)
American Kevin Durant voted World
Championships MVP (Photo: FIBA
USA National Team 2010
Eurobasket.com All-World Championships
Awards 2010 - Sep 13, 2010
Simply impressive.
Kevin Durant in the two most important games of his young career
showed to the world that he is not only an NBA star but even in FIBA
Basketball he is unstoppable. With him, his teammate in Oklahoma,
Russell Westbrook, named best guard of the tournament because of his
abilities and skills, showed when the game counted. Milos Teodosic
from Serbia is the second guard of the tournament. After his
terrific season with Olympiacos, even in the tournament in Turkey
proved that in Europe now, he is the number one in the guard
position. The two big men to complete the 1st team are Linas Kleiza,
again impressive scorer and Luis Scola from Argentina.
USA are new World Champions! - Sep.
13, 2010 Final USA - Turkey
81-64
Team USA clinched the title at the World Championship in Turkey!
They finished the tournament undefeated outscoring hosting Turkey in
the championship game tonight. The USA were well in control
throughout the whole encounter and celebrated a well-deserved
success at the end.
Kevin Durant (206-G/F-88, college:
Texas) lived up to his MVP status tallying 28 points and 5
rebounds. Derrick Rose scored the first points in the game.
Kevin Durant then knocked down quick eight points to keep the
USA in front. But Hedo Turkoglu stepped up with back-to-back
three-pointers for the hosts as Turkey gained their first lead of
the game 15:14. Asik stretched the margin to three points but
Kevin Durant hit a timely triple to draw things level. Stephen
Curry and
Russell Westbrook (191-G-88, college:
UCLA) capped the first term with five points as the USA earned a
22:17 lead.
Russell Westbrook converted a three-point play to tip off the
second quarter.
Kevin Durant notched four points to give Team USA a 10-point
advantage midway through the second quarter. Turkey tried to get
closer but the visitors found the answer for any bucket from the
Turkish team.
Russell Westbrook capped the half with two freebies as the USA
posted a 42:32 lead.
Kevin Durant opened the second half with consecutive trebles and
then Lamar Odom followed with a lay-up as the margin grew at
18-point mark 50:32. However
Omer Onan (194-G-78) and Arslan did not allow the USA to run
away. They dragged Turkey within 11 points midway through the third
quarter. Team USA however stopped the bleeding and stayed in front
to enter the fourth stanza up by 13 points 61:48. Derrick Rose began
the final period four points in a row to silence the hosts. Then
Lamar Odom fired five consecutive points as the margin grew at
20-point mark. Turkey had nothing to answer and the teams cruised to
the final buzzer from that point. Lamar Odom provided 15 points and
11 rebounds for the winners.
Russell Westbrook added 13 points and 6 boards for the USA. Hedo
Turkoglu replied with 16 points for Turkey.
Semih Erden
(211-C-87) nailed 9 points in the loss.
Bronze Lithuania - Serbia
99-88
Lithuania took the World Championships Bronze. They outscored Serbia
in the consolation final tonight.
Linas Kleiza
(203-F-85, college:
Missouri) stepped up with impressive 33 points, 7 rebounds and 4
assists to pace the charge. Aleksandar Rasic opened the scoring a
three-pointer and Serbia maintained the lead throughout the first
frame.
Nenad Krstic (214-C-83) gave the Balkan team an 18:9 advantage
midway through the period. However Lithuania capped the quarter with
seven consecutive points and grabbed a 23:22 advantage.
Simas Jasaitis (202-F/G-82) triggered a 9:2 run from Lithuania
midway through the second quarter as they cleared off to a 32:26
advantage. The Baltic side boosted the margin to 13 points late in
the half before Aleksandar Rasic hit from downtown and Lithuania
trailed by 10 points at the interval.
Simas Jasaitis and Kleiza kept on pushing the lead up. Lithuania
enjoyed a 19-point cushion midway through the third stanza. The
Baltic team entered the fourth quarter up by 18 points 72:54. The
teams exchanged the baskets throughout the final period but
Lithuania remained well in control as they marched to the victory at
the end. Paulius Jankunas produced 15 points for the winners. Mantas
Kalnietis and
Simas Jasaitis added 14 points each for Lithuania.
Novica Velickovic
(205-F-86) answered with 18 points for Serbia. Marko Keselj
accounted for 12 points in the loss.
Place 5th Spain - Argentina
81-86
Argentina finished their World Championship campaign in the fifth
position. They knocked down Spain on the final day of the
tournament. Carlos Delfino unloaded 27 points to pace the effort.
Argentina got to a quick start. They led throughout the opening
frame. Oberto scored 6 points in ten minutes helping the Latin
American team to a 23:16 advantage after ten minutes. Jasen and
Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) opened a double-digit lead for Argentina
midway through the second period. Soon Argentina stretched the
margin to as many as 13 points 34:21. Delfino and Pablo Prigioni
extended the margin to 20 points 49:29.
Rudy Fernandez (197-G-85) capped the half with a three-pointer
as Spain trailed by 17 points 32:49. Argentina tipped off the second
half with a 10:2 rally to boost the margin. But Spain did not
surrender as they went on a massive 26:2 run to narrow the deficit
to just one point 60:61.
Luis Scola and Oberto answered for Argentina as they ensured a
65:62 lead with ten minutes to go.
Luis Scola began the fourth quarter with five points in a row as
Argentina cleared off once again.
Rudy Fernandez dragged Spain within two points 73:75 and later
knocked down four points to level things up at 80. However
Luis Scola and Pablo Prigioni stepped up with key points late in
regulation to seal the winning outcome for Argentina.
Luis Scola tallied 22 points and 11 rebounds for the winners.
Pablo Prigioni added 17 points, 7 assists and 5 boards for
Argentina.
Rudy Fernandez responded with 31 points and 8 caroms for Spain.
Marc Gasol contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
Turkey and USA to fight for the Gold - Sep.
11, 2010 Places 5-8 Spain - Slovenia
97-80
Spain survived a tough physical battle against Slovenia to claim the
victory at the end. They will now play for the fifth overall
position at the World Championship in Turkey. Slovenia will try to
earn the seventh position in tomorrows game.
Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) opened the scoring a three-pointer.
Slovenia used a 7:0 run midway through the frame to establish a 12:5
advantage. Spain did not pick up the slack as they trailed 16:23 at
the first intermission. The teams traded baskets early in the second
quarter.
Jaka Lakovic and Samo Udrih drained triples to give Slovenia a
41:32 advantage. But Alex Mumbru notched four points in a row and
Marc Gasol added two more as Spain cut the deficit at 3 points 38:41
at halftime. The teams went neck and neck throughout the third
quarter. The period saw several lead changes and ties. But
Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) proved the difference as he
ensured a 64:62 lead for Spain heading into the fourth quarter. The
teams continued to exchange the blows early in the fourth period.
But a couple of three-pointers from Sergio Llull gave Spain an 81:73
advantage. The Spaniards went on a 9:0 spree to take a 93:75 lead
just moments later and the game simply slipped away from the
Slovenian team. Spain cruised to the win in the dying seconds.
Juan Carlos Navarro provided 26 points and 7 assists for Spain.
Rudy Fernandez (197-G-85) and
Fran Vazquez (210-C-83) added 16 points apiece in the win.
Goran Dragic (194-G-86, agency:
Interperformances) and
Jaka Lakovic produced 19 points each for Slovenia.
Sani Becirovic
(195-G-81, agency:
Beo Basket) netted 13 points in the loss.
Russia - Argentina
61-73
Argentina reached the game for the fifth place at the World
Championships in Turkey. They fired past Russia to set up the clash
against Spain on the final day of the tournament. Russia will try to
gain the seventh place when they face Slovenia tomorrow. Argentina
got to a quick start.
Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) dominated the paint. He notched 8 points
in the first ten minutes and Argentina grabbed a 15:11 advantage.
Carlos Delfino (198-G-82) and Hernan Jasen opened the second
term with seven points in a row to increase the lead. However
Sergey Monya
(204-F-83) answered with three triples in a row as Russia narrowed
the margin.
Carlos Delfino, Fabricio Oberto and
Luis Scola gave the Latin American team back a 7-point
advantage. Bykov and Khvostov narrowed the deficit at just one point
late in the half.
Luis Scola capped the half with a lay-up as Argentina posted a
36:33 lead.
Carlos Delfino unloaded five straight points at the start of the
third quarter. But Russia tried to stay close.
Sergey Monya scored five points in a row and then
Timofey Mozgov
(216-C-86, agency:
RIZO) added two more as David Blatt team drew things level at
50.
Andrey Vorontsevich
(204-C-87) put Russia in front but Gutierrez crowned the period with
a three-pointer as Argentina entered the fourth stanza up by two
54:52.
Luis Scola knocked down 6 points early in the final period as
the Latin American team cleared off to a 7-point advantage. Russia
tried to deny the deficit but a couple of three-pointers from
Carlos Delfino iced the winning outcome for Argentina.
Luis Scola was back to his usual form as he knocked down 27
points and collected 6 rebounds.
Carlos Delfino added 26 points in the victory.
Sergey Monya answered with 17 points for Russia.
Andrey Vorontsevich and
Timofey Mozgov netted 10 points each in the loss.
Places 7-8 Slovenia - Russia
78-83
Russia clinched the 7th place at the World Championship in Turkey.
The team overcame Slovenia in the first game of Saturday.
Bostjan Nachbar
(207-G/F-80, agency:
Interperformances) brought his side the first points and
Sergey Monya responded with a three-pointer. Bykov later tied
the game at 5:5 and Dragic made the same for 8:8. Zhukanenko scored
for 17:14, while Slovenia produced a 6-0 run to take 20:17
advantage. Dragic later closed the opening quarter at 23:21 making a
three-pointer. The teams remained scoreless in the first three
minutes of the second period and only Fridzon broke the silence for
24:23 lead. Moreover Slovenia could not score for 6 minutes and only
Becirovic tied the game later at 26:26. Mozgov tied it again at
30:30, whilst Slovenia managed to win the rest of the quarter with
7-0 run. Brezec sent the teams to the lockers for 37:30 halftime
advantage. Mozgov opened the third frame with a lay-up and then
Sokar increased to 41:34. Udrih brought the biggest lead for his
team at 50:36, but Russia was too far to give up. They responded
with 7-0 run as Zhukanenko reduced to 50:43. Ponkrashov and Voronov
made the free throws for 57:52, while Becirovic closed the period at
59:52. Zupan was the first to score in the last frame as he gave
Slovenia 62:52. Later it was the decisive moment in the game as
Russia bounced back with 12-0 run to grab 64:62 deficit. Slovenia
could take the lead for some minutes but could not win. Fridzon tied
it all at 74:74 and Mozgov closed a 5-0 run for 79:74. He also made
the last free throws in the game to seal the victory with Russia.
Mozgov stepped up with 19 points for the winners and Fridzon nailed
18.
Sergey Monya ended up with 13 points in the winning effort.
Bostjan Nachbar replied with 20 points for Slovenia and Dragic
scored 15.
Uros Slokar
(210-F/C-83) and Becirovic finished the game with 12 points each in
defeat.
Semis Serbia - Turkey
82-83
Turkey survived heart-stopping dying seconds to nip Serbia in the
second semifinal of the World Championship tonight. The hosts will
now take on the undefeated Team USA in the championship game
tomorrow. Serbia will play against Lithuania for the Bronze.
Ilyasova was the first one to put his name on the scoreboard but
Serbia quickly responded. Tepic triggered a 12:4 run from the
visitors as they accumulated the lead midway through the opening
frame.
Hedo Turkoglu (206-F-79) scored five points in a row to level
things up at 15. Milos Teodosic knocked down five points late in the
period and Serbia ensured a 20:17 advantage.
Marko Keselj
(205-F-88, agency:
Beo Basket) tipped off the second term with a lay-up as Serbia
pulled in front. Guler pulled Turkey within just one point midway
through the period.
Dusko Savanovic
(204-F/C-83, agency:
Beo Basket) this time came up for the Serbian team as he
restored an 8-point advantage.
