Italy vs Lithuania

Lithuania controlled the paint for much of the first half, exploiting their size advantage. Italy's adjustment came through increased perimeter pressure and defensive intensity, forcing Lithuania into half-court offence rather than the transition looks that had fuelled their 105-point outing against Great Britain. The momentum shift in the third quarter proved decisive, as Italy built a slender lead they managed to protect through a frantic final stretch.

Matteo Spagnolo continued his excellent window, following up his Iceland display with another composed outing as Italy's primary creator. Stefano Tonut provided veteran stability on both ends, while Gabriele Procida offered a spark off the bench — he had scored 9 points in under two minutes against Iceland and maintained that energy.

For Lithuania, Jonas Valanciunas and Azuolas Tubelis remained a handful inside, combining for 41 points on 13-of-18 shooting against Great Britain. NBA duo Kasparas Jakucionis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls) made their first two appearances for Lithuania in this window, with Jakucionis posting 16 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in his debut against GB.

Italy's 87 points were right in line with their qualifying average of 87.4, while Lithuania's 84 fell short of their tournament average of 91.8 — a sign that Italy's defensive adjustments worked. Lithuania's interior game (54.4% on two-pointers across the campaign) still caused problems, but Italy's ability to limit transition and force half-court offence in the second half was the difference. The Azzurri's perimeter shooting (34.8% from three over the qualifiers) helped stretch a Lithuania defence that had been solid throughout the First Round.

Italy finish top of Group D, with all results carried into the Second Round. Lithuania also advance along with Iceland, who secured their spot with an 88-86 comeback win over Great Britain later on Sunday. Both Italy and Lithuania now await the Second Round draw to learn their group-stage opponents.

A fitting end to a closely matched First Round campaign: the lead never stretched beyond a handful of possessions, and the outcome hung in the balance until the final buzzer. Italy's depth and second-half defensive adjustments gave them the edge on home soil, but Lithuania — now integrating NBA-calibre talent into an already experienced core — look well-equipped for the challenges ahead.

• Date: 5 July 2026
• Venue: Virtus Arena, Bologna, Italy
• Referees: Antonio Conde (ESP), Valentin Oliot (FRA), Elvis Binders-Coders (LAT)
• Final score: Italy 87-84 Lithuania
• Attendance: Official figure not published at time of writing