Behind Kevin Durant’s game -high 28 points, the United States of America beat Turkey 81-64 to win the 2010 FIBA World Championship (discuss the USA-Turkey in our forum).

The result ended a 16-year wait for the USA, who had not won this tournament since 1994.

In the first official game ever between the two teams, Mike Kryzewski’s team gradually pulled away as Turkey looked to be suffering the after effects of their hard-fought win over Lithuania in Saturday’s semi-final.

Down 17-14, the Americans reeled off 11 unanswered points in a stretch spanning the late part of the first quarter and early second for a 25-17 advantage and they stayed in front the rest of the way.

Kevin Durant gave his team their first double-digit lead, 31-21, midway through the second period. The Turks fought bravely but never got close enough to prove a real threat.

The teams went back and forth and Durant knocked down his second three-pointer of the night to put the USA up 12-7.

Hedo Turkoglu answered by hitting consecutive long bombs that edged Turkey in front 15-14 with 4:07 left in the first quarter.

However, he then picked up a knock and had to leave the game, going to the locker room before returning minutes later with a thick sleeve on the knee.

Omer Asik’s lay-up stretched the Turks’ lead to 17-14 with 3:28 remaining in the period, but the Americans then accounted for the last eight points of the period to lead 22-17.

Durant tied it at 17 all with a deep three-pointer, Stephen Curry, fresh off the bench, also connected from downtown and Russell Westbrook made a pair of free-throws in the dying seconds.

Turkey’s offense stalled and they were forced into two shot clock violations by their opponents’stifling defense.

Westbrook converted a three-point play early in the second quarter to cap the 11-0 spurt.

Ersan Ilyasova and Rudy Gay traded baskets before the USA yet again used some tough defense to force Turkey into another shot clock violation.

Turkoglu re-entered the game with 7:46 left in the half and Kerem Tunceri made a pair of free-throws that cut the deficit to 27-21.

Durant then made a foul shot and a three-pointer to put the Americans up 31-21. Turkoglu hit from downtown, but Durant countered with one of his own.

Semih Erden scored inside on two occasions, only for Durant and Billups to cancel those points out for 38-28.

Oğuz Savaş made three of four free-throws before Gay scored with a minute remaining before the break.

Ilyasova split a pair from the charity stripe and Westbrook made good on both his tries in the dying seconds for a 42-32 halftime lead.

Turkey had their fourth shot clock violation right after the break.

Durant then hit his sixth and seventh three-pointers consecutively for a 48-32 advantage just two minutes into the third quarter to account for more than half of his team’s points (26 of 48).

Turkoglu could only watch from the bench as his knee injury forced him back on the sidelines.

Ender Arslan drained a three-pointer for Turkey’s first points of the period with 6:36 to go.

Andre Iguodala then skied high for an offensive rebound and fed Odom for an easy two.

Omer Onan hit three of four throws and Arslan knocked another long bomb for six straight points that got the home side within 52-41.

Gay’s jumper ended the run, Westbrook then buried a rare three-pointer, Durant knocked a turnaround jumper and Lamar Odom got an easy dunk as the American pushed the advantage to 61-48 heading into the final frame.

Derrick Rose showed off his speed to score four quick points in the open court at the start of the fourth and Odom later scored inside for the USA’s first 20-point lead, 70-50.

He later had a tip-in off as Rose missed a free-throw for a three-point play.

Tunceri knocked down a three-pointer and fed Gonlum underneath for an easy two that got Turkey within 74-57 but at the other end he failed to close in on Odom who made him pay with a jumper for his eighth and ninth points of the period.

Westbrook and Turkoglu traded three-pointers for 79-62 and the former then threw an alley-oop to Iguodala to add some stylish finishing touches. (discuss the USA-Turkey match in our forum).

Read the original article at FIBA.com.

It wasn’t just the serendipitous last play that made Kerem Tunçeri the hero of last night’s game between Turkey and Serbia, the 6-4 guard scored 10 crucial points in the fourth quarter.

Tunçeri also passed out for 5 assists on a night that Turkey’s leading scorer, Ersan Ilyasova, had an off night and fouled out. Turkey will take on the basketball powerhouse United States today in the World Championships finals. Discuss and follow the USA-Turkey game in our forum.

When Turkey was awarded the 2010 FIBA World Championship several years ago, every fan from Istanbul to Ankara to Kayseri to Izmir and everywhere else in this beautiful country hoped for one thing and one thing only.

They wanted a Final between Turkey and the United States.

