VIDEO: Marco Belinelli hits 7 threes, leads Italy to win over Spain
Sacramento Kings fans are getting an early look at what Marco Belinelli can do outside of the San Antonio Spurs' system.
The sweet-shooting guard was on fire Tuesday, draining seven of his nine 3-point attempts on his way to 27 points, helping lift Italy to an upset victory over Spain. Belinelli shot 8-of-16 overall, while adding four rebounds and seven assists, saving the best for late with 25 second-half points.
Belinelli wasn't alone in toppling Pau Gasol and company, as Denver Nuggets wing Danilo Gallinari continued his strong play with 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while recent Brooklyn Nets signing Andrea Bargnani kicked in 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
| EuroBasket 2015 | Bargnani | Gallinari | Belinelli |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBA Team | Nets | Nuggets | Kings |
| MPG | 18.3 | 29.7 | 33.7 |
| PPG | 11.7 | 22.0 | 17.7 |
| TS% | 62.1% | 85.1% | 60.8% |
| RPG | 4.0 | 7.7 | 5.0 |
| APG | 0.0 | 3.0 | 4.7 |
While Spain is generally an international powerhouse, they're thin on the wings, and Italy has the personnel to take advantage. The win moved the Italians to 2-1 in group play while dropping Spain to a surprising 1-2. Four teams from each six-team pool move on to the Round of 16, the next step in determining two qualifiers for the 2016 Olympics and four more qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.