Omer Onan (194-G-78), Ilyasova and Asik narrowed the gap back to
3 points but
Nenad Krstic (214-C-83) and
Marko Keselj secured a 42:35 lead for Serbia at halftime. Erden
opened the second half converting a three-point play.
Hedo Turkoglu, Ilyasova and
Omer Onan all scored in an 8:2 run from the home team as they
drew things level at 46. But Milos Teodosic immediately sparked an
8:0 reply from the Serbian team as they cleared off to a safe
distance once again.
Omer Onan and Erden tried to keep Turkey within striking
distance. Ender Arslan and Gonlum helped Turkey as close as two
points before
Dusko Savanovic sent the teams into the fourth quarter with
Serbia up by three 63:60.
Nenad Krstic and
Marko Keselj boosted the lead back to 5 points midway through
the fourth term. Milos Teodosic made it an 8-point game however
Kerem Tunceri sparked a 14:3 run from the hosts as they posted a
78:75 advantage with just over three minutes remaining.
Dusko Savanovic hit two free throws, while Ender Arslan answered
with just one as Serbia trailed by two with 78 seconds to go.
Nenad Krstic and
Marko Keselj followed with three freebies to put the visitors
back in front 80:79. Erden and Velickovic exchanged baskets as
Serbia stayed up with four seconds remaining. Kerem Tunceri
penetrated into the paint and converted an easy lay-up to put the
hosts on top with just a second to go. Velickovic tried to win the
game for Serbia but got blocked by Erden and Turkey celebrated an
incredible victory at the end.
Hedo Turkoglu produced 16 points to lead the effort.
Omer Onan added 14 points in the victory.
Marko Keselj answered with 18 points and 7 rebounds for Serbia.
Dusko Savanovic and
Nenad Krstic came up with 15 points each in the loss.
USA - Lithuania
89-74
Team USA entered the title game at the World Championship in Turkey.
They stopped the winning streak of the surprising Lithuania in the
semis tonight.
Kevin Durant (206-G/F-88, college:
Texas) was unstoppable for the USA with 38 points and 9
rebounds. Lithuania opened the game with four points in a row.
Kevin Durant opened the scoring for the USA but
Robertas Javtokas
(211-C-80, agency:
Interperformances, college:
Arizona) kept Lithuania in charge. The Baltic team maintained
the lead till
Kevin Durant sparked a 12:0 run from the USA as they posted a
21:11 advantage. Kevin Love capped the period with a lay-up as Team
USA went up by 11 points 23:12.
Robertas Javtokas and
Martynas Pocius (196-G-86, agency:
Interperformances, college:
Duke) dragged Lithuania within 8 midway through the second
period but it was
Kevin Durant who stepped up for the North American team once
again. He notched five points late in the half to boost his tally to
impressive 24 points and gave his team a 42:27 halftime advantage.
Maciulis opened the second half wit a three-pointer but Odom equally
answered on the other end. Mantas Kalnietis dragged Lithuania within
ten points but the USA answered with a 9:0 run to open a 19-point
advantage. The Baltic team did not surrender as they came up with
eight points in a row to narrow the deficit. The teams traded
baskets late in the quarter and Kevin Love uttered the last word
giving Team USA a 65:53 cushion before the fourth stanza. Maciulis
cut the margin to 10 points at the start of the final term but the
USA quickly boosted the gap back to 14 points.
Kevin Durant hit a pair of jumpers to keep Lithuania at bay and
the United States coasted to the victory at the end.
Lamar Odom (208-F-79, college:
Rhode Island) accounted for 13 points and 10 rebounds in the
win.
Russell Westbrook (191-G-88, college:
UCLA) contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds for the USA.
Robertas Javtokas answered with 15 points and 9 boards for
Lithuania.
Martynas Pocius had 13 points in the loss.
USA and Lithuania are through into the
semifinals - Sep. 9, 2010
Turkey - Slovenia
95-68
Turkey eased into the semifinal stage of the World Championship. The
hosts of the tournament knocked down Slovenia in the second
quarterfinal today. Turkey will face Serbia for the ticket into the
championship game. The lead changed hands for several times early in
the encounter. But soon Turkey went on an 11:1 run to take a 17:11
advantage. The hosts simply refused to miss shots as the margin grew
at 27:14 at the break.
Uros Slokar
(210-F/C-83) opened the second term with a dunk but Sina
Sinan Guler (193-G-83, agency:
1x1 Sports, college:
Carroll (MT)) came up with two triples to keep Turkey rolling.
Arslan and
Ersan Ilyasova (207-F-87) added two more trebles to give the
home team a 41:21 lead midway through the second term.
Primoz Brezec
(216-F/C-79) and
Sani Becirovic
(195-G-81, agency:
Beo Basket) tried to keep Slovenia in the game but Turkey found
the answer for any bucket from Mehmet Becirovic team. Turkey
established a 50:31 advantage at the interval.
Omer Onan (194-G-78) and Tunceri ensured a quick start for
Turkey in the second half. The hosts kept a firm control over the
game. Turkey did not allow their opponents closer than 18 points and
entered the fourth quarter up by 28 points 71:43. Turkey easily kept
their opponents at safe distance throughout the fourth frame and
celebrated a well-deserved win at the end.
Ersan Ilyasova provided 19 points to pace the hosts.
Sinan Guler added 12 points, while
Hedo Turkoglu (206-F-79) and
Omer Onan added 10 points each in the win.
Sani Becirovic and
Bostjan Nachbar
(207-G/F-80, agency:
Interperformances) netted 16 points each for Slovenia.
Uros Slokar and
Primoz Brezec finished with 10 points apiece in the loss.
USA - Russia
89-79
Team USA have made it into the World Championship semifinals. They
outlasted Russia today to earn the spot in the next round. Russia
will now have to fight for the fifth spot in the qualifying round.
Sergey Bykov
(190-G-83) opened the game with a three-pointer to set the tone.
Lamar Odom and
Kevin Durant (206-G/F-88, college:
Texas) quickly put the USA in front 6:3 but Russia stayed close.
Sergey Bykov returned the lead to David Blatt team and the lead
changed for several times throughout the period. Timofey Mozgov
capped the opening frame with a lay-up to draw things level at 25.
Khvostov and
Andrey Vorontsevich
(204-C-87) gave Russia a 4-point lead for Russia early in the second
term.
Sergey Bykov ensured a 35:30 advantage for Russia midway through
the period. The USA went on a 12:0 run to take a 42:35 advantage
with just over a minute to go in the half.
Andrey Vorontsevich finally stopped the bleeding for Russia with
a jumpe.
Kevin Durant converted a lay-up but Kaun crowned the first half
with a bucket as the USA led by just five points at halftime 44:39.
The USA quickly cleared off to an 8-point lead early in the third
stanza. Five straight points put the North Americans ahead by 11
points midway through the quarter. Soon
Russell Westbrook (191-G-88, college:
UCLA) and Lamar Odom ensured a 15-point buffer for the team.
Russia could not get too close and faced a 14-point deficit with ten
minutes remaining. Russia narrowed the deficit at 13-point mark
early in the final stanza but the USA kept it cool and quickly
boosted the gap at an 18-point mark. Russia were able to narrow the
distance in the dying moments but never seriously threatened the
margin as the USA rallied to the victory.
Kevin Durant was unstoppable for the USA with 33 points and 5
boards.
Chauncey Billups (191-G-76, college:
Colorado) added 15 points and 5 assists, while
Russell Westbrook finished with 12 points in the victory.
Sergey Bykov answered with 17 points for Russia.
Andrey Vorontsevich accounted for 14 points and 12 rebounds
before getting injured late in the game.
Lithuania - Argentina
104-85
Lithuania posted the seventh straight win at the World Championships
in Turkey. They rallied past Argentina at the quarterfinal stage of
the tournament. The Baltic team stepped up with almost perfect
performance against the Latin American powerhouse to set up an
exciting clash with the USA in the semis. The lead changed hands for
numerous times early in the encounter. But then
Martynas Pocius (196-G-86, agency:
Interperformances, college:
Duke) and
Simas Jasaitis (202-F/G-82) hit back-to-back three-pointers to
trigger an 8:0 run from the Lithuanian team as they posted a 17:10
lead. Lithuania gradually piled up a 10-point lead 28:18. The Baltic
team went on a 6:0 run to open a 35:20 lead midway through the
second quarter. Argentina got within 11 but Lithuania continued to
dominate.
Linas Kleiza
(203-F-85, college:
Missouri), Jonas Maciulis and
Simas Jasaitis all connected from beyond the arc to ensure a
44:28 lead for Lithuania. Mantas Kalnietis capped the half with a
tip-in and the Baltic team secured a 50:30 halftime advantage.
Lithuania opened the second half with six points in a row to silence
Argentina.
Simas Jasaitis soon opened a 30-point advantage for Lithuania.
Argentine finally had the shots dropping from beyond the arc as they
narrowed the gap to 21 points. But Lithuania struck right back and
posted a 32-point lead heading into the fourth quarter 85:53. The
Baltic team were well in control of their fate in the fourth stanza.
Argentina looked disorganized and stunned as the teams cruised to
the final buzzer. Seven Lithuanian players scored in double figures.
Simas Jasaitis led the charge with 19 points.
Linas Kleiza added 17 points and 9 rebounds, while
Martynas Pocius had 16 in the win.
Carlos Delfino (198-G-82) answered with game-high 25 points for
Argentina.
Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) had just 13 points in the losing effort.
Serbia - Spain
92-89
We will have the new World Champions. Serbia have ended Spanish
title defense hopes with a heart-stopping victory in the first
quarterfinal today.
Milos Teodosic
(195-G-87) hit a long three-pointer with less then four seconds to
go in regulation to propel Serbia to a dramatic victory.
Novica Velickovic
(205-F-86) set things rolling with a three-pointer. The teams
eagerly traded baskets early in the game. Bjelica and
Novica Velickovic triggered a 10:0 run for the Serbian team as
they gained a 23:13 lead. But quick eight points from
Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) helped Spain to trim a deficit at
just four points 23:27 at the first break. Nenad Krstic opened the
scoring in the second period but Alex Mumbru and Sergio Llull
knocked down five consecutive points as Spain cut the distance at
just one point 28:29.
Marko Keselj
(205-F-88, agency:
Beo Basket),
Milos Teodosic and
Dusko Savanovic
(204-F/C-83, agency:
Beo Basket) boosted the margin back to 7 points as Serbia stayed
in control. Marc Gasol and
Jorge Garbajosa (205-C/F-77, agency:
Interperformances) narrowed the distance back to four points but
Spain could not get any closer. Krstic and
Marko Keselj ensured a 49:41 lead for Serbia at halftime. Spain
stormed into the second half. They scored ten points in a row to
take a 51:49 lead.
Marko Keselj finally stopped the rot hitting a trey for Serbia.
The teams exchanged the baskets then with neither side able to take
a comfortable lead.
Novica Velickovic and
Dusko Savanovic gave the Serbian side a 65:62 lead. Fran Vazquez
and Nenad Krstic traded baskets late in the period as Serbia entered
the fourth period up by three points 67:64.
Dusko Savanovic and
Marko Keselj tipped off the fourth quarter with five points in a
row as Serbia cleared off again. Fran Vazquez and Ricky Rubio tried
to keep Spain within striking distance but
Dusko Savanovic was unstoppable as he gave Dusan Ivkovic team a
77:69 advantage.
Juan Carlos Navarro and Rudy Fernandez dragged Spain within
three points but Nenad Krstic and
Dusko Savanovic replied almost immediately to put Serbia up by 8
points 86:78.
Jorge Garbajosa, Marc Gasol and Rudy Fernandez triggered a 6:0
run from the Spaniards as they narrowed the deficit to just two
points with just over two minutes remaining.
Marko Keselj drained an unbelievable three-pointer to put Serbia
up by five but
Juan Carlos Navarro and Marc Gasol replied with five consecutive
points to draw things level at 89 with 25 seconds remaining.