Well, they’ve got what they wanted. (Discuss the USA-Turkey game)

After the United States’ 89-74 win over Lithuania on Saturday night, and Turkey‘s heart-stopping 83-82 victory over Serbia, the World Championship has a title game to savor.

It will be a battle of unbeatens and it promises to be exciting.

Turkey coach Bogdan Tanjevic, despite coaching the home team, says the United States are favorites.

“American basketball is first in the world,” he said. “(But) They have a handicap because they have to prepare in 21 days.”

Turkey’s performance against Serbia would not have frightened the USA.

If anything, their appearance in the Final is more down to good fortune than good play.

Tanjevic says it was a “miracle” that they won.

On their game-winning out-of-bounds play with four seconds remaining and Serbia leading 82-81, Hedo Turkoglu was supposed to catch the ball and work his magic but instead, he fumbled it away.

By the grace of the Turkish basketball gods, the ball fell into the hands of Turkey’s Kerem Tunceri who dribbled around Marko Keselj and scored with just 0.5 seconds remaining.

“It was nothing except luck,” Tanjevic said. “Our thoughts were simply on getting the basket. We were lucky tonight. They played better than us. It was a miracle drive.”

Turkey also needed a Semih Erden block of Serbia forward Novica Velickovic’s potential game-winner at the death to seal victory.

The Turks weren’t at their best and the biggest reason was because of Serbia.

The youngest team in the competition, with an average age of 23.6, showed poise, skill, determination and time after time, the ability to make big plays on both ends of the court.

The team made a few mistakes late in the game, like failing to stop Turkey on the play when Tunceri made the go-ahead basket.

Tanjevic needs better execution against the Americans.

“I believe we will play better (against Team USA) than today,” Tanjevic said. “If we lose the game, we are small champions of the world. We will play with less pressure tomorrow, hoping to find a better shooting percentage.”

At the time USA coach Mike Krzyzewski spoke to the media on Saturday, he didn’t know which team he’d be facing on Sunday.

What he did have to say about Turkey was this.

“All I know is that playing Turkey – if we played them – they are huge and they are on their home court,” Krzyzewski said.

If Turkey want to have a chance to win, it stands to reason they must limit Kevin Durant’s contributions.

The American superstar continued his scoring rampage at the World Championship by pouring in 38 points against Lithuania.

Durant knows it’s going to be a rowdy atmosphere inside the Sinan Erdem Dome.

“It’s going to be a tough environment,” Durant said, “but we’ve been playing in those types of environments our whole careers. Just about everybody here has been in the (NBA) play-offs and its going to be just like that.”

Durant’s play has been so good, so exquisite, so excellent, that it’s easy to forget the other important aspect that allows this young and hungry Team USA win.

Yes, Durant scored against Lithuania but it was something else that really brought home the victory.

“Defense is what really won this game,” USA’s Eric Gordon said.“We really played good defense and converted on the other end. That was a game where the flow of the offense wasn’t running that well but we really played good defense.”

One of the veterans in the USA side, Lamar Odom, says he and his teammates must turn it up a notch if they are going to meet their aim.

“We’re going to have to play better than we did tonight,” he said. “That’s going to have to be the focus … just striving for perfection … trying to be perfect.”

The bronze-medal game will also be hotly contested, an all-European affair.

Lithuania, who needed a wild card just to play at the World Championship, will take on a Serbia team that believes it should be playing for gold and not third place.

Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic has to be applauded for turning his youngsters into a force.

He is going to have to forget the disappointment of Saturday night.

“We have to unite and prepare a small final for third place,” he said.

Lithuania, too, need to put the disappointment of the 15-point setback to the Americans behind them and try to leave Istanbul with a medal.

In Sunday’s first game will be a battle for fifth place between Spain and Argentina.

To see the Finals match-up between Team USA and Turkey, plus highlights and postgame reaction, go to FIBATV.com. Read the original article at FIBA.com. Visit the World Championships forum to discuss the USA-Turkey game.

Discuss Serbia vs.Turkey in our forum

After Hedo Turkoglu lost the ball, Kerem Tunceri picked up the ball and scored a game-winning lay-up as Turkey edged out Serbia 83-82 to set up a showdown with the USA in Sunday’s final of the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

(Discuss the Turkey-Serbia game in our World Championships forum)

Hosts Turkey make it through to the tournament’s decider for the first time and are assured of taking their first ever medal in the event.

Down 82-81 with 4.3 seconds to play, Bogdan Tanjevic’s men inbounded the ball to Hedo Turkoglu, who lost control on the left wing, but Tunceri got to the ball first and was a step ahead of the defenders as he drove hard to the hole for the biggest basket of his career.

