Preview: Puerto Rico faces Italy in back-to-back Olympic Qualifiers – Can they avenge their loss against the transitioning Italian squad?

On July 5th, the men’s basketball Olympic Qualifying Tournament continues with Puerto Rico taking on Italy.

The Italian men’s national team is a regular at the Olympics, having participated 13 times and securing two silver medals. In the previous Tokyo Olympics, Italy returned to the stage after a 17-year absence. They faced a strong French team in the quarterfinals, where the match was fiercely contested. Trailing by 14 points with less than three minutes left, Italy mounted a valiant comeback to force overtime. However, France pulled away in the extra period, ending Italy’s Olympic run. Nevertheless, they demonstrated remarkable resilience.

This marks Italy’s third appearance in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament. In 2016, as hosts, they fell to Croatia in the final. But in 2020, they triumphed in the final to secure their spot in the Olympic Games. Although Italy boasts a formidable team, they are currently undergoing a transition between generations.

In their opening match against Bahrain yesterday, Italy dominated with a 114-53 victory. Seven players scored in double digits, with Italy shooting 60% from the field against Bahrain’s weak defense. Marco Belinelli led the way with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Danilo Gallinari contributed 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, and Alessandro Pajola added 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Only two Bahraini players managed to score in double figures.

With this win over Bahrain, Italy has now won five consecutive games, displaying solid form.

Puerto Rico, on the other hand, has shown inconsistent form lately. However, they also secured a convincing victory over Bahrain earlier today. The Puerto Rican team gained recognition after defeating the USA by 19 points in a past Olympics. Last year, Puerto Rico made a strong impression at the World Cup, and recently, Puerto Rican player Jaleel Odoms joined the CBA, showcasing his talent.

In today’s game, Puerto Rico defeated Bahrain 99-56. They outplayed Bahrain across all aspects of the game, with Jaleel Odoms scoring 9 points and 3 assists in the first quarter, Stephen Thompson leading the team with 20 points off the bench, and Jordan Cook notching 17 points and 8 rebounds. Five Puerto Ricans finished in double digits. Earlier, in the AmeriCup Qualifiers, Puerto Rico avenged their loss against Bahamas, proving their competitiveness.

Last year’s World Cup saw Italy defeat Puerto Rico 73-57, and in their last five encounters, Puerto Rico has failed to secure a victory, giving Italy a clear psychological edge. Tomorrow’s game, with Puerto Rico playing on back-to-back nights, presents an intriguing question: can they overcome the transitioning Italian squad and claim revenge?

Here are the participating players for both teams:

Puerto Rico: Tremont Waters, José Alvarado, Jordan Howard, Gian Clavell, Stephen Thompson, Isaiah Pineiro, Davon Reed, Alijoe Ford, Chris Ortiz, Ismael Romero, Armando Toro, Jorge Condito IV

Italy: Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, Nicola Melli, Marco Spissu, Awudu Abass, Stefano Tonut, Giordano Bortolani, Simone Pianigiani, Alessandro Pajola, John Petrucci