In the kickoff match of Group A at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, Italy encountered a formidable test but ultimately emerged victorious by defeating Angola with a score of 81-67.
“It’s a good win because it’s the first game of the tournament. So there was a little bit of tension, we were a little bit nervous. But we broke the ice. It was a good win in the end. I think we played well but we just missed shots,” Italy forward Nicolo Melli said.
“They were very physical but we found a way to compete and stayed together throughout the game. We were up nine and they came back and we went down. It was good that we stuck together.”