Serbia had 0.5 seconds left and opted for a lob to Novica Velickovic, but his attempt was deflected as time ran out.

The defeat means Dusan Ivkovic’s team will go up against Lithuania in the Bronze Medal game.

Tunceri was clutch in the fourth quarter. With Turkey down 75-71 and a little over four minutes left to play, he scored five consecutive points to edge them in front and make a game of it.

The point guard drove to the basket and then buried a three-pointer on the next trip down the floor.

A free-throw shooting contest then ensued.

Omer Onan made a pair to stretch the hosts’ lead to 78-75, but Serbia got within 78-77 as Dusko Savanovic sank two of his own with 1:37 left to play.

Milos Teodosic then fouled Omer Asik hard and the big man left the game holding his face, seemingly getting swiped around his right eye area. Ender Arslan was subbed in for him and took the free-throws in his place, hitting one of two for 79-77 with 1:17.

Krstic split a pair from the charity stripe just inside the final minute. Marko Keselj was fouled with 28 seconds to go when he skied high for a rebound off a Teodosic miss and sank both foul shots to edge Serbia back in front 80-79.

Tunceri ran down the clock and drove the lane, sucking in the defense before feeding Semih Erden for a dunk and a foul with 16.8 seconds to go.

The big man missed the free-throw and at the other end Aleksandar Rasic passed it to Novica Velickovic for a lay-up and an 82-81 lead with 4.3 seconds to go.

That though proved to be enough time for Turkey to perform one last miracle.

The game was close for the most part but Serbia were in the ascendancy until Tunceri went on his mini run.

Serbia were up 15-8 on Novica Velickovic’s three-pointer before Turkey ran off seven straight points to tie it at 15.

Teodosic took over at the end of the first quarter to give Serbia a 20-17 lead.

Sinan Guler converted a three-point play that cut the deficit to 26-25 early in the second period before Savanovic went on a personal 7-0 run to push Serbia’s advantage to 33-25.

It was 35-31 when Arslan buried a three-pointer, but Keselj then sank one of his own for 38-31.

Nenad Krstic and Keselj made it a 42-35 score as the teams headed to the locker room.

Semih Erden, who will make the move to the NBA as a Boston Celtic this season, converted a three-point play to start the second half and Onan later dialled in from beyond the arc to tie the game at 46.

Teodosic racked up the assists – he finished with 11 – as he fed Aleksandar Rasic for an easy two inside and Keselj for an open three in an 8-0 spurt that pushed Serbia’s advantage to 54-46 midway through the third period.

Arslan connected from long range and Gonlum made a free-throw to cap a 7-0 run that got the hosts within 56-55.

Keselj and Arslan traded long bombs and Gonlum trimmed the deficit to 62-60. However, he then fouled Savanovic who made one of two attempts from the foul line as Serbia went into the final frame up 63-60.

Krstic picked up his fourth foul early in the fourth quarter but stayed in and made a pair of free-throws for a 65-61 advantage.

Turkoglu entered the game as Ilyasova picked his fourth foul and made his presence felt right away as he hit a three-pointer that got Turkey within 66-64.

Teodosic found Keselj for another clutch three-pointer that made it 69-64 with 6:32 to play.

Teodosic buried another long bomb and Kerem Tunceri answered with one of his own at the other end.

Savanovic put his team up 75-69 before Asik scored on a putback and Tunceri then went on his personal 5-0 run to edge Turkey back in front.

To see Turkey’s match-up with Team USA live as well as complete highlights of this game, and an interview with Kerem Gonlum visit FIBATV.com.

Read the original article at FIBA.com.

Spain used a near perfect fourth quarter to see off Slovenia 97-80 and book their place in the 5th place game at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

(Discuss Spain vs. Slovenia in our World Championships forum)

They will take on Russia or Argentina in Sunday’s last classification game.

Entering the final frame up 64-62, Sergio Scariolo’s side hit five of seven three-pointers as they outscored their opponents 33-18.

Juan Carlos Navarro – who came off the bench in the second half – had 10 points and handed out five assists in the last 10 minutes as Spain built a good head of steam.

Navarro finished with game-highs of 26 points – 23 of them after the break – and seven assists.

He got the hot hand upon checking in midway through the third quarter and that proved to be the turning point of the game.

Slovenia led 56-51 before the Spanish guard took over, accounting for 11 of his team’s last 13 points in the period as they opened the fourth quarter with a two-point edge.

Navarro turned provider in the last frame, finding Fran Vazquez for an easy two inside and then spotting a wide open Sergio Llull, whose wing three-pointer made it 76-69.