Milos Teodosic handled the ball in the dying seconds and then
exploded from way downtown to put Serbia in front.
Jorge Garbajosa committed a turnover in the next possession and
Serbia celebrated a tough win at the end.
Marko Keselj and
Novica Velickovic knocked down 17 points each to lead Serbia.
Dusko Savanovic added 15 points in the winning case.
Juan Carlos Navarro replied with 27 points for Spain.
Jorge Garbajosa notched 18 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.
Argentina and Lithuania complete
Quarterfinal picture - Sep. 7, 2010
Serbia - Croatia
73-72
The Balkan battle opened the Eight Finals of the World Championship.
Serbia became the first Quarter finalist beating Croatia 73:72 in a
thriller. Serbia started with 5-0 run, but could not kept the lead
in the opening quarter. Bogdanovic Bojan tied it at 5:5, while Ukic
Roko-Leni brought his side 12:9. Bogdanovic Bojan increased to
20:13, while Loncar Kresimir made it 27:19 at the end of the period.
Perovic Kosta opened the second period with a dunk and Tepic Milenko
reduced to 27:23. Moreover Perovic Kosta pulled Serbia to 29:29
making another dunk. Keselj Marko with a three gave them 34:32 and
Nenad Krstic (214-C-83) made 36:34. Actually that was the end of
the first half, however the Battle continued in the court. Rasic
Aleksandar started the third frame with a three-pointer for 37:36
and
Nenad Krstic made two free-throws for 39:36. Ukic Roko-Leni tied
it all at 40:40 and Bogdanovic Bojan brought Croatia 42:41. The
squads exchanged the leads several times until the end of the
quarter and Macvan Milan scored for 54:50 for Serbia. The last frame
became the most interesting in the game. Tomas Marko reduced it to
54:52 and Tomas Marko scored for 56:54. Serbia created a 5-0 run for
61:54, but the game was not over.
Marko Popovic
(185-G-82, college:
S.Idaho JC) nailed three in reply for 64:60, while Banic Marko n
a row for 67:65.
Marko Popovic reduced to 68:67 with 24 seconds in the game and
he also scored for 70:69. Tomas Marko an unbelievable steal and
passed again to
Marko Popovic that made one free throw for 70:70. Rasic
Aleksandar drove a lay-up for 72:70, while again
Marko Popovic reduced to 72:72 with 5 seconds in the game. Rasic
Aleksandar was however fouled and made one free throw for the final
success.
Nenad Krstic paced all the winners with 16 points and Rasic
Aleksandar added 15. Perovic Kosta netted 10 and Macvan Milan scored
8.
Marko Popovic had a great night in defeat finishing with 21
points for Croatia. Ukic Roko-Leni posted 11 and Banic Marko poured
in 10.
Spain - Greece
80-72
Spain and Greece closed the first day of the Eighth Final Round and
knew that the winner would face Serbia later in the stage. Spain
grabbed valuable 80:72 win in Istanbul.
Nikolaos Zisis
(195-G-83) opened the game with a jump shot and Diamantidis
Dimitrios increased the lead to 4:0.
Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) tied the game at 6:6 and
Garbajosa Jorge made the same at 11:11. Greece however replied with
6-0 run as
Nikolaos Zisis closed it at 17:11, while
Nikolaos Zisis also scored for 18:14. Llull Sergio and Lopez
Raul meanwhile put Spain in front at 20:19 and Reyes Felipe closed
the period at 22:19. Bourousis, Ioannis opened the second period and
Vazquez Fran made it 24:21. Spain scored another four points in a
row as Rubio Ricky brought 28:21. Greece answered with 6-0 run and
Schortsanitis Sofoklis cut it to 28:27. Spain later responded with
7-0 run and grabbed 37:29 with less than two minutes in the first
half. Spanoulis was the last to score in the second frame to reduce
the gap to 37:31. The third quarter belonged to Greece that produced
a good long-range shots. They opened the game with 8-0 run as Fotsis
Antonios nailed three for 38:37. Diamantidis Dimitrios posted
another three for 41:41 and
Nikolaos Zisis scored for 49:45. Fernandez Rudy replied with a
three for 51:48, while Spain scored the last four points in the
frame to take 52:51 advantage. Diamantidis Dimitrios scored from the
perimeter to open the last quarter and Vazquez Fran tied the game at
54:54. Reyes Felipe and Llull Sergio gave Spain 58:54 and then
Schortsanitis Sofoklis drove a lay-up for 58:56. Fernandez Rudy
nailed three for 61:57 and Greece needed Timeout with 4 minutes to
go. Reyes Felipe closed a 6-0 run for 67:57 and
Juan Carlos Navarro nailed three for 70:60. Schortsanitis
reduced to 70:63 and Schortsanitis Sofoklis cut it to 72:66 with a
minute in the quarter. Spanoulis brought 72:68, but Rubio Ricky made
two free throws for 74:68.
Juan Carlos Navarro was also perfect from the line to give Spain
76:68, while Calathes could make only one. Llull Sergio and Fotsis
Antonios exchanged the baskets at the end as Spain qualified to 1/4
Finals.
Juan Carlos Navarro paced all the winners with 22 points,
Fernandez Rudy netted 14 and Llull Sergio added 9.
Nikolaos Zisis and Diamantidis Dimitrios replied with 16 points
each, whilst Schortsanitis Sofoklis posted 13.
Turkey - France
95-77
Turkey have reached the quarterfinal stage at the home World
Championship. They knocked down France to make it into the next
stage of the tournament. Turkey will next face Slovenia for the
ticket into the semis.
Omer Asik
(213-C-86) and Hedo Turkoglu ensured a quick start for Turkey.
France found the way to answer as Les Bleus surged ahead 10:9 midway
through the first frame. However Ilyasova and Arslan ensured a 19:14
lead for the hosts at the first break. Things got much better for
Turkey in the second period. Arslan hit a three-pointer to give the
home team a double-digit lead. Nando De Colo and Pietrus dragged
France within 6 points but Sinan Guler and Savas secured a 35:24
lead for Turkey. Ilyasova and Savas made it 43:28 at halftime. Hedo
Turkoglu opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers.
Omer Asik and Onan followed with four points in a row as Turkey
went on a run.
Nicolas Batum
(201-F-88) drained a trey to stop bleeding for France. Turkey
answered with five straight points as they increased a cushion to as
many as 27 points.
Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw struck from downtown as France got
closer. Bokolo executed two free throws and Les Bleus narrowed the
deficit at 21-point mark. The hosts immediately replied with five
consecutive points and Turkey rallied to a 71:45 advantage with ten
minutes to go.
Nicolas Batum began the final term with four points in a row.
Koffi and Gelabale narrowed the distance back to 21 points. Turkey
calmly replied with 7 straight points and never looked back en route
to the victory. Hedo Turkoglu knocked down 20 points to lead Turkey.
Sinan Guler accounted for 17 points in the victory. Boris Diaw
replied with 21 points for France. Nando De Colo canned 15 points in
the losing effort.
Slovenia - Australia
87-58
Slovenia showed the highest level of concentration and determination
as they shocked Australia at the World Championship eighth-finals.
The European side dominated from start to finish to book their spot
at the quarterfinals. Jaka Lakovic knocked down 19 points to pace
the effort. Australia got to an awful start to the game. Slovenia
kept their opponents scoreless for more than six minutes building a
12:0 lead. Joe Ingles finally broke the draught for the Boomers but
Slovenia stayed in control. Sani Becirovic capped the half with two
free throws to give the European team a 16:8 lead. Sani Becirovic
and Jaka Lakovic opened the second frame with back-to-back
three-pointers to boost the lead. As Australia struggled to hit
shots from the field Slovenia kept gradually enlarging the lead.
Goran Dragic (194-G-86, agency:
Interperformances) and Jaka Lakovic gave Slovenia a 42:21
advantage at halftime. David Andersen tipped off the third quarter
with three points in a row and it seemed the Boomers gained the
momentum. But
Primoz Brezec
(216-F/C-79) and Nachbar teamed up for several cooling shots as
Slovenia quickly built a 26-point advantage. Vidmar, Jaka Lakovic
and Miha Zupan made it a 28-point game for Slovenia late in the
period. Australia entered the fourth quarter down by 26 points
45:71. Jaka Lakovic and Goran Jagodnik connected from beyond the arc
in the first part of the fourth quarter as Slovenia easily kept
their opponents at bay. No miracle arrived for Australia at the
dying stages as Slovenia coasted to the win at the end.
Primoz Brezec scored 12 points for Slovenia.
Goran Dragic accounted for 10 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds
in the win. Patrick Mills and Joe Ingles netted 13 points each for
Australia. Matt Nielsen finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds in
the loss.
USA - Angola
121-66
U.S. of America easily reached the Quarterfinals as they smashed the
African side. USA won 121:66 and advanced to the next stage at the
World Championship in Turkey. Billups and Durant opened the game for
the winners and Lutonda was the first to score for Angola. Moreover
Gomes Joaquim reduced to 5:4, while USA exploded with 7-0 run for a
bigger lead. Durant nailed three for 22:7 and Love netted three in a
row for 29:9. USA continued to play offensive and reached 33:13 as
Westbrook made two free throws. Gay Rudy opened the second period
with a lay-up and Love Kevin netted three for 38:13. Fortes Roberto
responded with a three for Angola, while Gomes Joaquim reduced to
42:18. Angola also managed to score five points later in a row and
cut it to 44:23. Durant brought back 51:25, whilst
Chauncey Billups (191-G-76, college:
Colorado) scored from the perimeter for 55:28. Chandler Tyson
was perfect from the free throw line, while Angola again scored five
consecutive points to cut it to 57:35. USA replied with the same run
as
Chauncey Billups brought 62:35. Durant closed the period at
65:38 making another three-pointer.
Derrick Rose (193-G-88, college:
Memphis) followed him with two threes in the start of the third
period and gave USA 71:38.
Chauncey Billups scored another one for 71:40, while Odom Lamar
posted for 76:42. Iguodala Andre made a dunk for 83:49 and Gordon
Eric nailed three for 89:52. Lutonda Miguel bounced back with 4
points in a row to give 89:54, while Curry Stephen closed the
quarter at 91:56. Morais Carlos scored for 94:58 and Almeida Carlos
netted three for 96:61. Westbrook gave USA three digit number at
101:61. Gordon Eric nailed another three-pointer for 106:63 and
Mingas Eduardo reduced to 106:65. Morais Carlos gave Angola their
last points with more than 4 minutes in the game. USA finished the
game with 11-0 run to seal the victory.
Chauncey Billups paced all the winners with 19 points, while Gay
Rudy, Durant and Gordon Eric posted 17 each. Gomes Joaquim ended up
with 21 points in the losing effort. Ambrosio Felizardo nailed 12,
while Fortes Roberto scored 11.
Russia - New Zealand
78-56
Russia executed brilliantly defensively and overcame New Zealand in
the eighth-final round of the World Championship. They will now face
the USA in what should be exciting quarterfinal clash in Turkey.
Thomas Abercrombie opened the scoring count in this one. Vitaly
Fridzon quickly answered but the Kiwis accounted for next seven
points and surged in front.
Timofey Mozgov
(216-C-86, agency:
RIZO) and Vitaly Fridzon erased the deficit and drew things
level at 11 late in the opening frame. But Penney helped the Tall
Blacks to a 15:13 lead at the first break. Phill Jones opened the
second term with a three-pointer but Russia were ready for the Kiwi
challenge. They tightened their defense and paid off. Russia went on
a 13:0 run to take a 29:21 lead midway through the period. Thomas
Abercrombie finally scored for New Zealand and then Phill Jones
followed to narrow the gap. Pero Cameron and Thomas Abercrombie
dragged New Zealand within four points at halftime 27:31. New
Zealand got within two points early in the third term but Russia
quickly grabbed some room to breathe. Vorentsevich had a great term
for David Blatt team as he helped Russia earn a 48:35 advantage.
