HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 28 (ACN) Jasiel Rivero, top star of the Cuban basketball team, said that the players looked stronger and more motivated than usual despite losing 62-65 to Puerto Rico in the second qualifying round for the 2023 World Cup.
“I think we played better than we did against Mexico a few days ago, but we still need to improve in some aspects, especially in the final quarter,” Rivero, a member of the Valencia Basket club of the Spanish League, said during a press conference. “We still have to make better decisions in the crunch, but it was a very intense and hard-fought game from beginning to end, although we regret that we lost and couldn’t please the fans that came to support us.”
In the game against Puerto Rico in Havana, Rivero scored 13 points, grabbed four rebounds and made four assists. However, he only scored two of his free throws, for a poor 25% efficiency.
“I know that the public always expects me to do my utmost and I have to cope with that additional pressure, convinced that my contribution is essential to the team forward,” he added.
As part as a recognition for his good performance in such a competitive league as the Spanish one, in which he is considered one of the best Latin American basketball players, Cuba’s National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) presented him with a trophy at the end of the first half of the match against the Puerto Ricans.