Llull connected again from beyond the arc for 81-73 and Navarro hit a long bomb from the top of the key for the game’s first double-digit lead 84-73. He then fed Vazquez for a thunderous dunk that put the game out of reach at 88-75.

Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez put the finishing touches to the game.

Slovenia looked to have the game in hand as they led for the better part of the first three quarters.

Jaka Lakovic made his first three attempts from beyond the arc and Goran Dragic had eight points in the first period as Mehmet Becirovic’s men led 23-16.

Spain got within one on Felipe Reyes’ acrobatic tip-in off a missed Navarro lay-up early in the second quarter.

Sani Becirovic then made another big shot and Samo Udrih provided four quick points off the bench to cap a 6-0 run that put the Slovenians up 29-22.

Lakovic connected from way beyond the arc to beat the shot clock as Slovenia went up 41-32.

Alex Mumbru then nailed a jumper in the lane and hit a pair from the charity stripe before Marc Gasol made a lay-up in the dying seconds as Spain finished the first half with a 6-0 run, cutting the deficit to 41-38.

The third quarter was a free-throw shooting procession for Slovenia as they went to the line 20 times and made 16 of their attempts.

Spain got their first lead, 45-44 on a Fernandez lay-up but he soon headed to the bench after picking up his fourth foul as Sergio Scariolo’s side were in the penalty with 6:31 to go in the period.

Spain were called for 12 fouls Slovenia for seven in the third quarter alone and.

The Slovenians led 58-51 but Navarro went on his impressive scoring run and the Spaniards took the momentum for good.

Read the original article at FIBA.com.

Serbia beat Spain 92-89 to book their place in the semi-finals of the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

(Discuss the Serbia vs. Spain upset in our forum now!)

Milos Teodosic buried a three-pointer from the top of the key with 3.1 seconds left to break an 89-89 tie and Spain could not get off on the next possession.

The win saw Dusan Ivkovic’s side avenge their defeat at the hands of the Spaniards in the final of last year’s EuroBasket in Spain and return to the last four in the FIBA World Championship for the first time since 2002.

Meanwhile the loss means that Spain fail to make it to the semi-final stages of a major international competition for the first time since 2004.

Early on, Serbia rode the hot hand of Nemanja Bjelica and Novica Velickovic – who combined for 21 points – to take a 27-23 lead at the end of the first quarter

Velickovic, who visited with FIBATV.com after the victory, buried two three pointers for an 8-5 lead and Bjelica scored from just about everywhere to push that advantage to 21-13. The Serbians took their only double-digit lead of the game, 23-13, on Velickovic’s floater.

Reigning world champions Spain came back thanks to the scoring punch of Juan Carlos Navarro as he accounted for eight of his team’s last 10 points.

Sergio Llull made a pair of free-throws to get Spain within 29-28 early in the second period but Marko Keselj – who provided a huge offensive boost off the bench – buried a corner three and Teodosic hit a jumper to edge away once again.

Dusko Savanovic made a big three-point play with 4:38 left in the first half for a 37-30 cushion. Jorge Garbajosa connected not once but twice from long range to cut the deficit to 42-38.

Keselj had five of Serbia’s last seven points of the half as they took a 49-41 lead into the locker room.

Spain used a 10-0 run at the start of the second half to take their first lead of the game. Garbajosa hit a pair of free-throws and Rudy Fernandez made all three attempts from the charity stripe after being fouled from beyond the range.

Garbajosa then knocked down a long bomb and Navarro capped the spurt for a 51-49 advantage.

Keselj – who was inserted in Serbia’s starting line-up for the start of the third quarter – edged his team back in front, 52-51, when he connected from beyond the arc and the teams went back and forth as the lead changed 10 times in the period.

Fernandez made good on two foul shots to put Spain up 62-59 but Serbia then accounted for eight of the last 10 points to take a 67-64 lead into the final quarter.

Velickovic beat Spain’s full court pressure for a coast-to-coast lay-up before playing the pick-and-roll with Teodosic to perfection for an easy two that saw Serbia go back in front 63-62 and Savanovic and Krstic had the last four points of the period.

Serbia pulled away early in the fourth period thanks to the firepower provided by super subs Savanovic and Keselj, and the latter’s three-pointer made it 72-64.

Savanovic then took advantage of mismatch against Garbajosa and getting to the basket 74-66.

Spain cut the deficit to 79-76 on a three-point play by Fernandez but Savanovic knocked down another clutch basket, this time from beyond the arc for an 86-78 cushion midway through the quarter.

