Francis Alonso, an NCCA shooter for Spain
"Get yourself a team," they told him.
And that's how Quino Colom goes, without playing since June.
But talent does not disappear, it does not blow out like a birthday candle.
Some rejected when Sergio Scariolo recruited him again.
The Andorran's night in that same Fonteta where he keeps his turn in the stands was a cry of vindication, the selection as his playground, but not even with that he reached Spain.
He melted before Israel in a second half to forget.
[95-78: Narration and statistics]
An exhibition without a prize, as there were no companions in his heroism and his lungs noticed at the end the lack of rhythm.
A setback, the second in a row in this qualifying round for the Eurobasket, which hurts, more because of the how than because of the consequences.
Beating Romania on Monday there won't be too many qualifying problems.
Israel, the group's leader, prevailed out of fierceness, out of self-love but also because of someone else's inexperience, a naivety that is deadly.
The selection was allowed to go up 18 points, thrown with the wind in favor, stony with the swell that raised the aggressiveness of Kattash's men.
The rival triples, like arrows in a siege, ruined Colom's night.
But there it is.
When he left the track for the first time, completely exhausted, he accumulated 14 points of all colors in just seven minutes.
Later, he had to return to the rescue after the impressive Hebrew comeback.
He finished with 24 points and five assists.
Because Quino is world champion, perhaps the guy who did the most for Spain to attend that historic event in China, the absolute protagonist of the previous Qualifying Windows - that unforgettable basket in the Palace against Latvia.
He has accumulated 15 seasons as a professional, expatriate -Russia, Turkey ...- in search of the glory that in his basketball country (he was born in Andorra) was not granted to him.
Now, because of those things about the coaches, it does not count for Valencia, despite the fact that he has one more year on his contract.
Just as Rome did not pay traitors, this Spain does not ignore those who were heroes.
The commitment is rewarded, although no one was doing Colom or Javi Beirán a favor, they have nothing to prove now even if they go through a bad drink in their careers.
In the selection of Windows they find liberation.
Because Beirán is not in his best days either, separated by Porfi Fisac in Gran Canaria, the scapegoat of the calamitous moment of the insular, penultimate of the ACB.
With the Madrilenian on the track, the best moments of Spain came, like a shot in the second quarter (30-48).
They, with Rabaseda, are the experience.
Aróstegui, Alberto Díaz or newcomers Tyson Pérez - his first action in red was an impressive alley-oop - and Francis Alonso, the self-confidence of that hungry middle class that Scariolo has put into orbit.
Between them, despite the fact that Rubén Guerrero sprained his right ankle (he was able to continue), they seemed to forcefully knock Israel down.
Aggression in defense, Scariolo's tactical richness learned in an express way in just a handful of training sessions and a lot of success in attack.
That was the first half, the rest ...
Because when it seemed defeated, Israel showed a self-respect that left inexperienced Spain speechless.
The locker room return was a nonsense, all the advantage thrown away in an instant, with Mekel leading a rival who found a deadly ally on the perimeter.
Blatt and Cohen torpedoed from the triple.
A partial of 22-6 before which Scariolo could only find Colom's answer.
But with the even battle, Spain forgot its mechanisms.
He allowed himself to be entangled by Israeli fierceness and where before there was impudence now it was pure shyness.
Also in defense.
Especially in defense.
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ACB 2020 - 2021The inexplicable punishment to Beirán: a world champion isolated in Gran Canaria
Euroleague 2020 - 2021The metamorphosis of Barça: this is the Jasikevicius formula that begins to scare
ACB 2020 - 2021Real Madrid endures the Bilbao comeback and remains undefeated
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