VALENCIA (Spain) - Tournament hosts Spain got off to the perfect start with a routine 104-59 victory over Lebanon in front of 4153 fans to close the opening day.
This may be unfamiliar territory for Sergio Scariolo's side being involved in a FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, but they produced a polished performance to push forward their plan for Paris.
The turning point
It was only a six-point game when Omari Spellman beat the buzzer from halfcourt at the end of the first quarter, but Spain soon settled into a better rhythm on both ends of the floor with a 7-0 burst and it wasn't long before the gap was beyond the 20-point mark.
It continued to be one-way traffic in the second half, and Spain were able to give everyone the necessary playing time whilst turning on the style in the closing stages.
TCL Player of the Game
Santi Aldama was the standout in an accomplished all-round team display with a near double-double of 17 points along with nine boards in the win. The forward got his points in a bunch of different ways, and showed his importance to the team.
Stats don't lie
Spain were just too deep, and too strong for their opponents with their bench outscoring Lebanon's 60-11. The home side were relentless from beyond the arc as well, with 17 makes from 40 attempts for an efficient 43-percent accuracy.
The 17 made three-pointers are just one shy of the record for most in an OQT game (since 2008).
Bottom line
Just the start Spain would have wanted with contributions all the way down the roster, and the all-important victory. They take on Angola on Wednesday with the chance to begin early preparations for the Semi-Finals.
This was always going to be a daunting opener for Lebanon - and they will have an opportunity to regroup and prepare for their crunch game with Angola as best they can. Young talent Youssef Khayat also had himself a solid game with a game-high 20 points.
They said:
"I think it was a great game. We were a little bit nervous at the beginning because it’s the first game of the tournament." Spain forward, Usman Garuba
"I don't think we did anything above our possibilities. We managed not to lose concentration when the lead got huge. We shared the ball quite well, we rebounded quite well - but it’s just the first step." Spain head coach, Sergio Scariolo
"I felt we started strong, but unfortunately we couldn’t keep it up. I’m proud of all my teammates. We have to keep on pushing, fortunately we have another chance to prove ourselves." Lebanon guard, Youssef Khayat
"Congratulations to Spain for the victory. We was giving our best, and we must analyse our mistakes over the next two days, and to try to improve with a better game against Angola." Lebanon head coach, Miodrag Perisic
FIBA