Garbajosa made a lay-up but missed the free-throw for a three-point play before Gasol hit a high-arching fadeaway over Krstic and Fernandez sliced his way to the basket as the Spaniards ran off six unanswered points to get within 86-84 with two minutes remaining.

Keselj hit double-clutch three-pointer over outstretched arm of Fernandez but Navarro answered with a long bomb of hiw own at the other end.

Navarro faked the three and fed Gasol for a thunderous dunk to tie the score at 89 all with 25.8 seconds left to play.

Teodosic then ran the clock out before hitting the big shot over Garbajosa.

Serbia got revenge on Spain after being Serbia was demolished in the 2009 Eurobasket finale. Discuss the Serbia vs. Spain game in our World Championships forum!

Read the original article at FIBA.com.

Looking to watch Argentina vs. Brazil in the World Basketball Championships? Click here.

Brazil’s moment of truth has arrived. Do they have what it takes to beat an opponent when the stakes are high?

(Discuss Argentina vs. Brazil in our Basketball forum)

Brazil are playing beautiful and smart basketball under their coach Ruben Magnano, the Argentinian who led his own country into the 2002 final and to the gold medal two years later at the Athens Olympics.

However, Argentina now have one of the most respected coaches on the international scene in Sergio Hernandez, a man who bleeds albiceleste.

“What most concerns me is that they (Brazil) play good basketball,” Argentina star Luis Scola said to FIBA.com.

Brazil have the excellent Caja Laboral connection – point guard Marcelo Huertas and big center Tiago Splitter.

Scola once played at the club in Spain, too, and is good friends with Splitter, who is moving to the San Antonio Spurs next season.

“I hope Tiago will not be very inspired,” Scola said. “We all know Tiago. We know he’s a great player. It’s going to be complicated.”

Brazil is loaded.

They have tough-defending Alex Garcia, sweet-shooting Marcus Vinicius, Guilherme, explosive scorers Leandro Barbosa and Marcelo Machado and top rebounder Anderson Varejao, who missed the first three games with an ankle injury but has returned to the line-up.

Scola said: “They play very well with Marcelinho (Huertas). I think (Anderson) Varejao is still trying to find a place where he feels comfortable in the team. As soon as he finds that place, he’s going to be very important for them. They also have other players that we are extremely familiar with like Alex (Garcia), Marcelinho (Machado), Guilherme.”

Had Argentina won their last Group A game against Serbia, they would have faced Croatia but instead defeat to Dusan Ivkovic’s side and second place has thrown them into a clash with their South American rivals.

Fabricio Oberto, who’s had gastroenteritis and didn’t play but in just one Group A game, will return for Argentina.

“Fabricio is very important to us. He has already proved that. We also need him to have another player available to help the team, to have another option. But we want the best Fabricio possible.” said Scola. “He has to feel well and I believe he is on the road to recovery. Twenty years ago if a top player was not 100% he could still make a difference in a game, but nowadays if a player is not in top condition, you will be passed over by a rival player. If we have Oberto at his best, then he can be extremely important for us us.”

Read the original article at FIBA.com.

Russia’s size has worn down New Zealand, 78-56, in a tense Eight Final encounter at the FIBA World Championship, setting up an encounter with old rival the USA in the Quarter Finals.

(Discuss Russia vs. New Zealand in our forum)

Russia broke clear of the Oceania champions in the third quarter with Tall Blacks stars Kirk Penney (21 points) and Mika Vukona on the bench with four fouls. Led by the superb Andrey Vorontsevich (18 points, 7/8 fg, 11 rebounds), Russia peeled off a 13-0 run late in the third quarter to break open what had been an arm wrestle.

Russia out-rebounded New Zealand 31-15 after quarter time, while the Tall Blacks made just 5/24 from three point range, missing repeated open looks. Timofey Mozgov (14 points, 7 rebounds) was strong inside for Russia, while Thomas Abercrombie (13 points, 4 rebounds) was tireless in his team’s loss.

New Zealand started quickly, leading, 9-2 after less than four minutes. But a number of missed open shots left the door open for Russia and they gained the ascendency if the half court grind, four straight points from Dmitriy Khvostov levelling the scores at 11-11.

While the Tall Blacks again started quickly in the second quarter, opening up a 21-16 lead on a Penney triple, Russia started to assert their authority in the paint. Defensively they locked New Zealand down, and a Sergey Monya three-pointer gave them a 29-21 lead with 3:41 to play in the half.

New Zealand finished the half strong behind Abercrombie, and when he scored their first eight points of the second half the Tall Blacks closed to 38-35. But first Penney and then Vukona picked up their fourth fouls and Russia took full advantage.

