By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
MANILA, Philippines – After 25 years, Italy has come back into the best eight basketball nations on the planet, qualifying for the 2023 FIBA World Cup Quarter-Finals. In the 73-57 win against Puerto Rico, Stefano Tonut was a crucial asset, bringing 15 points for his team.
Before heading to the locker room to celebrate this achievement, the 29-year-old shooting guard stopped by the mixed zone to express his feelings after the win. “We did a good job of containing them. They surely rely a lot on fast breaks and three-pointers as their main strengths, to elevate the tempo. We struggled a little in the first half, and then we grew”, he said about the whole team’s effort.
The former Reyer Venice player was essential in Italy’s first offensive push. “I tried to help the team, knowing their bigs stay a lot on the perimeter. This gave me the opportunity to attack the rim more easily than usual. I’m happy I made a more important contribution than what I usually do, but this is a team where everybody brings something. In every game we have tons of protagonists”, he added.
Finally, he shared all his emotions. “Now we enjoy this moment and we think about the next game. We are among the best eight national teams in the world, it’s a fantastic feeling. Probably, we haven’t even realized it yet”, he said before picking the best way to celebrate Gigi Datome‘s 200th game. “This one”, Tonut added.
Olimpia Milano‘s own, who’s averaging 11.4 points in the competition so far, will be one of the protagonists of the Italian national team’s clash against the United States, scheduled on September 5 at 14:40 CET.
PHOTO CREDIT: 2023 FIBA World Cup
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