Czech Basketball Team Escapes with Narrow Victory in Tallinn After Intense Back-and-Forth
TALLINN, Estonia – Teh Czech Republic national basketball team secured a hard-fought victory against Estonia in Tallinn, finishing with a final score of 93-92. The game, characterized by a high volume of three-pointers and shifting momentum, saw the Czechs initially build a lead, relinquish it, and ultimately rally for a dramatic finish in the final minutes.
The Czechs started strong, establishing a 10-4 advantage fueled by five points each from James Kárník and Martin Peterka. A subsequent run, including baskets from Tomáš Kyzlink, a stop by Satoranský, and a triple from Ondřej Sehnal, extended their lead to 17-8. However, Estonia responded, spearheaded by Treier’s three-pointers, and briefly took the lead at 23-22 in the ninth minute. The first quarter concluded with the Czechs ahead 29-27 after adding two more three-pointers.
Early in the second quarter, Satoranský tied the game twice, and Jan Zídek put the Czechs ahead 34-31 with a perimeter shot. Further contributions from Richard Bálint and Sehnal pushed the lead to eight points. Estonia narrowed the gap with long-range shots from Artur konontšuk, but Satoranský and Zídek helped establish a 58-53 halftime lead for the Czechs.
The third quarter saw continued three-point shooting, with Kyzlink and Bálint answering Estonian scores. A series of three consecutive baskets extended the Czech lead to 73-64. Despite a strong push from the home team and a sold-out Unibet Arena, Satoranský hit a crucial triple and Vojtěch hruban added two successful free throws, ending the quarter with a 80-74 advantage.
Estonia mounted a fierce comeback in the fourth quarter, embarking on a 10-0 run led by Joonas Riismaa, Treier, and Janari Jöesaar to take a 92-87 lead. Though, the Czechs rallied in the final three minutes, beginning with a three-pointer from Sehnal. Satoranský and Hruban than turned the score around, and Martin Svoboda sealed the victory with a basket and a converted free throw with 79 seconds remaining.
“It was a really high-quality match for everyone who likes a lot of points and successful three-pointers, of which there were a lot, especially until halftime. And it wasn’t because of bad defenses, because both teams moved the ball well, which is not always the rule, although there were certainly a few mistakes at both ends of the field,” said Czech coach Bartoň.
Bartoň also noted,”The second half was much more defensive and I’m pleased with our effort on the defensive rebound,because Estonia shoots a lot of threes after moving the ball well and goes for offensive rebounds. We controlled the game in the second half, but the home team came back in the last quarter, turned it around, and we were a little lucky at the end to win.”