Timofey Mozgov and
Anton Ponkrashov
(200-G-86) allowed Russia to establish a 51:35 lead with under two
minutes to go in the period. But New Zealand bridged the quarters
with an 8:0 rally to get within 8 points. Vorontevich drained a
jumper to keep Russia in charge. Voronsevich and
Timofey Mozgov just tore up the Kiwis defense in the paint to
keep their team well in charge. And though Kirk Penney kept scoring
for the Tall Blacks in the dying moments Russia kept on finding
proper answers every time as they rolled to the victory at the end.
Vorontsecivh tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Russia.
Timofey Mozgov added 16 points and 7 rebounds for the winners.
Kirk Penney answered with 21 points for the Tall Blacks. Thomas
Abercrombie netted 13 points in the loss.
Lithuania - China
78-67
Lithuania used all of their experience and class to outlast China at
the eighth-final stage of the World Championship. The Baltic team
will now take on the winners of Brazil vs. Argentina clash. China
opened the game on an 11:3 run. Yue Sun gave the Asian powerhouse a
16:5 lead midway through the frame. Lithuania managed to narrow the
deficit at just 2-point margin late in the starting quarter. Liu Wei
drained a three-pointer giving China a 22:17 advantage at the break.
Jianlian Yi and Yue Sun ensured a 29:20 lead for China early in the
second term. Lithuania went on a 16:2 rally to surge ahead 36:31.
The teams exchanged the baskets throughout the reminder of the half
as the Baltic team secured a 43:40 lead at halftime. Shipeng Wang
and Jianlian Yi tied things up at 45 early in the second half. But
Martynas Gecevicius hit a pair of three-pointers to spark a 10:0 run
from Lithuania as they restored a 59:48 advantage. The Baltic side
entered the fourth quarter up by 13 points 64:51.
Linas Kleiza
(203-F-85, college:
Missouri) opened the fourth stanza with a layup as Lithuania
gained a 15-point advantage. Liu Wei sparked intrigue in this one as
he dragged the Chinese team within 6 points. However
Linas Kleiza knocked down four points to keep Lithuania at a
comfortable distance. The forward notched 13 points in the final
stanza to give no chance for China in this one.
Linas Kleiza finished the game with 30 points and 9 rebounds for
Lithuania. Martynas Gecevicius added 14 points in the winning
effort. Liu Wei replied with 21 points for China. Jianlian Yi and
Wang ZhiZhi had 11 points each in the loss.
Argentina - Brazil
93-89
Argentina survived a heart-stopping drama at the eighth-final stage
of the World Championship in Turkey. They held off their archrivals
Brazil in a thrilling battle in Istanbul to advance into the
quarterfinals. Argentina will next face Lithuania.
Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) came up with an amazing performance
tallying 37 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists for the winners. The
teams opened the game in a wild tempo. The baskets just kept on
dropping in the first quarter. The lead changed hands for numerous
times before Marcelinho Huertas leveled things up at 25. Prigioni
and
Luis Scola gave Argentina a 34:30 lead midway through the second
quarter. But Brazil stayed close. Marcelinho Machado scored 8 points
as the South American champions stayed within striking distance.
Marcelinho Huertas capped the first half with 6 points in a row as
Brazil surged ahead 48:46. Brazil opened the second half with five
points in a row to establish a 53:46 advantage. Luis
Luis Scola and Carlos Delfino helped Argentina struck right back
as they narrowed the deficit to just two points.
Luis Scola knocked down five points late in the third term and
Carlos Delfino added two more as the teams entered the fourth
quarter tied at 66.
Leandrinho Barbosa (190-G-82) notched back-to-back
three-pointers to open the fourth quarter but Hernan Jasen replied
with his own two triples to level things up. Gutierrez and Hernan
Jasen put Argentina in front 79:75 midway through the period. Luis
Luis Scola stretched the gap to 6 points 85:79 with just over
two minutes remaning. But Marcelinho Huertas and Marcelinho Machado
teamed up for quick five points as Brazil cut the distance at one
point 84:85. Luis
Luis Scola stepped up with next four points and Argentina posted
an 89:84 lead with 24 seconds to go. Splitter converted a lay-up but
Carlos Delfino responded with two free throws to keep the distance
between the teams. Marcelinho Huertas kept the hope alive for Brazil
with a wild trey but Luis
Luis Scola calmly hit both free throws and iced the dramatic win
for Argentina. Carlos Delfino notched 20 points for the winners.
Hernan Jasen added 15 points in the victory. Marcelinho Huertas
netted 32 points for Brazil.
Leandrinho Barbosa accounted for 20 points in the losing effort.
The End of the Preliminary Round - Sep.
3, 2010 Group A
Angola - Australia
55-76
Australia recorded the third win at the World Championship
preliminary round. They shot down Angola to improve at 3-2 record in
Group A. Angola slipped at 2-3 record and set up an eighth-final
clash against the USA. It was Angola who looked better in the
opening frame. The African powerhouse kept the Aussies at bay.
Angola established an 18:15 lead after ten minutes. Felizardo
Ambrosio and Paulo helped Angola to a 7-point advantage at the start
of the second quarter. But then
Matt Nielsen
(208-F/C-78, agency:
Beo Basket) sparked an 11:0 run from the Boomers as they spurred
in front. Australia looked dominant at the moments as Martin ensured
a 39:27 advantage for the Aussies late in the half. Miguel Lutonda
and Felizardo Ambrosio bridged the quarters with four points as
Angola tried to stay within striking distance.
Vladimir Jeronimo (193-F-78) dragged Angola even closer but
Australia responded with a 9:0 run as they accumulated a 48:33 lead.
Angola could not adjust their defense as they entered the fourth
frame trailing by as many as 22 points 38:60. The African never came
near close to Australia in the final quarter as the Boomers coasted
to the victory at the end. Patrick Mills knocked down 11 points to
lead balanced offensive effort from Australia.
Matt Nielsen added 9 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists for the
winners.
Vladimir Jeronimo and Miguel Lutonda had 9 points apiece for
Angola. Joaquim Gomes had 8 points in the loss.
Argentina - Serbia
82-84
Serbia narrowly defeated Argentina in the final game of the
preliminary round at the World Championship tonight. Serbia overcame
another stellar performance from
Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) to tame previously undefeated Argentina.
The victory allowed Serbia to win Group A. It was a close game from
start to finish. Argentina got to the better start as they were up
16:4 midway through the first frame. Pablo Prigioni and
Luis Scola gave the Latin American team a 20:7 advantage but
Serbia scored next seven points to get closer. They managed to
narrow the deficit at just two-point mark at the break 20:22.
Luis Scola opened the second term with six points in a row as
Argentina were back in the drivers seat. Milos Teodosic nailed 7
points in a 9:0 run from Serbia as they surged in front 31:30. The
lead changed hands for several times before Markovic sealed the
first half outcome at 40:39 for Serbia. Jasen tipped off the second
half with a triple as Argentina once again returned the lead. Serbia
bounced back as they drove at 58:54 lead with ten minutes to go.
Dusko Savanovic
(204-F/C-83, agency:
Beo Basket) and Nenad Krstic notched four consecutive points at
the beginning of the fourth stanza and Serbia accumulated a 62:54
lead. Nenad Krstic gave the European team a 9-point cushion midway
through the fourth term 67:58. But Priogioni, Gutierrez and
Luis Scola trimmed the deficit at just three points 72:75 with
just over two minutes to go. Quinteros drained a three-pointer as
the teams appeared tied at 75. Nenad Krstic and
Luis Scola exchanged points but then
Dusko Savanovic hit a trey to ensure an 80:77 lead for Serbia
with 18 seconds remaining. Rasic then knocked down four free throws
in the dying seconds to ice the victory for Serbia.
Dusko Savanovic provided 19 points for Serbia. Nenad Krstic
added 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Milos Teodosic had 16 points
in the win.
Luis Scola tallied game-high 32 points and 7 rebounds for
Argentina. Carlos Delfino and Pablo Prigioni finished with 13 points
apiece in the losing effort.
Jordan - Germany
73-91
Germany beat Jordan, both are out of 1/8 Finals of the World
Championship in Turkey. The European side won 91:73 in the last game
for both teams this year. Germany was the favorite of the game and
needed the win to somehow forget the loss from Angola last night.
They started with 7:3 as Pleiss scored all the points for them.
Benzing Robin brought 12:6 and
Tibor Pleiss
(214-F/C-89) again scored for 16:9. Daghles Osama nailed three to
close the opening quarter at 28:17.
Enver Soobzokov (198-G/F-78, college:
Cal.St.-San Bernar.) opened the second quarter from the
perimeter and Abbas Zaid reduced to 32:22. Moreover Alkhas, Zaid
nailed three for 34:33 midway through the quarter. Germany needed
7-0 run as Jagla was the last to score in the half for 40:33.
Tibor Pleiss and Alkhas Zaid exchanged the shots for 42:36 and
Jagla increased to 50:41. Staiger Lucca made it 56:43, while
McNaughton Christopher scored for 65:48. Daghles Osama brought the
last points in the third period as the board showed 67:50 for the
European team. Schwethelm Philipp and
Enver Soobzokov nailed threes for the teams in the start of the
fourth period and Ohlbrecht Tim gave the winners 74:58. Staiger
Lucca was the last player in his team to score in the game for 91,
while Hussein Mohammad made the last shot in the game.
Tibor Pleiss top-scored for the winners with 23 points and
Staiger Lucca netted 16. Jagla posted 14 and McNaughton Christopher
added 12. Daghles Osama delivered 22 points in the losing case and
Wright Rasheim notched 14.
Enver Soobzokov and Alkhas Zaid poured in 12 apiece as Jordan
lost all five games.
Group B
USA - Tunisia
92-57
USA celebrated the fifth straight win at the World Championship in
Turkey. They cruised past Tunisia today to finish the preliminary
round on top of Group B. Tunisia finished the tournament winless.
Eric Gordon
(193-G-88, college:
Indiana) unloaded 21 points to lead the winners. USA will now
face Angola in the eighth-finals on Monday. Rzig ensured a memorable
start for Tunisia as he scored four points in a row. Kevin Durant
needed to score five straight points for the USA to take the lead at
11:8. The North American team cleared off to a 19:13 advantage at
the first intermission.
Stephen Curry (191-G-88, college:
Davidson) opened a double-digit lead for the USA midway through
the second quarter. Marouana Kechrid and Hadidane hit a bunch of
three-pointers as Tunisia pulled within two 31:33 late in the half.
Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook capped the half with four
consecutive points as the North Americans ensured a 39:33 halftime
advantage. The USA used a 10:2 run midway through the third term to
accumulate a 55:41 advantage.
Eric Gordon and
Stephen Curry unloaded back-to-back trebles as the margin grew
at 19-point mark. Tunisia came up with only 11 points in the final
stanza as the USA coasted to the victory. Kevin Durant and Russell
Westbrook notched 14 points each for the USA.
Stephen Curry knocked down 13 points in the victory. Marouana
Kechrid replied with 15 points for Tunisia. Makram Ben Romdhane
added 11 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.
Slovenia - Iran
65-60
Slovenia withheld a late rally from Iran to record the fourth win at
the World Championship.
Goran Dragic (194-G-86, agency:
Interperformances) knocked down 18 points as Slovenia clinched
the second position in preliminary Group B. They will now face
Australia at the eighth-final stage. Iran wrapped up their campaign
at 1-4 record in the fifth position in the ladder. Slovenia opened
the game with seven quick points. They stayed in control and won the
opening period 19:6. Iran looked much more aggressive in the second
quarter. They went on a 13:2 run to draw things level at 23.
Goran Dragic replied with five consecutive points as Slovenia
accumulated a 28:23 lead at halftime. Miha Zupan and Bostjan Nachbar
stretched the gap to 10 points early in the third term. Slovenia
dictated the tempo in the third stanza as they boosted the gap to as
many as 17 points. Slovenia posted a 52:34 lead at the third
intermission. But Iran were not about to surrender that easily. A
pair of three-pointers from Hamed Haddadi and Davarpanah gave a
needed boost for the Asian team. Arsalan Kazemi fired from beyond
the arc and Iran went on a 14:2 run to get within five. And it was
only the buzzer that stopped Iran from catching up with Slovenia.
