The Ukrainian national team played a match against Israel as part of the EuroBasket 2025 qualification. Our team came to this meeting in last place in Group A, having suffered three defeats in three matches. Last weekend, the “blue-yellows” lost to the Israelis in a nominally home match with a score of 73:86.
The teams started the match nervously and initially exchanged unsuccessful attacks. But then the Ukrainians caught their rhythm and began to take the lead in the score. The Israelis allowed a lot of losses, which the “blue-yellows” repeatedly took advantage of. I felt confident under the alien shield of Pustova, who caused a lot of problems for my opponents. It was his dunk that the Ukrainian team began to gain points in the first quarter, and Pustovoy’s hit summed up the result of the first ten minutes: “+5” in favor of the Ukrainian team.
In the second quarter, the nominal hosts desperately tried to level the situation on the court, but the Ukrainians held the advantage. And before the big break, the “blue-yellows” brought the score to “+11” in their favor.
The third quarter began with a head-to-head game. But gradually the advantage of the Ukrainian team began to melt away, and at the end of the third ten minutes the Israelis equalized the score. Our opponents developed their success in the fourth quarter. Their three-point shots began to fly, and the blue-and-yellows, who looked too tired, fell apart in the game. The Ukrainians failed to return to the game.
This defeat left the Ukrainian team with only theoretical chances of qualifying for the European Championship. Our team will complete the qualifications in February next year with a home match against Slovenia and an away match against Portugal.
Qualification for EuroBasket 2025. 4th round
Israel – Ukraine – 88:75 (11:16, 18:24, 27:17, 32:18)
Israel: Sorkin (14 + 8 rebounds), Ginat (16), Zoosman, Carrington (16), Madar (24 + 7 assists) (starting five), Saraf (11), Menko (2), Blazer, Zalmanson (2), Segev (2), Timor (1), Dovrat
Ukraine: Voynalovich (6), Kovlyar (15), Lipovy (8), Sanon (12), Pustovoy (13 + 5 rebounds) (starting five), Bliznyuk (3 + 5 assists), Krutous, Konev (11), Tkachenko (2 ), Bobrov (3), Pavlov, Novitsky
“Arena Riga” (Riga, Latvia)
ISRAEL – UKRAINE. TEXT BROADCAST OF THE MATCH
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