Turin, August 21 (LaPresse) – Italy suffered its first loss in the lead-up to EuroBasket 2025, falling 83-68 to Latvia in the opening game of the Acropolis Tournament in Athens. After a poor start and a brief comeback, the decisive factor proved to be three-point shooting: Latvia hit 48.3% from deep, while Italy managed only 11.7%. Tomorrow, the Azzurri will face tournament hosts Greece at 7:00 PM CET.
The loss at OAKA doesn't alter the technical staff's plans, as the focus remains on being in peak form by August 28, when Italy will debut in Limassol against Greece. Danilo Gallinari sat out tonight’s game, having joined the team just three days ago.
Top scorer for Italy was Matteo Spagnolo with 17 points, followed by Momo Diouf with 14. Saliou Niang finished with 10 rebounds and 6 points.
Coach Gianmarco Pozzecco said: “We struggled from the start. We came out differently than usual and not in the way I’d like us to begin games. When we thought we had it back under control, we gave up another run and from there the game was basically over, especially with our poor three-point shooting. But we need balance—we know what we’re capable of, and we’re also aware there are many tough opponents out there. Today was tough, but we move forward with confidence.”
Simone Fontecchio added: “It was a tough game. We could’ve brought more energy and intensity from the start. They kept making shots, we didn’t. But we look ahead.”