Miha Zupan netted 15 points for the winners. Sani Becirovic and
Bostjan Nachbar produced 10 points each in the victory. Hamed
Haddadi replied with 15 points and 7 rebounds for Iran. Arsalan
Kazemi finished with 13 points and 14 boards in the loss.
Brazil - Croatia
92-74
Brazil wrapped up the preliminary round at the World championship
with victory. They held off Croatia to occupy the third position in
Group B. Brazil will now take on Argentina in the South American
classico at the eighth-final stage of the tournament. Croatia
occupied the fourth place and set up a Balkan derby against Serbia
in the playoffs. Brazil opened the game with seven points in a row.
Croatia got closer but Brazil did not allow their opponents to pull
in charge. The Latin American team dominated as they posted a 22:19
lead after ten minutes. Marcelinho Machado knocked down two
three-pointers during an 8:0 run from Brazil as they earned a 36:24
lead midway through the second quarter. Brazil rallied to a
comfortable 48:35 halftime advantage.
Leandrinho Barbosa (190-G-82) nailed 6 points to spark a 9:0 run
from the Latin American team at the start of the third quarter. They
cruised throughout the frame and entered the final stanza up by as
many as 22 points 72:50. Croatia got within 15 in the fourth quarter
but it was as close as they could get as Brazil drove to a confident
victory. Marcelinho Machado delivered 18 points for Brazil.
Leandrinho Barbosa notched 17 points, while
Alexandre Garcia (191-G-80, agency:
Interperformances) added 15 in the win. Marko Popovic replied
with 15 points for Croatia. Kresimir Loncar netted 12 points in the
loss.
Group C
Puerto Rico - Ivory Coast
79-88
Cote d'Ivoire posted the first win at the World Championship. They
defeated Puerto Rico on the final day of preliminary action but to
no avail. The victory proved insufficient for the African team to
reach the playoffs. The loss also meant the end of the tournament
for Puerto Rico as China occupied the fourth position in Group C.
Cote d'Ivoire started the game brilliantly. They quickly opened a
5:0 lead and maintained the advantage throughout the starting frame.
Konate opened an 11-point lead late in the first term. Guilermo Diaz
and
David Huertas (196-G-87, college:
Mississippi) capped the frame with four points in a row as
Puerto Rico cut the margin to 5 points 14:19. Cote dIvoire tipped
off the second half with seven consecutive points to clear off to a
12-point distance. Brice Assie hit a trey and Cote dIvoire
accumulated a 13-point lead. But Puerto Rico managed to come back to
life. Balkman, Vassallo and Santiago pulled the Latin American team
within 3 points with 24 seconds to go in the half. Konate crowned
the half with a three-pointer as Cote d'Ivoire posted a 39:33
advantage. Konate picked up from where he left in the first half and
opened the third term with another long three. But Puerto Rico
gradually came closer. Nathan Peavy hit a three-pointer to pull his
team within 5 midway through the quarter. Jose Juan Barea and Nathan
Peavy teamed up for five quick points as Puerto Rico trailed by 2
points 53:55. Cote d'Ivoire hung on to lead by 5 points 64:59
heading into the fourth stanza.
David Huertas fired two triples early in the fourth quarter as
Puerto Rico finally surged in front 67:66. Cote d'Ivoire replied
with six consecutive points to return the lead. Jose Juan Barea and
Balkman kept Puerto Rico within needed distance not before
Charles Abouo (196-G/F-89) and Diabate gave Cote d'Ivoire a
12-point lead with 30 seconds to go. Peavy and Mohamed Koneexchanged
the baskets as the African team kept the difference they needed to
stay hopeful. But
David Huertas drained a last seconds triple and sent both teams
home. Herve Lamizana and Mohamed Kone provided 17 points each for
Cote d'Ivoire.
Charles Abouo top-scored with 19 points for the winners. Jose
Juan Barea replied with 19 points for Puerto Rico.
David Huertas had 18 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.
Greece - Russia
69-73
Russia posted the fourth win at the World Championship as they
knocked down Greece in Ankara today. The victory allowed David
Blatt's team to clinch the second place in Group C. Greece slipped
at 3-2 record and finished in the third position.
Timofey Mozgov
(216-C-86, agency:
RIZO) top-scored with 18 points for Russia. It was Russia who
took the lead and they did not surrender it in the first term.
Andrey Vorontsevich hit a three-pointer to make it 12:2 midway
through the opening frame. Greece never picked up the slack as they
trailed by 10 at the first break 10:20. Kaimakoglou drained a triple
to pull the Hellenes within 5 in the middle of the second frame.
Nicholas Calathes
(198-G-89, agency:
Arik Krayn Services, college:
Florida) and Sofoklis Schortsanitis made it a 2-point game.
Greece managed to erase the deficit and knotted things up at 30:30
at halftime. Bourousis put Greece in front 37:36 midway through the
third quarter. But Russia quickly responded with 13 points in a row
to surge in front. They posted a comfortable 59:43 lead at the final
intermission. Ponkrashov and Monya tipped off the fourth term with
four points in a row as Russia seemed to cruise to the victory. But
Greece were not ready to give just yet. Sofoklis Schortsanitis
organized an 11:0 run that cut the deficit 8-point mark. Fridzon
kept Russia in charge with five points but Diamantidis and Spanoulis
knocked down back-to-back three-pointers as Greece cut the deficit
to only 4 points with seven seconds to go. Ponkrashov just throw the
ball out of bounds giving the Hellenes a chance to save the game.
However Spanoulis got blocked and Russia came away with a tough win
at the end. Andrey Vorontsevich nailed 10 points for Russia. Eugeny
Voronov added 9 points in the win. Sofoklis Schortsanitis replied
with 16 points and 9 rebounds for Greece. Nikolaos Zisis had 11
points in the loss.
Turkey - China
87-40
Turkey won Group C to remain the only team in it undefeated. The
hosts of the World Championship rolled over China 87:40 as the
latter finished fourth with 1-4 record. China needed the win more
the hosts in order to advance however even with the enormous loss
managed to advance. Zhang Zhaoxu gave the points for the Asian team
and unfortunately for them China never stayed in front anymore.
Turkey replied with 12-0 run and Su Wei closed the period at 15:6.
Omer Asik
(213-C-86) made the first two points in the second period, while
Erden Semih posted for 23:13. Turkey exploded with 16-0 run to close
the half as Savas Oguz made it 39:13. Zhou Peng and Savas Oguz
exchanged the baskets early in the third period and again Savas Oguz
made three for 52:19.
Omer Asik delivered for 57:22, while Erden Semih brought the
hosts 64:25.
Omer Asik made a dunk to close the third period as it was clear
Turkey would benefit from the game. Yu Shulong nailed three to open
the last period and Guler Sinan responded from the perimeter for
71:30. Erden Semih scored for 76:33 and Savas Oguz made the final
score at 87:40. Savas Oguz paced all the winners with 20 points and
Erden Semih added 18.
Omer Asik nailed 17, while Ermis Baris and Guler Sinan scored 9
each. Sun Yue ended up with 15 points in the losing effort and Yu
Shulong posted 9.
Group D
Spain - Canada
89-67
Spain wrapped up their World Championship preliminary round campaign
with victory. They shot down Canada in Group D to finish at 3-2
record. Canada remained winless at 0-5. Rudy Fernandez and Sergio
Llull drained two triples to put Spain in front early in the game.
Soon the defending champions accumulated a 10:2 lead. Spain stayed
in charge in the quarter. They arrived at the first intermission up
by 11 points 28:17. Jermaine Bucknor opened the second term with a
three-pointer as Canada started to look more active. Kelly
Kelly Olynyk (211-F-91) scored six points as Canada pulled
within 5 points 29:34. Jermaine Anderson followed with a triple as
the North American side trailed by two 32:34. However Rudy Fernandez
knocked down five points late in the half as Spain eked out a 42:37
advantage at halftime. Spain controlled the tempo in the third term.
Canada could not get closer than four points. Mumbru capped the term
with a lay-up as the reigning champions posted a 63:48 advantage.
Sacre opened the final term with a jumper but Spain responded with
eight points in a row to boost the margin to 21 points. The
defending champions never slowed down and romped past Canada in the
final minutes. Rudy Fernandez and Fran Vazquez scored 19 points each
for Spain.
Jorge Garbajosa (205-C/F-77, agency:
Interperformances) added 9 points in the victory.
Kelly Olynyk replied with 14 points for Canada. Jevohn Shepherd
added 12 points in the loss.
Lebanon - Lithuania
66-84
Lithuania posted the fifth straight win at the World Championship in
Turkey. They knocked down Lebanon to win preliminary round Group D.
Lebanon finished the tournament with one win in five games played.
Lithuania opened the game with four points in a row to jump in
front. They maintained the lead for some time before Ali Fakhreddine
notched four points to level things up at 16 at the first break.
Abdelnour put Lebanon in charge early in the second quarter.
Martynas Gecevicius drained a triple triggering a 6:0 run from the
Baltic team as they retained the lead. Renaldas Seibutis and
Martynas Gecevicius capped the half with four points in a row as
Lithuania accumulated a 39:32 advantage. Lithuania used a 10:0 run
early in the third term to clear off to an 11-point distance. Ali
Fakhreddine refused to give up as four points from him made it a
5-point game. Lithuania scored next four points to restore a safe
cushion and they rallied to a 64:51 advantage before the final term.
Lebanon opened the fourth period with four points in a row but a 6:0
spurt from the Lithuanian team followed and it killed any hopes for
the Asian team. Renaldas Seibutis came up with 17 points to lead
Lithuania. Martynas Gecevicius added 16 points, while Tomas
Delininkaitis finished with 11 points in the victory. Rony Fahed
replied with 19 points for Lebanon.
Jackson Vroman (208-C/F-81, college:
Iowa St.) accounted for 15 points in the loss.
New Zealand - France
82-70
New Zealand came up with an outstanding victory over France to make
it three in a row at the World Championship in Turkey. The victory
ensured the third place finish for the Tall Blacks in Group D. New
Zealand will now face Russia in the eighth-finals. France all of a
sudden slipped at the fourth position and would take on Turkey in
the playoffs. New Zealand started the game strongly.
Kirk Penney (196-G-80, college:
Wisconsin) and Lindsay Tait hit from beyond the arc as the Tall
Blacks grabbed an 11:3 lead. But Les Bleus capped the opening frame
with seven points in a row and picked up a 20:17 advantage. Phill
Jones triggered a 10:0 run early in the second period for New
Zealand as they returned the lead. Mika Vukona soon opened a
double-digit advantage for the Kiwis. New Zealand established a
comfortable 39:25 advantage at halftime. France began the second
half with seven straight points to cut the deficit. Mika Vukona and
Kirk Penney replied with four points as New Zealand maintained
the pressure. Lindsay Tait gave the Kiwis a 15-point buffer late in
the third term. They won the period 58:43 but France cut the
distance with four opening points in the final quarter. The Tall
Blacks stayed in charge before Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum dragged
the French team within 7 points with under three minutes to go. Pero
Cameron drained a triple but Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum cut the
margin to 7 points once again, while Alain Koffi narrowed the
deficit at 6-point mark with 67 seconds remaining. Pero Cameron and
Thomas Abercrombie teamed up for three points, while Alain Koffi
went perfect from the stripe to make it 68:75 with 21 seconds to go.
Kirk Penney followed with a triple and a foul completing a
four-point play. Yannick Bokolo notched two free throws just to
watch Thomas Abercrombie hitting a three-pointer and sealing a
12-points win for New Zealand.
Kirk Penney unloaded 25 points to lead the charge. Mika Vukona
added 15 points, 6 boards and 5 assists for the winners. Yannick
Bokolo replied with 13 points for France. Mickael Gelabale finished
with 12 points in the loss.
Day: 4 (Preliminary Round) - Sep.