View the original article on FIBA.com.

There could be non-stop cannon blasts across Istanbul on Saturday night and it wouldn’t be as explosive as the basketball that’s going to be on show at the Sinan Erdem Dome.

• Croatia vs. Serbia (where to watch)
• Spain vs. Greece (where to watch)

First up will be a game between two intense rivals, Croatia and Serbia, and that’s to be followed by a titillating clash pitting Spain against the team they beat in the world title game four years ago, Greece.

Fasten your seatbelts, folks, because the Eight-Finals at the FIBA World Championship is about to burst into life.

For all the intense feelings that have existed between Serbian and Croatian teams over the years, Saturday marks a first-ever meeting for these two sides at a World Championship or Olympics.

When Serbia were still a part of the former Yugoslavia, the two national sides met in 2001 here in Istanbul at the EuroBasket – a game the Yugoslavians won 80-66 en route to a gold medal.

However, club sides in the two basketball-mad nations square off on an annual basis in the Adriatic League.

There will be no secrets between these two national teams.

Serbia, led by veteran coach Dusan Ivkovic, captured a silver medal at EuroBasket 2009 and have kept the momentum going by winning Group A at the World Championship while Croatia are a team that is still in transition.

Josip Vrankovic is coaching the ‘A’ national team of Croatia for the first time, and there are also newcomers in the squad that have been awarded prominent roles who are still trying to find their feet.

Much has been made of Serbia’s young guns like Milos Teodosic and Milenko Tepic, but it was a more anonymous player that came up big on Thursday and provided much of the inspiration for their 84-82 win over Argentina in the battle for first place.

Dusko Savanovic, who forced his way into consideration for a spot on the national team with a brilliant season at Cajasol Sevilla, had 19 points and a go-ahead three-ball in the last minute.

“We have been told that if we could beat Argentina, we could beat anybody,” he said. “We proved this.”

The performance of Savanovic tells you all you need to know about Serbia.

Any of their players can be a game-winner on any given night.

Playmaker Teodosic, the Euroleague MVP and a member of last year’s all-tournament team at the EuroBasket in Poland, remains their most dangerous player although he will be put to the test by Roko-Leni Ukic, the Croatia captain and starting point guard.

For those who like the battles inside, Serbia’s 27-year-old captain Nenad Krstic going up against Croatia’s Ante Tomic, 23, is intriguing.

Krstic has averaged 16 points and nine rebounds in the two games he played in Group A against Australia and Argentina after serving his three-game suspension, which was punishment for his role in the brawl against Greece in the pre-World Championship friendly.

Tomic, in his first tournament with Croatia, is averaging nine points and 5.6 rebounds.

Just as Serbia have numerous players that can come to the fore, though, so do Croatia.

Vrankovic relies heavily on 25-year-old center Luka Zoric but he went down with an ankle and knee injury late in the game against Slovenia and hasn’t played since, though could return to face Serbia.

Spain taking on Greece promises to be no less exciting.

Both teams have players that were in the side that reached the 2006 Final.

While Pau Gasol, the MVP of the 2006 FIBA World Championship, isn’t playing this year, it’s worth remembering that an injury prevented him from suiting up in the title game four years ago yet Spain still routed the Greeks, 70-47.

Spain defeated Greece in their EuroBasket 2007 Semi-Final, in the Preliminary Round of the 2008 Olympics and in the last four of last year’s EuroBasket in Poland.

Gasol did play in all of those games, however.

A game against Spain wasn’t what Greece expected when they suffered a surprise defeat to Russia on the last day of Group C in Ankara, but that’s what they got after New Zealand shook up Group D and upset France by 12 points to drop Les Bleus to fourth place and lift Spain to second.

Gasol’s younger brother, Marc, has led Spain in scoring at 15.5 points per game and he’s the second-leading rebounder at 7.2 per contest. He’s supported down low by veteran Felipe Reyes.

Greece will counter with Ioannis Bourousis and Sofoklis Schortsanitis in the low post, with Antonis Fotsis, Kostas Tsartsaris and Kostas Kaimakoglou also big bodies to throw at the Spaniards.

The rhythm of the game will be dictated by the backcourt, though, with Spain’s Ricky Rubio, Juan Carlos Navarro and shooting guard/small forward Rudy Fernandez looking to push the ball up the floor quickly at every opportunity.

Greece will pick their spots when they run.

They will prefer the long-armed Dimitris Diamantidis, shooting guard Vassilis Spanoulis and youngster Nick Calathes to dictate a slower tempo.

Spain have bossed the recent encounters but no one in Turkey is expecting this game to be a blowout for either side.

