In the starting match of the European Championship, the Russian men’s team defeated in a stubborn struggle the hosts of the tournament, the national team of Turkey – 76:73.
The Russians for the first time came forward at the close of the fourth minute – 7:6. The team spent above all praise the last incomplete 4 minutes of the starting period, making a breakthrough 10:0. At the beginning of the second quarter, Timofei Mozgov broke free. Opponents twice stopped him with violations of the rules, and the second time he managed to send the ball into the ring. He was impeccable from the penalty line in the first half, and the Russian team already in the 12th minute achieved a double-digit advantage for the first time – 25:15.
The hosts did not score more than 5 minutes from the game, but their first hit “woke up” the silent hall. And then there were the annoying mistakes of the Russians: in this quarter they committed 8 (!) losses. In the second quarter, the Turkish team reduced the gap three times to “-3”, but the Russians immediately found a decent answer. The last time the hosts approached at a distance of one throw a minute and a half before the big break – 36:33.
Russian team could not reduce the number of losses in the third quarter. On the contrary – in the first 3 minutes added 4 more. And although the team led “+7”, the successful pursuit of the hosts was only a matter of time. At the 26th minute, the Turkish team scored 5 points in 22 seconds, taking advantage of another mistake of Russians – 46:46. Bazarevich had only one thing – to take a time-out.
For a while it helped: the Russian team again went ahead – 52:46. Only omnipresent Osman immediately reduced his team’s backlog to a minimum – another two penalty shots plus a long-range hit. But he was destined to become an anti-hero of the last attack of the period. When it was left to play for two seconds, the young leader of the Turkish team broke the rules on the long throw of the opponent – 55:51.
In the final quarter the Turks, gaining 7 points in a row, regained the leadership lost in the first period – 57:58. And there was an incredible struggle of nerves, in which none of the teams could not at least lead “+4”.
When it was about three and a half minutes left, Osman took his team forward for the last time – 66:68. But after that the hosts “fell silent” for a long time – almost to the final siren. Sved patiently waited for Mozgov that had opened under the shield – an equal score. Then the Turks did not score in isolation and with vexation violated the rules on Russian center, who was accurate from the penalty line only once. The denouement came in 25 seconds before the final siren: at the end of the attack, Sved dared to take a long shot of 8 meters and hit! Finally, after losing the hosts and an instant foul, Fridzon was cold-blooded twice from the penalty line – 74:68. To take more than 6 points for 12 seconds in European basketball is almost unrealistic.
Timofey Mozgov scored 20 points and made 9 rebounds in the game.