2, 2010 Group A
Serbia - Australia
94-79
Serbia ensured the third win at the World Championship in Turkey.
They prevailed against Australia for 3-1 record in Group A. The
Boomers slipped at 2-2 record after the defeat. Adam Gibson set
things going with a three-pointer. But Serbia quickly erased the
deficit and pulled in charge. A 7:0 run gave the Serbian team a 14:7
lead midway through the opening quarter. The European side
accumulated a 16:12 lead after ten minutes. The teams traded baskets
before Savanovic and Marko Keselj hit back-to-back three-pointers
and Serbia went up by ten points 36:26. Marko Keselj soon stretched
the lead to 11 points but the Boomers returned into the game cutting
the deficit at 6-point mark at halftime 37:43. Bjelica and Rasic
gave Serbia a 48:37 lead at the start of the second half. Serbia
maintained the lead well throughout the third term. They entered the
fourth quarter up by 8 points 69:61. Brad Newley and Maric helped
the Aussie team to get within 5 points early in the final frame. But
Milos Teodosic
(195-G-87), Novica Velickovic and
Nenad Krstic (214-C-83) kept Serbia on top. Matt Nielsen dragged
Australia within three 78:81 with just over two minutes to go. But
Milos Teodosic accounted for next five points and Serbia easily
escaped to the win at the end.
Milos Teodosic celebrated his comeback after disqualification
with 19 points to lead Serbia. Novica Velickovic added 18 points and
9 rebounds, while
Nenad Krstic had 14 points and 10 boards for the winners. Brad
Newley replied with 13 points for Australia. Patrick Mills had 12
points, 6 assists and 4 caroms in the loss.
Germany - Angola
88-92 OT
Angola eliminate Germany as they won 82:78 in overtime at the World
Championship. Germany will not be in the first four places from the
group as they allowed Angola to take their place. Unbelievable
overtime thriller sent Angola to 2-2 record and tomorrow they will
play for the third place in the group versus Australia. That was
probably the most important game for both teams at the World
Championship as the winner grabbed the Quarterfinal ticket.
Joaquim Gomes (200-C/F-80, college:
Valparaiso) gave Angola the first points and Jagla Jan-Hendrik
scored for 8:6 later in the period. The teams looked equal in the
first frame and Ohlbrecht Tim tied the game at 19:19. Angola started
with 5-0 run the second period, but then Schwethelm Philipp brought
Europeam side 25:24. Angola created an 8-0 run to enjoy 32:25, while
Joaquim Gomes scored for 40:35 at the halftime. Lutonda Miguel
increased to 10-point deficit, whilst
Olimpio Cipriano (194-F-82) added for 48:38. Mingas Eduardo
drove a lay-up for 54:45 and Morais Carlos closed the period at
58:54. Germany looked awesome in the start of the fourth quarter and
after some important baskets reached 74:64 when Jagla Jan-Hendrik
made a three-pointer.
Joaquim Gomes reduced to 77:71 and then Angola showed their
desire to win. Ambrosio Felizardo cut it to 77:76 and
Olimpio Cipriano made two free throws for 78:78 after the fourth
period. In overtime Angola led from the beginning until the end and
scored the majority of the points from the free throw line.
Olimpio Cipriano erupted with 30 points for the winners and
Joaquim Gomes netted 16. Lutonda Miguel notched 13 and Mingas
Eduardo posted 10. Jagla Jan-Hendrik ended up with 23 points in the
losing effort as Germany fell at 1-3. Schaffartzik Heiko poured in
18 and Ohlbrecht Tim had 17.
Argentina - Jordan
88-79
Argentina recorded the fourth straight win at the World
Championship. The Latin American side held off Jordan for 4-0 record
on top of Group A. Jordan suffered the fourth straight defeat and
lost their chances to stay in the title race. But the Asian team
gave all Argentina could handle before losing at the end. It was a
good start for Argentina. They quickly established a 15:4 lead.
Carlos Delfino (198-G-82) hit a three-pointer as Argentina
accumulated an 18:6 advantage midway through the term. Argentina
scored eagerly as they posted a 35:19 advantage at the first
intermission. Gutierrez and Paolo Quinteros hit from beyond the arc
early in the second quarter as the margin grew at 17-point mark
41:24. Soon Paolo Quinteros drained another triple as Argentina
accumulated a 20-point lead 46:26. But Jordan capped the half on an
11:3 rally to trim the distance at 12-point mark 37:49.
Rasheim Wright (194-G-81, college:
District of Col.) and Idais began the second half with three
trifectas in a row as Jordan got as close as three points 46:49.
Luis Scola calmed things down with four points. Argentina quickly
retained a 10-point advantage but Idais and
Rasheim Wright came up for Jordan again and narrowed the deficit
at 6-point mark with one quarter to go. Back-to-back triples from
Carlos Delfino and Gutierrez restored a 10-point buffer for the
Latin American team early in the final frame. However
Rasheim Wright and Zaid Abbaas pulled Jordan within four once
again. Jordan trailed by just five points with 50 seconds remaining
when Pablo Prigioni converted four free throws and sealed the
winning outcome for Argentina. Luis Scola stepped up with 30 points
and 13 boards in the win.
Carlos Delfino finished with 18 points, while Paolo Quinteros
had 11 for Argentina.
Rasheim Wright replied with 22 points for Jordan. Zaid Abbaas
had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the losing case.
Group B
Iran - USA
51-88
It is the fourth straight win for the USA at the World Championship.
They rolled past Iran to stay undefeated in Group B. Iran suffered
the third loss in Turkey. Hamed Haddadi and Kamrani ensured a 5:3
start to the game for Iran. But the USA soon took off. They grabbed
a 19:1o lead and posted a 19:13 advantage after ten minutes.
Kevin Love
(208-C-88, college:
UCLA) scored 9 points in the second quarter as the USA kept
control. They arrived at halftime up by 14 points 42:28. The North
American team opened the second half with eight points in a row to
clear off. They maintained the lead and moreover stretched the gap
to as many as 62:39 advantage at the final intermission. Iran tipped
off the fourth stanza on a 6:2 run to sweeten the pill but Rudy Gay
and
Eric Gordon
(193-G-88, college:
Indiana) quickly teamed up for 6 points in a row as the USA did
not look back en route to the victory.
Kevin Love finished with 13 points to lead the winners. Kevin
Durant added 12 points, while Derrick Rose accounted for 11 points
in the victory. Hamed Haddadi replied with game-high 19 points for
Iran. Arsalan Kazemi notched 14 points in the loss.
Brazil - Slovenia
77-80
Slovenia edged Brazil in the last game of Wednesday at the World
Championship in Turkey. Having 17 points lead, Slovenia could hold
only 2 with 4 minutes to go, but three-pointers by
Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) and
Bostjan Nachbar
(207-G/F-80, agency:
Interperformances) ensured 80:77 win. Both teams played equal in
the first period and only 2-point lead was held by Slovenia. They
started to play better in the second quarter and reached 44:30 at
the halftime. The European team continued to dominate the court and
Becirovic Sani scored for 67:51 after 30 minutes. Barbosa opened the
fourth period with a jump shot to reduce the gap in the court.
Brazil created a massive 15-0 run to reduce to 2 points. Moreover
Slovenia could not score for 6 minutes and only
Jaka Lakovic broke the silence to keep 73:68 lead.
Jaka Lakovic became the hero of the game to hit another three
for 76:68 with two minutes in the game. Huertas Marcelo made two
free throws for 76:70 and Becirovic Sani received the fifth foul to
be sent away. Splitter Tiago only one free throw, but Slovenian
Bostjan Nachbar scored for 79:71. Machado Marcelo immediately
replied from the perimeter for 79:74, while Dragic Goran scored one
free throw for 80:74. Machado Marcelo made three free throws in the
last seconds for the final result.
Jaka Lakovic poured in 20 points for the winners and Brezec
Primoz netted 16.
Bostjan Nachbar followed them with 15, while Dragic Goran
chipped in 10. Machado Marcelo answered with 20 points in the losing
effort as Brazil fell at 2-2. Splitter Tiago notched 19 and Barbosa
added 12.
Croatia - Tunisia
84-64
Croatia grabbed 2-2 record in Group B of the World Championship. The
European team sent Tunisia to 0-4 record after 84:64 win in
Istanbul. Croatia opened the game with 10 consecutive points and of
course never looked behind in the game. Tunisia however replied with
8-0 run, while Popovic Marko closed another 8-0 run from Croatia. He
nailed another three for 23:10 and closed the period at 23:12.
Bojan Bogdanovic
(202-G/F-89) scored from the perimeter for 31:14 and another three
from the player showed 34:18 on the board. Loncar Kresimir made the
shot from the arc to sent the squads to the lockers for 43:23
advantage. Ben Romdhane Macram opened the third frame in the game
and Slimane Radhouane reduced to 43:27.
Bojan Bogdanovic fired another three for 50:30 and Planinic
Zoran drove a lay-up for 54:33.
Luksa Andric
(210-C-85, agency:
Beo Basket) scored four points out of six at the end of the
period to give Croatia 65:40 deficit. Tunisia meanwhile managed to
win the last period. At first Ben Romdhane Macram three to start the
quarter and then he cut it to 74:56. Tomic Ante and Ben Romdhane
Macram exchanged for 78:60, while
Bojan Bogdanovic made a dunk for 82:60. The latter also was the
last to score in the game to bring the victory for Croatia.
Bojan Bogdanovic paced all the winners with 19 points and
Popovic Marko netted 16. Tomic Ante poured in 15, while
Luksa Andric scored 10. Ben Romdhane Macram replied with 23
points in the losing case and Dhifallah Mohamed Naim added 8.
Group C
Turkey - Puerto Rico
79-77
Turkey overcame some tense moments in the dying seconds to
eventually come away with a tough win over Puerto Rico. The victory
helped Turkey improve at 4-0 record on top of Group C of the World
Championship. Puerto Rico fell at 1-3 record after the defeat.
Puerto Rico surged in front quickly. They gained a 5:1 advantage but
Turkey denied soon. The teams stayed very close in the starting
quarter. The lead changed hands for several times before Hedo
Turkoglu hit a three-pointer and tied it all at 19. Puerto Rico
opened the second term with a 10:2 run to clear off. But Arslan and
Akyol did not allow the visitors to run away for good. Turkey stayed
within striking distance at they trailed by seven 30:37 at halftime.
Carmelo Lee opened the second half with a three-pointer but Hedo
Turkoglu immediately answered with his own treble to ignite a 7:0
run from the hosts. Carmelo Lee hit another trey and Peter John
Ramos helped the Latin American side to a 53:44 advantage. Turkey
came up with the next seven points to cut the deficit. They got as
close as one point 56:57 with one quarter remaining. The home side
tipped off the fourth stanza with ten points in a row and all of a
sudden Turkey took over.
Daniel Santiago (216-C-76, agency:
Priority Sports, college:
N.Mexico) stopped the bleeding for Puerto Rico from the stripe
however
Ersan Ilyasova (207-F-87) quickly matched him with a jumper.
Hedo Turkoglu hit a triple to give the Turkish team a 10-point
buffer but Nathan Peavy quickly delivered his own three-pointer to
keep the intrigue alive. Erden knocked down five points in a row as
the hosts established a 12-point lead with just over three minutes
left in regulation. But Puerto Rico refused to give up. Angel Angel
D. Vassallo fired back-to-back treys to drag the team within 6
points 72:78. He followed with another triple and then Balkman put
the visitors as close as one point with 7 seconds on the clock
77:78. Tunceri hit one free throw and Adonis Vassalos could not
convert his three-pointer as Turkey escaped with a narrow win at the
end. Hedo Turkoglu knocked down 16 points for Turkey.
Ersan Ilyasova added 13 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Angel
D. Vassallo replied with 19 points for Puerto Rico. Peter John Ramos
accounted for 15 points and 12 boards in the loss.
China - Russia
80-89
Russia posted their third win at the World Championship. They held
off China for 3-1 record in Group C. The Asian team in the meantime
suffered the third loss and slipped at 1-3 record.
