It was almost a David vs Goliath showing. Italy was Goliath and the DR David in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Sunday, 27 August 2023 match.
Italy (ranked 10th by FIBA) got an early start to the game 12-0, against the Dominican Republic (ranked 23rd). But their coach got suspended from the game, and the players missed too many balls.
Commentators were especially critical of the Italian coach. By the time the team got their act together, it was the fourth quarter. There was a time then when Italy was losing by 17 points to the DR. But the European team’s quality showed and the Italians moved to get as close as 3 points with less than two minutes to go.
The sports commentators had a ball trying to explain what Italy did so wrong. All agree the Dominican Republic played well. The game star was Angel Feliz, who began to turn in those 3 pointer shots when the team was losing. NBA’s Karl Anthony Towns responded, delivering his share. Overall, the DR delivered 19 three-pointers in the Sunday, 27 August 2023 game.
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29 August 2023