You can see all this exciting Eighth Finals action live, as well as interviews and highlights on FIBATV.com. Already the Spain vs. Greece match is building up froth in our World Championships forum.

Read the original article at FIBA.com.

When Puerto Rico (1-4) and the Ivory Coast (0-5) faced off in an all-important final pool play game, each team had a goal in mind.

Discuss Puerto Rico’s loss to the Ivory Coast in our World Championships forum)

Both teams had their own destinies in their hands as the match would determine which team would move on to the next round. The result not only affected Puerto Rico and the Ivory Coast, but also Team China (1-4).

If Puerto Rico won, they would have two victories, and automatically move on to the next round of the World Championships.

Ivory Coast needed to win by 12 points or more to qualify for the second round.

The Ivory Coast ended up upsetting Puerto Rico 88-79 for their first win at the FIBA World Championship.

Since the Ivory Coast won by less than 12 points, and Puerto Rico lost, China will move on to Istanbul, regardless of the outcome and score in their game against hosts Turkey.

From FIBA.com: The Ivorians led 88-76 on Mohamed Kone’s dunk in the last minute but David Huertas hit a three-pointer in the dying seconds to shatter their hopes. Effectively, that basket booked China’s trip to Istanbul.

“We had to win by 12 points. We tried our best to win the game by that margin. It didn’t happen. This tournament as a whole was a great experience for us and we will try to use it to move forward.” said Mohmed Kone, center for the Ivory Coast.

Behind Angolan superstar Olimpio Cipriano‘s 30 points, Angola continued Germany‘s disappointing tournament play by sending the Germans to their third loss in four games.

With the loss, it means that Germany will not advance to the second round.

(Discuss Angola’s defeat of Germany in our World Championships forum)

The entire game was closely contested.

After a tied frst quarter, the two teams were evenly-matched for most of the game.

Angola took a 10 point lead a couple time during the third quarter, but wasn’t able to maintain it as the Germans turned it around in the fourth; taking their own double-digit lead 74-64 with just under 4 minutes to go before the Angolans went on a late-game 14-4 rally.

Cipriano tied the game at 78 with two free throws with 16 seconds to go. Heinko Schaffartzik missed a layup at the end of regulation.

Joaquim Gomes hit two jumpers to get the African powerhouse off to a great start in the overtime, taking a lead they would never relinquish in the extra period.

After a three by Philipp Schweitheim brought the Germans to within two with 30 seconds to go, Cipriano draw a foul and hit both free-throws to keep the Angolans at a safe distance 89-85 with 10 seconds remaining.

Angola was led by Cipriano’s efficient 30 points. Cipriano shot 7-10 from two, 4-6 from three, and hit 4-5 from free-throws.

Gomes had 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, Miguel Lutonda had 13 points, and Eduardo Mingas 10 points for the winners.

Without Dirk Nowitzki, who withdrew from the World Championships, Germany was led by Jan Jagla’s 23 points, Schaffartzik had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Tim Ohlbrecht also contributed 17 points for Team Germany.

After the win, Angola improves to an all important 2-2 record in group A.

The game everyone has been eagerly anticipating in Group C will be a must-see as Turkey take on rivals and neighbours Greece on Tuesday night.

(Find out where to watch the Greece-Turkey game live or discuss in our forum!)

The two teams enter the contest with perfect records (2-0) and neither side will settle for anything less than a win. The result of this game is likely to have a huge bearing on the pool’s final standings.

Greece head coach Jonas Kazlauskas tried to downplay the rivalry and the importance of the derby to put the focus back where he felt it belongs – on the fixture being just one of five in his team’s march to the next round.

“I understand the importance of the games between Greece and Turkey. It is like the games we had between Lithuania and Russia,” he said. “But at the same time it’s one game.”

Kazlauskas’s words though will fall on deaf ears among the Turkish supporters.

Turkey have all the motivation in the world for this game. Of course they are playing at home and want to give their fans something to cheer about, but they would like to get a measure of revenge over the Greeks for last summer’s EuroBasket quarter-final defeat.

Erden Arslan sent that game to overtime with a lay-up at the end of regulation but then missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in the dying seconds.

Greece will get a huge lift with the return to action of team captain Antonios Fotsis and Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who missed the first two games through suspensions.

Efstratios Perperoglou sat out Monday’s practice because of an infection but is expected to recover and play.

Before the derby, Puerto Rico will approach their game against China as a must-win situation following tough defeats against Russia and Greece over the weekend.

“We have to make sure we beat China,” said guard JJ Barea who has had to carry the scoring load, especially after backcourt mate Carlos Arroyo went down with an injury.

“After that we have to come out and play against Turkey, do our best and see what happens. We have to take care of the Ivory Coast next time. If we win two games and China lose the rest of theirs, we will move on to the next round. That is what we are looking for.”

Arroyo has internal bleeding in his left quadriceps. There is no exact timetable as to when he can be expected back.

China will have to do a better job of closing out the game against Manolo Cintron’s side than they did against Ivory Coast. Leading 66-51 to start the fourth quarter, they ended up winning by a margin of 83-73 which was not very convincing.

Tuesday’s action will begin with Russia taking on Ivory Coast as they look to bounce back from their 65-56 defeat against Turkey.

The game will feature the return of the teams’ respective key players – Viktor Khryapa for the Russians and Pape-Philippe Amagou for the Ivorians.

“Viktor will play on Tuesday,” Russia head coach David Blatt said on Sunday. “We need him for the last three games to make sure we get through to the next round.”

The versatile forward missed the tournament’s first three games because of an injury to his left foot.

Amagou, meanwhile, has recovered from a sprained big toe and will regain his rightful place in his team’s starting backcourt, an area which suffered greatly in his absence.

“We were mentally ready but we did not perform well in the first two games. We lost one of our best players (Amagou) and then our other point guard (Issife Soumahoro) got injured against Turkey,” said head coach Randoald Dessarzin.

Discuss the World Championships or go to FIBA and read the original article at FIBA.com.

The United States continued undefeated but came across a tough Brazilian squad in their third game, squeaking by Brazil 70-68 on Monday.

(Discuss Team USA’s close win over Brazil in our forum)

The Brazilians came up short when Leandro Barbosa’s shot was out at the buzzer.

Kevin Durant led the United States with 27 points (and 10 rebounds), Chauncey Billups put up 15, and Derrick Rose 11 points for the Americans.

After the Americans trailed most of the first 2 1/2 quarters, Lamar Odom’s(notes) dunk with 7:14 left put them ahead 64-62. But they couldn’t build on the lead during a tense final few minutes, and Brazil had two chances to send the game to overtime.

Other than late in the game and in a small spurt during the third quarter, Brazil led the United States throughout the majority of the game.

And with 3.5 seconds remaining, Marcelo Huertas had a chance to tie the game after being fouled. Unfortunately for Brazil, the 6-3 guard missed the first free throw and with Brazil down two, was forced to intentionally miss the second. The miss set up Barbosa’s miss at the buzzer.

Without their big men Nene, Anderson Varejao, Brazil was led by Marcus Vinicius scored 16, Barbosa finished with 14 points and Tiago Splitter, who will join the San Antonio Spurs this season, added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Lamar Odom had 8 points and 8 rebounds.

Puerto Rico star Carlos Arroyo will not play against Greece on Sunday in Ankara after suffering an injury on Saturday.

(Discuss the World Championships of Basketballin our forum)

Arroyo took a knee from Andrey Vorontsevich in the second half of Puerto Rico’s 75-66 defeat against Russia. His status is day-to-day.

“Carlos is really hurt. He has a contusion in his quadriceps, very close to his left hip,” said Puerto Rico head coach Manolo Cintron.

“He is undergoing physical treatment and taking medication to make the swelling go down.”

The Puerto Rican team did not practice on Sunday ahead of their game against Greece.

Read the original article at FIBA.com.

Led by Mickael Gelabale’s 16 points and great free throw shooting late in the game, France upset Spain, 72-66 in the teams’ opening game at the Basketball World Championship.

France converted 10 of its last 12 free throws to seal the win.

(Discuss the France-Spain game in our World Championships of Basketball forum)

“They are the best in the world. It was great to play Spain first as we had to jump straight into the tournament. It has given us great confidence,” said French player Nicolas Batum.

Early on, Spain doubled-up France in the first quarter 19-8, and built a 12-point lead in the second quarter before Les Bleus used a 9-0 run to tie the game at 25 – which included a spectacular high-flying dunk by the Portland Trailblazer’s Batum.

Spain was without Pau Gasol and France was without Tony Parker, both stars bowed out of the tournament early on. France was led by Gelabale, who hit two threes on his way to 16 points, Batum added 14 points and Andrew Albicy scored 13 of his own. Boris Diaw passed out 5 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds. Gelabale also added six rebounds for the winners.

Juan Carlos Navarro led Spain with 17 points. Rudy Fernandez had 13 points but fouled out of the game after assessing a technical foul. Discuss/comment on the France vs. Spain match in our forum.