Sergey Monya
(204-F-83) led well-balanced offence with 17 points, 6 assists and 3
rebounds. China managed to pull ahead 10:6 midway through the
opening frame. Russia used a 6:0 run to pull in front late in the
quarter. China answered with 7 points to earn a 21:15 lead at the
break.
Jianlian Yi (212-C/F-87) stretched the margin to 8 points at the
start of the second term. But Anton Ponkrashov and
Sergey Monya hit back-to-back three-pointers as Russia started
to trim the deficit. Russia went on a 13:2 rally to take a 36:29
advantage midway through the period. China went back in charge as
the seesaw action continued. Wang Zhizhi capped the half with a
jumper as China led by three 43:40. China earned a 5-point lead
early in the third term but Russia were ready to answer. They
unloaded a 9:2 rally to ensure a 51:49 lead. The lead changed hands
for several times as Russia entered the fourth term ahead by one
63:62. David Blatt's team tipped off the final stanza with five
points in a row to boost the lead. Wang ShiPeng and
Jianlian Yi dragged China back within one and soon Yue Sun
drained a treble to level things up at 73. Wang ShiPeng knocked down
two free throws to put China in front 75:73. Russia immediately
responded with 12 points in a row and never looked back en route to
the victory.
Sasha Kaun
(211-C-85) finished with 16 points and 14 boards for Russia. Anton
Ponkrashov provided 15 points in the win. Yue Sun accounted for 19
points for China. Wang ShiPeng netted 16 points in the loss.
Ivory Coast - Greece
67-90
Greece took 3-1 record in Group C of the World Championship. They
edged Ivory Coast 90:67 to send them to 0-4 record. Ivory Coast
surprised the favorites with 7-0 run in the start, while Greece
needed 9-0 run for 9:7 lead. Schortsanitis Sofoklis scored for
13:10, while Spanoulis Vasileios posted for 18:14. It was him also
to close the first period at 20:14 making two free throws. The
second quarter brought only the bigger lead for Greece that
dominated the court. The European team opened it with 8-0 run as
Tsartsaris Konstantinos scored for 28:14. Another 16-0 run gave more
confidence for Greece and Bourousis Ioannis delivered for 44:16.
Lamizana Mamadou sent the squads to the lockers for 47:19 as African
managed to score only 5 in the quarter. Lamizana Mamadou opened the
third frame with a three and Lamizana Mamadou also reduced to 49:23.
Fotsis Antonios however replied from the arc and
Georgios Printezis
(206-F-85, agency:
FCM) brought 56:25.
Georgios Printezis made another shot from the long range to give
Greece 61:30, whilst another three points from the player saw 64:30
on the board. Calathes Nick later brought 75:31 and Vougioukas,
Ianclosed the third period at 81:38. Ivory Coast could not score for
the first two minutes in the last period as Greece increased to
83:38. Assie Brice and Kale Jonathan however reduced to 86:46.
Perperoglou Efstratios gave Greece 90:52 and Kale Jonathan was the
last to score for the African team at 60.
Georgios Printezis gave Greece the final points to bring 97.
Calathes Nick top-scored for the winners with 15 points and
Georgios Printezis and Tsartsaris Konstantinos posted 12 each.
Spanoulis Vasileios and Schortsanitis Sofoklis followed them with 10
apiece. Assie Brice ended up with 11 points in the losing effort,
whilst Lamizana Mamadou and Edi Guy added 9 each.
Group D
Canada - New Zealand
61-71
New Zealand tied their record at 2-2 after the victory over Canada
on Wednesday at the World Championship.
Kirk Penney (196-G-80, college:
Wisconsin) again led his way for 71:61 win as Canada suffered
their fourth loss. Canada took 4-0 in the start and then Vukona Mika
tied it at 4:4. Tait Lindsay brought New Zealand 7:6 and Cameron
Pero scored for 11:8. New Zealand remained in front in the second
period and had mostly 3-5 points deficit. Canada however grabbed
23:21 in the end of it as Anthony Joel free throw. New Zealand
needed 5-0 run to close the half at 35:28. Tait Lindsay opened the
third period for 37:28, while
Kirk Penney nailed three for 42:29. Shepherd Jevohn brought
Canada back to 44:38 and he also closed the third quarter at 47:41.
Vukona, Mika scored for promising 54:45 lead with 6 minutes in the
game.
Kirk Penney and Anthony Joel exchanged the baskets for 58:49 and
Tait Lindsay increased to 62:52. New Zealand kept the double-digit
lead and
Kirk Penneygame at 71:61.
Kirk Penney stepped up with 18 points for the winners. Frank
Casey nailed 14 and Jones Phill delivered 11. Shepherd Jevohn ended
up with 15 points in the losing effort. Anthony Joel netted 13,
whilst Brown Denham posted 12.
Lebanon - Spain
57-91
Spain found the second victory at the World Championship. They
proved too good for Lebanon improving at 2-2 record in Group D. The
Asian side fell at 1-3 record after the defeat. Rudy Fernandez and
Garbajosa opened the game with four points in a row. Soon Reyes gave
the Spanish team a 13:6 advantage. But Lebanon would not go away as
they pulled in front 18:16 with under two minutes to go in the
frame.
Jackson Vroman (208-C/F-81, college:
Iowa St.) gave Lebanon a 20:16 advantage. Alex Mumbru capped the
quarter with a three-pointer as Spain trailed by one 21:22. The
defending champions opened the second frame on a 9:2 run to surge
ahead. Rony Fahed tried to keep Lebanon close but
Jackson Vroman and Freije got the fourth and third fouls
respectively and had to step off the court. Lebanon struggled
offensively as Spain capitalized taking a 43:32 advantage at
halftime. Lebanon got within ten points early in the third term but
Spain immediately responded with a 21:2 rally to take a 68:39
advantage with under two minutes remaining. Spain entered the fourth
quarter up by 25 points 72:47. The teams traded baskets throughout
sloppy fourth quarter as Spain remained well in control of their
fate.
Marc Gasol (212-C-85, agency:
Interperformances) finished with 25 points and 8 rebounds to
pace Spain. Fran Vazquez added 15 points and 8 rebounds in the win.
Jackson Vroman accounted for 22 points and 9 caroms for Lebanon.
Fadi El Khatib added 10 points in the loss.
Lithuania - France
69-55
Lithuania and France battled for the top place in Group D and for
the only team in it to remain undefeated. The Baltic representative
ensured 69:55 for 4-0 record on top. Maciulis Jonas gave Lithuania
the first points and then Kalnietis Mantas scored for 7:5. Maciulis
Jonas gave the Baltic side 9:8, while then France dominated the
court until the end of the period. France finished the period with
11-0 run to take massive 24:11 lead after the first period. Batum
Nicolas scored for 26:12 and Diaw Boris his side 29:14. Lithuania
however created a 8-0 run as Maciulis Jonas pulled his side back to
29:24. Batum Nicolas made a free throw for 30:24 at the halftime.
Pocius Martynas opened the third frame with a three and
Linas Kleiza
(203-F-85, college:
Missouri) brought another three to tie the game at 30:30. De
Colo Nando and
Linas Kleiza hanged the baskets, while Pocius Martynas gave the
Baltic representative 35:33. Javtokas Robertas increased to 39:35
and Lithuania continued to push the tempo.
Linas Kleiza finished the run at 44:35 and Maciulis Jonas posted
two for 50:37. France responded with four points and Lithuania
immediately took timeout.
Linas Kleiza made two free throws for 52:41 and it became the
score after three quarters. Delininkaitis Tomas opened the last
period with three and Seibutis Renaldas scored another for 58:41.
Traore Ali cut it to 58:43 and Jankunas Paulius increased to 60:43.
Klimavicius Tadas and Traore Ali exchanged the baskets for 62:47 and
after two minutes of silence
Linas Kleiza added one more points for the winners. Gelabale
Mickael later reduced to 65:52 with 2 minutes until the end of the
game. Albicy Andrew followed his teammate with another three for
65:55 and Maciulis Jonas made two free throws for 67:55. Kalnietis
Mantas also was perfect from the line for 69:55 to bring the final
points for the winners. Maciulis Jonas led the way with 19 points
for 4-0 record.
Linas Kleiza nailed 15 and Kalnietis Mantas scored 9. Batum
Nicolas ended up with 13 points as France suffered their first loss.
Gelabale Mickael posted 10, while De Colo Nando and Diaw Boris added
9 each.
Day: 3 Preliminary Round. Monday and
Tuesday games - Sep. 1, 2010 Group A
Australia - Germany
78-43
Australia did not have any difficulties reaching the second win at
the World Championship in Greece. The team smashed Germany 78:43 on
Monday. Benzing gave the European lead but as it became clear later
it was their last one. Australia responded with 12-0 run and took
12:2 advantage. Barlow David nailed three for 17:5 and McNaughton
Christopher closed the opening quarter at 19:7. Andersen David drove
a lay-up for 21:7, while
Patrick Mills (183-G-88, college:
St.Mary's, CA) nailed three for 24:12. Ingles Joseph followed
him from the long range for 27:12 and
Patrick Mills scored another three for 34:14.
Heiko Schaffartzik
(182-G-84) sent the teams to the lockers at 38:20 making a
three-pointer.
Patrick Mills started the third frame with another long shot and
Ingles Joseph increased to 45:20. Ingles Joseph later scored fro
50:25, while
Patrick Mills continued the artillery for 53:30. Worthington,
Mark and Barlow, David also scored threes for 59:30 advantage.
Martin Damian closed the third period at 62:31 when it became clear
Australia would benefit from the game. McNaughton Christopher gave
Germany 62:32 early in the fourt and Benzing, Robin scored three to
reduce to 62:35 and Newley Brad gave his side 67:37.
Aleks Maric
(211-C-84) Aleksandar made a dunk for 69:37, while his lay-up
brought 74:40.
Aleks Maric Aleksandar again scored for 78:40 and
Robin Benzing
(208-F-89) reduced to 78:43. Those points were the last in the game
as Australia reached a valuable victory.
Patrick Mills paced all the winners with 16 points for 2-1
record.
Aleks Maric followed him with 15 and
Joe Ingles
(203-G/F-87, agency:
Priority Sports) scored 10.
Robin Benzing replied with 11 points in the losing effort as
Germany dropped to 1-2.
Tim Ohlbrecht
(211-C/F-88) netted 10 and
Heiko Schaffartzik chipped in 7.
Angola - Argentina
70-91
Argentina beat Angola in the end of Day 3 however the game was not
easy for them. The African team struggled a lot in the first three
quarters, but fell with 0-18 in the fourth. Argentina grabbed 3-0
record after 91:70 win. Although Argentina started with 6-0 run,
Angola responded with 8-0.
Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) later tied the game at 11:11, while
another seven points from the player saw 19:16 on the board. He also
made a jump shot at the end of the first period for 23:20. Ambrosio
Felizardo reduced to 25:22 and Almeida Carlos nailed three for
30:28.
Luis Scola increased to 37:30 and Quinteros Alfredo posted tow
for 42:32. Gutierrez, Juan was the last to score at the half for
45:32 Latin American squad deficit. Cipriano, Olimpio pulled his
side back to 45:34, while
Carlos Morais (190-G-85) cut it to 51:43.
Carlos Delfino (198-G-82) managed to give his side 58:43, but
Argentina could not keep that lead.
Carlos Morais nailed three for 62:55 and Mingas Eduardo netted
two for 62:59 after three quarters. Argentina erupted with 18-0 run
to seal the third victory. Jasen Hernan scored for 82:59 when it
became clear about the winner. Jeronimo Vladimir reduced to 82:61
and
Joaquim Gomes (200-C/F-80, college:
Valparaiso) scored for 87:69. Cequeira, Luis closed the game
with a jump shot for 3-0 record.
Luis Scola erupted with 32 points for the winners to remain
undefeated.
Carlos Delfino followed him with 22 and
Juan Gutierrez
(205-F/C-83) netted 9.
Joaquim Gomes ended up with 16 points in the losing effort as
Angola fell at 1-2.
