Welcome to our daily update. Things are starting to really shake out in the group play of EuroBasket, and with that we are really starting to see who the contenders for the Olympic berths are. What we are saying is, we would like you to meet Spain, Russia and Serbia.
Spain 91, Lithuania 79: Spain raced out to a 22-7 lead in this one and never looked back. This was the first real test for the Spanish side and they looked like the dominant favorites that they are. What Spain showed was their depth. Sure, Pau Gasol still had 17 points, but Juan Carlos Navaro had 22 points on 13 shots and Serge Ibaka had 15 points off the bench. Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points in the loss. Spain is the team to beat, make no mistake.
France 91, Italy 84: Tony Parker, the best player in EuroBasket through the first four days, was out in the fourth quarter with a thigh injury and the French still won. That is huge. Boris Diaw had 21 points, so take that Diaw haters. NBA.com notes that France has the best points-per-possession offense in EuroBasket, which is good for a team where the question is: “Could they score?”
Poland 84, Turkey 83: Here was your upset of the day. Turkey finished second in the World Championships (on their home court) and was undefeated coming into this game, but Poland pulls the upset. Turkey was up 7 with five minutes left, so you can say Poland won this or Turkey lost it, depending on your mood. Good news Jazz fans, Enes Kanter continued to look good with 19 points.
Serbia 75, Germany 64: If you’re an NBA fan, the names on the Turkish team confuse you because you don’t now them, but they are good. Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points and Chris Kaman had 10, but Serbian point guard Milos Teodosic shredded the German defense and that will be a key going forward.
Great Britain 85, Portugal 73: The first win for next year’s Olympic hosts, with Luol Deng leading the way with his 31 points.
In other action: Israel 91, Latvia 88; Macidonia72, Finland 70; Slovenia 70, Belgium 61; Bosnia Herzegovina 92, Croatia 80; Greece 71, Montenegro 51, Georgia 69, Ukraine 53; Bosnia Herzegovina 92, Croatia 80.