The Czech Republic had a great game and a round semifinal and final phase, the reality is that we, with our virtues, with our humility, were just one ball away from leaving them out of everything, today, they are just classified to Tokyo after winning comfortably to Greece.
The beginning of the game was everything for the Czechs, intense in defense and very clear in attack with goal lines everywhere Satoransky played, Vesely dominated the paint, Bohacik took advantage of the spaces and opened 14 (20-6). Greece adjusted after minute Pitino did it at the hands of Larentzakis and some of Calathes, thus they reduced, but Auda with 10 points in a row for the Czechs sentenced the first quarter 32-22.
For the second quarter the Hellenics pressed and ran the court with Sloukas and the good one by one of Papagiannis, thus reducing to a ball. Czech Republic lowered in intensity, Vesely was the clearest, Satoransky in drop count, but the zone gave him good results and they continued up in the marking, with a triple on Sehnal’s buzzer he went to the long break 50-43.
The two casts came out somewhat imprecise, the best in those led by Guinzburg were Vesely and Auda while Greece lacked effectiveness from beyond 6.75 (57-47). Pitino’s men were very passive with the rebound, Bohacik grew in the game, the Czechs’ simple game and their defensive strength made the distances greater and greater, a new triple on Balvin’s cicada I put the 81-54.
The last ten minutes were all of the Czechs because Sehnal made a couple of bombs, the intensity never decreased and the differences were increasing. Greece missed the most important match, the Czech Republic was better than ever throughout this Pre-Olympic and thus fastened the classification, historical (the first time it has done so) to the Olympic Games with a final result of 97-72.
We will always have the satisfaction of knowing that this Czech team, which qualified for Tokyo, which came out sixth in the last World Cup, Uruguay, with its few kilos in the paint, with its low centimeters, but with a lot of dedication, intelligence and passages of a great basketball made him a great game and he was one ball away from leaving him out. History marked another story and today those of Guinzburg achieved a just and deserved classification.