Israel’s national basketball team scored a tremendously hard-fought 92-89 win over Belgium in a tightly knit EuroBasket battle. Deni Avdija, a forward with the Portland Trail Blazers, played like an All Star on Friday night for Israel. He scored 22 points, further establishing his talent on the international stage. This victory moved Israel up to 2nd place in their pool in the tournament. It cemented their reputation for durability and poise under fire in trying times.
At one juncture in the game, Israel had an impressive 21-point advantage, showing their offensive capabilities. Belgium wasn’t done—far from it—as they battled their way back into contention, cutting into the lead as the game wore on. Loic Schwartz proved to be the catalyst for Belgium, hitting four three-pointers and helping his team, with 14 points total, keep things close. Even as Belgium worked to narrow the final score, Israel held on to claim the victory with clutch shots in the closing moments.
When the game was on the line in the final seconds, it was Yam Madar running the show. He made two bottom-line free throws, pushing Israel’s advantage to 92-87. Roman Sorkin was a key contributor to the sweet victory as well, scoring 18 points to help lead his squad. The dual power of Avdija’s scoring and Sorkin’s revival was crucial, with Israel staying undefeated at the top of Group D provisionally.
In the other pool game, Georgia beat Cyprus by an impressive +32 point margin, winning 93-61. As for Cyprus, they’re still searching for their first points of the tournament, clearly outmatched against more powerful foes.
In other EuroBasket news, Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Greece’s game against Italy as he’s been experiencing some discomfort in his knee. According to Vassilis Spanoulis, Greece’s coach, Antetokounmpo is expected to recover in time for their next game against Spain. The match-up awaits on Thursday. His return adds to the anticipation of what should be a highly competitive race. This excitement is particularly palpable following Spain’s dramatic win against France in the 2022 final.
The EuroBasket tournament is really getting exciting now! The knockout phase will take place in Riga, Latvia, from September 6-14. The 16 best teams from each group will advance to this knockout stage of the tournament, one of the more exciting stages of the event. That raises the stakes for everyone involved.
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