Ice in his veins: Tabu wins it for Belgium in rowdy Tbilisi overtime

TBILISI (Georgia) - Belgium weren't phased by the loud crowd in their FIBA EuroBasket 2022 opener as they handled the Group A hosts Georgia with a 79-76 overtime win.

In true Belgian Lion fashion it was a group effort as eight players scored between 6 and 14 points.

Turning point: The Tbilisi Arena was shaking when Georgia turned a 12-0 run into a 67-62 lead. Ultimately, both teams couldn't be separated in 40 minutes, with Sandro Mamukelashvili blocking a potential Retin Obasohan game-winner at the end of regulation.

The teams were going back and forth until five-time EuroBasket veteran Jonathan Tabu clinched it with an ice cold three-pointer to win it for Belgium.

TCL Player of the Game: Jonathan Tabu had 14 points for the game and also collected 5 rebounds.

Stats don't lie: The aggressive Belgium squad recorded the first six steals of the game as they built a first half lead. Ultimately, Georgia turned the ball over 20 times as Belgium's defense prevailed. 

Bottom line: There's not a single team in Group A that doesn't have loud and clear plans of advancing further. Belgium might have got the upper hand over Georgia, yet more crucial games will only follow.

All of Georgia will follow the health status of Goga Bitadze who fought bravely, however, limped off the court late in the fourth.

They said: "I felt like I have to do something and make it happen. Otherwise - it's another overtime. It's always easier when the score is even and you have to make the shot than when you're down by 1 or 2."  - Jonathan Tabu, Belgium

"I think we could have finished the game in regulation. We missed a lot of free throws in the last two and a half minutes. But I'm very happy and proud of this group of guys who fought through the 45 minutes and who showed character to the end." - Belgium coach Dario Gjergja

"We tried hard. The fans gave us energy and pushed the team. Especially at the moments when we were down. What was wrong? We made many mistakes. First off all, a lot of them were defensively. Tactically we didn't follow some of the things we had prepared." - Georgia coach Ilias Zouros

"It was a tough game. We competed. We made a few mistakes defensively, which we are gonna watch. The coaching staff did a great job having our backs and giving me and my team opportunities to play at a high level. Now, we just got to keep our heads up."  - Sandro Mamukelashvili, Georgia

 
FIBA