“The important thing is not only the victory, but mainly the way we fought for the win in this difficult game. We have worked hard for two weeks and the victory will help us to continue,” assistant coach Lluís Riera told reporters, who finished the duel on on the bench after the expelled Ocampo.
“Even without the head coach, it was crucial how the players on the field and on the bench controlled their emotions and gave their best. The last two weeks have been very challenging for each of us and we must continue to work towards a common goal. That is to be competitive in the Olympic pre-qualification, ” added Riera.
At the tournament in Viana do Castelo, the Czech Republic managed to partially correct the previous defeats against the Ivory Coast (81:97) and Portugal (79:91). During the summer, the representatives have to do without the excused supports of Tomáš Satoranský, Jan Veselý, Ondřej Balvín or Patrik Auda. Vít Krejčí, Martin Peterka, Jaromír Bohačík and James Karnik, who should join later, did not play in Portugal either.
Coach Ocampo’s selection scored the first points in the match, but the opponent scored nine points in a row from 9:10 and turned the tide. Also thanks to Rondae Jefferson’s seven points, Jordan won the first quarter 25-20. The pivot Šimon Puršl had problems with three fouls at the time.
In the second quarter, the national team looked for a long time in the attack, and thanks to successful three-point shooting, Jordan gained a double-digit lead several times. The end of the half went to the Czech selection, which thanks to five points in the last 24 seconds reduced the deficit to a difference of five points (38:43). Richard Bálint was the leading scorer with ten points, Ibrahim with eleven points did well in the Jordanian selection.
The Czechs had to do without Ondřej Hanzlík after the break, who was injured at the end of the first half. Nevertheless, the beginning of the third part worked for them and they turned the tide thanks to a 12:3 scoring sequence. However, the national team had trouble with fouls afterwards, and Jordan regained a small lead thanks to free throws. In addition, coach Ocampo received a second technical foul and ended the match on the bench instead of Riera.
Martin Kříž made a three-pointer in the final seconds and the Czechs entered the final quarter with a two-point loss (61:63). Thanks to improved defense and shots by Hruban and Sehnal, they led 79:73 with three and a half minutes left. But they failed to score in the emotional end and Jordan reduced the score to 80:79. However, Ibrahim’s final attempt in the last seconds did not fall into the basket and the national team could celebrate.
“Jordan started to play uncomfortable basketball in the last quarter. They pushed a lot, but it was good that we were able to withstand it. We pulled together and made it to the winning end, which, thanks to the first win, will help us in our next work,” said Bálint. “The end was a bit wilder, mainly the opponents were already losing their minds there. There was more trash talk than the games themselves and it was great that we managed it. We supported each other and that helped us to win,” said Bálint.
The basketball players will continue their preparation next week. From August 4th to 6th, the tournament awaits them in Brno, where they will face Argentina and Belgium. “It will be a good test for us against quality opponents. As for Ondřej Hanzlík’s condition, I currently have no further information on him. Let’s hope that everyone will be fine,” added Riera.
The Czech team will enter the pre-qualification for the 2024 Olympics in Tallinn on August 12.
Preparatory basketball tournament in Viana do Castelo (Portugal): Czech Republic – Jordan 80:79 (20:25, 38:43, 61:63) Composition and points of the Czech Republic: Hruban 21, Sehnal 12, Kříž 10, Svejcar, Kozák both 2 – Bálint 16, Böhm 8, Hanzlík 3, Půlpán, Puršl, Švec all 2, M. Svoboda. The most points of Jordan: Ibrahim 19, Jefferson 18, Abbas 10. Fouls: 26:22. Free throws: 18/14 – 33/24. Three-pointers: 14:7. Rebounds: 36:35.
2023-07-30 18:39:03
#Czech #Republic #Jordan #Czech #basketball #players #won #victory #coach #Ocampo #Sport.cz
