Argentina’s national basketball team pushed Greece hard but could not overcome the solid Europeans, eventually falling to a 79-71 defeat and second place overall in the FIBA World Cup’s Group B.
The defeat means that the Argentines, who had already qualified for the last-16 after wins against Puerto Rico, Phillippines and Senegal, finish behind Greece in the tournament’s first round.
Luis Scola was once more the stand-out player in the ‘Albiceleste’, racking up 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Franco Campazzo also weighed in with 10 points, although the guard will be disappointed at making just three out of his 14 field goal attempts over the course of the evening in Seville’s Palacio del Deporte.
But despite an excellent second-half display, Julio Lamas’ charges could not overturn an 11-point deficit left at the end of the second quarter, coming within four points of Greece towards the end before their rivals eased clear.
Giannis Bourousis, who contributed a massive 15 rebounds as well as 16 points, and Nick Calathes with 18 points were two of the keys to Greece’s victory, as the Europeans claimed the Group B summit and a tie against Serbia.
Argentina, on the other hand, will now prepare for a South American derby clash as they take on bitter rivals Brazil in the next round, with the last-16 encounter scheduled for Sunday.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald