Spain is the new Word Champion, after they defeated USA 94 - 87 in the final game in the front of 12,000 spectators. Croatia took 3^rd place after victory over Argentina 66 - 59. Australia unexpectedly beat Russia in the 5^th place game.

Spanish Junior NT success:
Pablo Malo de Molina <pablomm@iname.com>
Spanish junior NT reached the final game against USA after defeating Argentina by only a point of difference, got in the last play of the game. Spain played good basketball and had big advantages but then, just after halftime Argentina came back and the game was close, maybe because spanish team relaxed. But Argentina had not too many leads till the last moments when they put 79 - 80 with some seconds to play. Raul Lopez shoot but received a fault and scored both FTs. Argentina had made a very tough defense over Navarro, star of spanish team. They hit him a lot of times and even insulted him but he continued scoring a lot and dribling as many defenders as they put with him.

So spanish team was in the final game against USA, a good team with a lot of young top prospects that will end in NBA in some years. USA NT had won all their games and even smashed their opponents with a good basketball. It is true that some teams had complained a lot about referees and USA tough defense. So Spain, who had only won by 1 point Argentina in semifinals had not a lot of chances. The game started as it was supposed with USA winning but then, after 10 minutes Spain took the lead and with some outstanding minutes they were 10 up (35 - 25). USA reduced spanish lead in the last minutes and then in the last minute of the first half tied the game with 3 FTs by Logan (47 - 47). But Spain took the lead again in the second half and was 4 points up when Bobby Simmons scored 9 points in a row. Everybody tought then that the miracle had ended with USA 5 points up. But Navarro, Raul Lopez, Gabriel and Reyes started playing wonderfully again and Spain got a new lead. With 2:00 to play Spain was leading 85 - 81. Then Gabriel scored a FT, Dooling missed a shot, then Logan scored (86 - 83 with a minute to play). But then the key play arrived. With 50 seconds to play Cabezas scored a three pointer (89 - 83). After that faults and fast plays started but the game was decided. Juan Carlos Navarro was the hero of the game with 27 points and great percentages. He also was the MVP of the game. Raul Lopez perfectly directed Spain and scored some baskets with a defender next to him. German Gabriel, Felipe Reyes and Antonio Bueno where incredible in the low post, beating USA in rebounding and scoring great baskets. Souleyman Dramech, Pau Gasol and Berni Rodriguez made a good game inside.

Dooling was the most spectacular player of the game. He made a penetration like if he were Jason Williams, faking to pass through his back and then scoring and with 25 seconds to play he made an incredible tomahawk dunk. He was also a good playmaker. Logan has a great shot and is a wonderful player. He will be for sure in NBA in some years. Bobby Simmons made his best game of the championship and gave USA chances when Spain was ahead scoring 9 points in a row and then another 2+1 basket. Other inside players like Wright and C.Williams have a lot of future, too, despite the fact they had not played good in the final game.

It was a wonderful game, one of the best games it could be seen this year. Spain and USA played not like teenagers but like great stars. They made a lot of good plays, defended hard, scorer long ranged three pointers and difficult shots and making some wonderful plays.

So spanish junior team got an incredible result, as good as unexpected because of the presence of that great US team. But it is sure Spanish team is great. 10 of this year world champions were last year european champions. Only Lopez Valera and Calderon missed the WC because of an injury. Julio Gonzalez and Francesc Cabeza substituted them. So it is sure that players born in 1980 - 1981 are great and should have success in seniors in the future. Last world champion, Greece, had Papanikolau, Rentzias, Karagoutis and other great players in the roster. Now they are big stars in europe. Could it happen in 4 years to spanish stars like Navarro, Lopez, Gabriel, Gasol, Reyes, Bueno or Dramech? It is not that easy because only Raul Lopez has good minutes in an ACB team. All the other players are in the last spots of the top ACB teams or play in second teams of top clubs. But it is for sure they are wonderful players and if they give them any chance they will show everybody they are useful for top level competitions.

Spain – USA 94 - 87 (Navarro 27, Gabriel 17 – Simmons 19)

The United States and Spain will play the final of the World Junior Championships in Lisbon. In the semifinals, the US handily defeated Croatia, 83 - 62, while Spain beat Argentina, 81 - 80, on two free throws by point guard Raul Lopez with three seconds left. This will be the first
final ever in the World Junior Championships for Spain.

Semifinals:
Croatia – USA 83 - 62
Spain – Argentina 81 - 80

Spain, Croatia, USA and Argentina will play in the semifinals. Mahmood of Qatar leads the scorers (28ppg), but the big star is also Olumide Oyededji (217 - C - 81) from Nigeria, who is the leading rebounder (14.3) and plays the same team (Wurzburg, GER), where Dirk Nowitzki (now NBA) came from.

Quarterfinals:

Spain – Australia 80 - 75 (Navarro 26, Lopez 15 – Andersen 21, Black 10)
Croatia – Greece 73 - 59 (Stojic 25, Dzidic 13 – Papadopoulos 17, Pettas 13)
Australia – Croatia 56 - 58 (Rice 20, Black 10 – Zizic 19, Stojic 15)
Greece – Spain 78 - 68 (Diamantopoulos 25, Fotsis 14 – Navarro 15, Cabezas 14)
Spain – Croatia 70 - 55 (Navarro 19, Gabriel 16 – Zizic 13, Bagaric 11)
Greece – Australia 70 - 72 (Fotsis 16, Dorkofitis 10 – Rice 25, Black 18)

Brazil – Russia 91 - 89 (Galvao 24, Silva 19 – Karimov 23, Toporov 17)
Argentina – USA 71 - 83 (Calderon 17, Chahab 12 – Logan 15, Williams 13)
USA – Brazil 89 - 71 (Williams 22, Logan 17 – Silva 25, Costa 19)
Russia – Argentina 63 - 60 (Vokhmianine 12, padius 12 – Chahab 17, Calderon 9)
Brazil – Argentina 60 - 84 (Lima 10, Galvao 10 – Carriso 17, Mikulas 15)
USA – Russia 84 - 70 (Dooling 18, Logan 11 – Kirilenko 23, Sergeienko 19)

ROUND 2

China - Egypt 65:82 (Peng Fei 18, Lin Wei 9, Lin Li 8, Wang Bo 8, Jiao Jian 8, Moke 6, Xiyz 6, Dong Hiang 4 – Fanan 20, Elbary 19, El - Sehrty 15, Gunady 12, Badran 12, Sarhan 4).
Greece - USA 87:92 (Diamantopoulos 26, Fotsis 14, Papanakrios 13, Pettas 12, Papadopolou 12, Matzanas 8, Agodekos 2 – Wright 28, Lapore 15, Collison 11, C.Williams 10, L.Williams 10, Logan 9, Dooling 8, Simmons 2, Jacobsen 1,)

GROUP C (Aveiro):

ROUND 1

Argentina - Portugal 87:82 (Carriso 22, Kammerichs 13, Leiva 12, Malara 11, Ciorciarri 10, Calderon 10, Chahab 6, Alba 2, Lauro 1 – Silva 14, Cunha 11, Lourenco 11, Neves 9, Pitra 8, Pinto 8, Camarra 7, Goncalves 6, Fernandes 4, Simoes 2, Amorim 2).
Qatar - Croatia 54:61 (Mahmood 33, Basheer 10, Rahman 4, Farrah 3, Mubarak 2, Dawood 2 – Stojic 14, Dzidic 8, Zizic 8, Samac 7, Subotic 6, Bagaric 6, Moric 5, Planininc 4, Devcic 3).

ROUND 2

Portugal - Qatar 73:77 (Cunha 16, Silva 13, Neves 10, Pinto 8, Fernandes 8, Laurenco 7, Pitra 5, Simoes 3, Camarra 3  -  )
Croatia - Argentina 64:54 (Stojic 19, Zizic 12, Subotic 11, Bagaric 9, Moric 6, Samac 4, Devcic 3  -  Chahab 10, Kammeerichs 8, Lauro 8, Carriso 7, Leiva 7, Corciarri 6, Mikulas 4, Calderon 2, Franco 1, Malara 1,

GROUP D (Faro):

ROUND 2

Venezuela - Japan 75:59 (Romero 15, Capare 15, Saledo 14, Julio 14, Erlick 10, L.Berroteran 6, M.Berroteran 6, Navara 6, Brito 4, Rodriguez 3, Caten 1 – Murayama 20, Tabuse 14, Kashiwakura 7, Uzawa 6, Sato 4, Hongo 3, Sato 3, Nagasawa 2).
Russia - Australia 77:61 (Kirilenko 19, Toporov 16, Padius 16, Karimov 10, Diatchok 8, Sergueinko 4, Touckhine 2, Vokhmianine 2 – Rice 14, Andersen 14, Black 12, Sheridan 11, Latimer 3, Wardrope 3, Brown 3, Majstorovich 1)

SECOND STAGE

GROUP I (Oporto):

ROUND 1
19/07 1A - 2D
19/07 1C - 2B
ROUND 2
20/07 2B - 1A
20/07 2D - 1C
ROUND 3
21/07 2B - 2D
21/07 1A - 1C

GROUP II (Almada):

ROUND 1
19/07 2A - 1D
19/07 2C - 1B
ROUND 2
20/07 1B - 2A
20/07 1D - 2C
ROUND 3
21/07 1B - 1D
21/07 2A - 2C

PAST WINNERS:
Sao Paolo (Brasil) 1979: 1.USA, 2.Brasil, 3.Argentina.
Palma de Mallorca (Spain) 1983: 1.USA, 2.USSR, 3.Brasil.
Bormio (Italy) 1987: 1.Yugoslavia, 2.USA, 3.Italy.
Edmonton (Canada) 1991: 1.USA, 2.Italy, 3.Argentina.
Athens (Greece) 1995: 1.Greece, 2.Australia, 3.Spain.