Spanish basketball team have won the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
beating Argentina 95-75 in the final match that took place at the
Wukesong Sport Arena in Beijing.
With two wins, the first in 2006, Spain have now joined the United
States, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union and Brazil as only the fifth
country to win multiple FIBA World Cup trophies.
The defending champions and five-time champions, USA were blown out in
the quarter-finals and ended up being classified in the 7th position,
their worst showing in the tournament, which began in 1950 in
Argentina. Nigeria’s D’Tigers ended up classified 17th in the
tournament.
As reported by fiba.com, Spain had the better start in this final
encounter in China, scoring 14 of the game’s first 16 points.
Although Argentina mounted repeated runs to trim Spain’s lead, coach
Sergio Scariolo’s side withstood every Argentine charge.
Spain also unleashed extremely tight defence on Argentina, who had to
bleed for their points. For the first time in the World Cup, veteran
big man Luis Scola was held scoreless for an entire half, and that
undoubtedly had a negative impact on Argentina’s quest for their
second World Cup trophy.
Coach Scariolo’s side never let up the pressure, intensifying their
aggressiveness on both ends of the floor as the game progressed,
disabling Argentina from turning the tide and ensuring an eight-game
sweep of the World Cup.
