Here is where we are at with EuroBasket — two groups of six teams each, with the top four from those groups advancing to the eight-team knockout round. What we saw Wednesday was three teams taking control — France, Spain and Lithuania — while Germany may have sealed its doom.
What follows is your Wednesday wrap up:
Spain 77, Germany 68: This was the two best front courts in EuroBasket going head-to-head and Spain slightly winning that battle behind the Gasol brothers. Marc Gasol had 24 points (and five boards) while Pau had 19 and seven. Dirk Nowitzki had exactly the same 19 and seven as Pau, and Chris Kaman had 15 points and 12 boards. Still, down the stretch the Gasol brothers dominated the scoring (the last 9 Spanish points) and Germany could not stop them.
The real difference was Spain had the better backcourt. Juan Carlos Navarro had 14 points and while Ricky Rubio had another blasé offensive game he was strong on defense with four steals and a clutch one late in the game to help seal the win.
The win has Spain at 2-1 and Germany at 0-3 in the second round of group play. That is an almost impossible hole or Germany to climb out of (and Spain should advance unless they completely collapse).
France 68, Turkey 64: France remains undefeated (3-0), and Tony Parker remains the guy in front for the MVP trophy. He has 20 in this one. The question about France coming in was would they have enough offense, Parker has almost singlehandedly answered that question. That said, Turkey had some late success with a 2-3 zone to slow Parker’s penetration, France is going to se a lot of that going forward.
Turkey is now 1-2, same record as Serbia. Barring some dramatic upsets, one of those two teams will advance to the knockout stage, one will be sent home. The two sides play Friday in what will be the biggest game of the tournament for both sides.
Lithuania 100, Serbia 90: Big win for the host Lithuanians, who now hold the power to advance to the knockout stage in their own hands (they are 2-1, same record as Spain, but Spain holds the tiebreaker, so basically Lithuania is third in Group E). Raptors fans had to be drooling in this one as their No. 5 overall pick Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points on 9-of-9 shooting. The kid has skills and he may end up being the best player out of this past draft class.
If you want the stat that decides it, Lithuania won the bench battle 47-19. The old cliché is that role and bench players do better at home, and Lithuania is benefitting from that.
As we said before, the Serbia vs. Turkey game Friday may well determine who advances to the knockout stage from Group E with France, Spain and Lithuania.