as they were the sole players to reach double figures in scoring. (Ernest Martin Tuazon)
The Scores:
First Game:
Ivory Coast (71) – Zouzoua 17, Dadiet 10, Sidibe 10, Diabate 9, Bah 6, Kone 6, Fofana 4, Tape 3, Abouo 3, Dally 3, Fofana 0
Iran (69) – Yakhchali 19, Amini 15, Ehaddadi 9, Rezaeifar 7, Girgoorian 5, Kazemi 5, Mashayekhi 5, Mirzaei 4, Agha Miri 0, Aliakbari 0
Quarterscores: 15-20, 37-35, 54-56, 71-69
Second Game:
Spain (96) – Aldama 15, W. Hernangomez 14, Nunez 13, Diaz 11, Brizuela 8, Fernandez 8, Garuba 8, J. Hernangomez 8, Claver 7, Llull 4, Abrines 0, Parra 0
Brazil (78) – Caboclo 15, Santos 14, Soares 9, Felicio 8, Meindl 7, Benite 6, De Paul 5, Dias 5, Huertas 2, Dos Anjos 0
Quarterscores: 21-22, 50-42, 64-59, 96-78