Olimpio Cipriano (194-F-82) notched 15 and
Carlos Morais added 11.
Jordan - Serbia
69-112
Serbia opens Day 3 with an easy win over Jordan at the World
Championship. The European team smashed the Asian representative
112:69 and improved to 2-1 record in the group.
Dusko Savanovic
(204-F/C-83, agency:
Beo Basket) was the first to score in the game and Teodosic
Milos nailed three for 10:6. Tepic Milenko later closed a 9-0 run
for 19:7 lead, while Abbas Zaid reduced to 33:20 at the end of the
first 10 minutes. Serbia continued to dominate the court and
Teodosic Milos opened the second period for 35:20.
Marko Keselj
(205-F-88, agency:
Beo Basket) increased to 43:24, while
Kosta Perovic
(217-C-85) scored for 45:29.
Marko Keselj nailed three to close the half at 57:37 for Serbia.
Alawadi Mousa drove a lay-up to start the third frame and Abbas Zaid
cut it to 60:41.
Dusko Savanovic drove a lay-up for 74:42 and
Kosta Perovicmade the same for 78:45. Markovic Stefan closed the
third period for 83:48 from the free throw line. Rasic Aleksandar
later gave Serbia their three-digit number scoring for 101:64. He
was also the last one to score in the game for the final success.
Dusko Savanovic and
Marko Keselj paced all the winners with 21 points each for the
second win.
Kosta Perovic netted 20, while
Nemanja Bjelica
(209-F/C-88, agency:
Interperformances) netted 12.
Osama Daghles (199-G-79, college:
Midwestern St.) ended up with 19 points in the losing effort.
Zaid Abbaas (203-F-83) brought 15 and
Enver Soobzokov (198-G/F-78, college:
Cal.St.-San Bernar.) added 9.
Group B
Tunisia - Iran
58-71
Iran enjoyed the first win at the World Championship in Turkey. They
shot down Tunisia in Group B action tonight. Iran had to overcome a
slow start. Tunisia jumped into a 5:0 lead but Iran went on an 18:2
run to cap the period taking a 23:11 lead at the first break. They
maintained the lead well enough throughout the second quarter. Iran
managed to stay in front in a low-scoring term as they posted a
33:23 advantage at halftime. Iran opened the second half with eight
points in a row to stretch the lead. They soon boosted the gap to as
many as 24 points 52:28. Tunisia struggled to pick up the tempo as
they trailed by 19 points at the final intermission 36:55. Tunisia
went on a desperate 16:1 run early in the fourth quarter and cut the
deficit at just 4 points. Then
Salah Mejri (214-C-86) dragged the African team within just
three points 54:57 before Iran answered. The Asian side exploded
with a 12:2 rally to clear off. Iran stayed in charge in the
reminder of the contest and celebrated a well-deserved win at the
end.
Hamed Haddadi (218-C-85, agency:
Agency No 10) scored 23 points and grabbed 13 boards for Iran.
Mahdi Kamrani (181-G-82) added 15 points for the winners.
Makram Ben Romdhane (198-F-89) and
Salah Mejri accounted for 10 points each in the loss.
USA - Brazil
70-68
Brazil stepped up to be the first team to show how to play with the
US team that actually is not the favorite anymore of the tournament.
Poor performance allowed USA to escape Brazil, 70:68 and actually
Brazil looked much better in the court. Huertas Marcelo surprised
the favorites with 4 consecutive points for the first lead. USA
bounced back with 7-0 run as
Kevin Durant (206-G/F-88, college:
Texas) closed the run. Vieira Marcus however scored five
consecutive points for Brazil to increase to 13:10. Then it became
the time of
Leandrinho Barbosa (190-G-82) . At first the Brazilian player
made a lay-up to reduce to 18:17 and then he nailed three for 26:22.
Vieira Marcus followed him with a three for 33:25 and Machado
Marcelo brought 35:30. Huertas Marcelo and Westbrook Russel
exchanged the free throws for 37:32 Brazilian lead.
Kevin Durant and
Derrick Rose (193-G-88, college:
Memphis) reduced to 37:36, while Giovannoni Guilherme nailed
three for 43:38.
Tiago Splitter
(211-C/F-85, agency:
Interperformances) scored a dunk to send the teams to the
lockers at 46:43. The experts were mistaken if they predict an easy
run fro USA after the halftime. Vieira Marcus made a dunk for 48:45,
while
Tiago Splitter drove a lay-up for 50:47. Only
Kevin Durant tied it all at 50:50 with 5 minutes in the third
and Iguodala Andre scored for 53:50.
Chauncey Billups (191-G-76, college:
Colorado) made two free throws for 55:50 and Machado Marcelo
scored three for 55:53. Machado Marcelo cut it to 57:53 and
Leandrinho Barbosa Leandro closed it to 61:58. He also made one
free throw for 61:59 after three quarters. Vieira Marcus tied the
game at 62:62 as the last quarter became the defensive one. Huertas
Marcelo kept Brazil alive at 70:68 and then he was fouled for two
shots. He missed the first one and missed the second on purpose,
Brazil made a rebound and
Leandrinho Barbosa missed a chance to send the game to overtime.
Kevin Durant top-scored for the winners with 27 points as USA is
with 3-0 record on top.
Chauncey Billups netted 15 and
Derrick Rose posted 11. Vieira Marcus ended up with 16 points in
the losing effort as Brazil suffered the pity loss.
Leandrinho Barbosa netted 14 and
Tiago Splitter scored 13.
Slovenia - Croatia
91-84
Slovenia wins a long-range battle over Croatia 91:84 to take the
second win at the World Championship. Slovenia improved to 2-1
record after eleven three-pointers mostly in the second half over
Croatia. The latter also scored eleven and even showed better (55%)
percentage. Both teams won one game and lost to the USA in the first
two days. Brezec brought the first points for Slovenia and Zoric
gave Croatia first points. Kus scored for 8:5 and Udrih reduced to
10:9. Croatia remained in front until the end of the opening
quarter, while Slokar closed it with a lay-up for 18:16.
Marko Tomas
(201-G-85) opened another quarter from the arc and
Roko-Leni Ukic (195-G-84) increased to 26:19. Banic upset
Slovenia for 28:22, while Andric brought 32:24. Dragic reduced to
33:30, whilst Vidmar pulled Slovenia back to 39:37.
Marko Tomas however gave Croatia 44:39 halftime advantage making
a three-pointer. The third quarter was the quarter of threes. The
players from each team showed a great percentage from the long
range. Lakovic first tied the game at 44:44 and
Roko-Leni Ukic brought the lead back to Croatia from the
perimeter.
Roko-Leni Ukic scored another one for 52:50, while Dragic gave
Slovenia 55:52. Nachbar and
Marko Popovic
(185-G-82, college:
S.Idaho JC) exchanged the threes and then
Uros Slokar
(210-F/C-83) and Zupan Miha scored another two for the biggest lead
at 64:55.
Roko-Leni Ukic closed the third period at 65:56. In the fourth
period the teams continued to shoot from the long range and Croatia
managed to come closer.
Marko Popovic,
Roko-Leni Ukic and again
Marko Popovic reduced to 68:67 making threes.
Marko Tomas and Zupan Miha again scored threes each for 72:71,
while
Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) gave Slovenia 77:71 with another three.
Dragic closed an 11-0 run as Slovenia enjoyed 80:71, while
Marko Popovic and
Roko-Leni Ukic cut it to 80:76. Udrih increased to 82:76 and
Nachbar and again Udrih made one free throw each for 84:76. Lakovic
scored two free throws for 86:79 and Dragic made two for 88:80.
Zupan Miha made a dunk for the final 91:84 success.
Uros Slokar and
Jaka Lakovic top-scored for the winners with 15 points each.
Goran Dragic (194-G-86, agency:
Interperformances) nailed 14 and
Bostjan Nachbar
(207-G/F-80, agency:
Interperformances) added 11.
Roko-Leni Ukic responded with 20 points in the losing effort,
whilst
Marko Popovic and
Marko Tomas netted 17 apiece.
Group C
Russia - Ivory Coast
72-66
Russia and Ivory Coast opened Day 4, their third games of the World
Championship in Turkey. Russia could not reach an easy win and
almost lost the game at the end, however survived a 72:66 thriller.
Bykov Sergey brought the first points for the European team and
Herve Lamizana (207-F/C-81, college:
Rutgers) gave Ivory Coast 4:2. Vorontsevich Andrey later nailed
three for 10:8 and Vorontsevich Andrey tied it all at 12:12. Russia
needed a 5-0 run for 17:12 after the first 10 minutes. The run
continued until 22:12 when
Timofey Mozgov
(216-C-86, agency:
RIZO) increased to 10 points.
Herve Lamizana cut it to 24:16, while Monya Sergey nailed three
for 32:18.
Guy Edi (196-G-88) replied from the perimeter for 34:24 and
remained Russia scoreless until the end of the half. Ivory Coast
scored another 6 points to trail 34:30 at the halftime. It seemed
Russia should push the tempo at least in the third period, but the
African team stayed tough in the court. Diabate, Mouloukou brought
them back to 37:36 and Assie Brice tied it at 40:40. Russia needed a
6-0 run to take the bigger lead and
Timofey Mozgov posted two for 49:42. Voronov Evgeny made two
free throws at the end of thirty minutes for 53:44.
Herve Lamizana and Konate Kinidinnin opened the last period as
Ivory Coast cut it to 53:48. Vorontsevich Andrey and Ponkrashov
Anton pulled Russia back to 10 and Khvostov Dmitriy gave Russia the
biggest lead at 63:48.
Mohamed Kone
(211-C-81, college:
Valparaiso) reduced to 63:50 with a phenomenon shot and another
shot from the player showed 63:52 on the board.
Sasha Kaun
(211-C-85) broke Russian silence at 66:54 with 3 minutes to go. Edi,
Guy then went to shoot five free throws after unsportsmanlike foul.
He made 4 and then Diabate Mouloukou reduced to 68:66. Fridzon
Vitaliy made however four free throws at the end for the final
success.
Timofey Mozgov paced all the winners with 19 points for 2-1
record.
Sasha Kaun nailed 13 and Fridzon Vitaliy posted 9.
Mohamed Kone replied with 16 points in the losing effort, while
Guy Edi and
Herve Lamizana added 14 apiece.
Puerto Rico - China
84-76
Puerto Rico celebrated the first win at the World Championship in
Turkey. They held off China to improve at 1-2 record in Group C,
while China suffered the second loss at the tournament.
Wang ZhiZhi (214-C-79) ensured a 5:0 start to China.
Jianlian Yi (212-C/F-87) gave China a 15:7 lead midway through
the opening quarter.
Jianlian Yi followed with a jumper as China grabbed a 10-point
lead. However Puerto Rico capped the period on a 13:4 run to narrow
the deficit at just a single point 20:21. Huertas opened the second
quarter with a three-pointer as Puerto Rico surged in front. The
teams traded baskets for some time. Vassalo and
Carmelo Lee
(201-F-77, agency:
Paris Global Sports, college:
Long Beach St.) helped the Latin American team to a 42:35 lead
with just over a minute to go. Liu Wei cut the deficit but Vassalo
dropped two free throws and Puerto Rico won the first half 44:37.
Back-to-back Sun Yue were the part of an 8:0 start to the third
frame from China as they cut the deficit. But Puerto Rico managed to
get in control with six points in a row late in the frame. The Latin
American team rallied to a 63:57 lead at the final intermission.
China tried to keep it close in the early moments of the fourth
quarter. But Puerto Rico persisted as they
Nathan Peavy
(203-F-85, agency:
Limelight Hoops, college:
Miami (OH)) gave them a 75:66 advantage.
Jose Juan Barea (181-G-84, college:
Northeastern) and Balkman helped Puerto Rico to an 80:69 lead
with under five minutes to go. Puerto Rico controlled the game from
now on as China never seriously threatened the margin.
Angel D. Vassallo (198-G/F-86, college:
Virginia Tech) knocked down 22 points to pace Puerto Rico.
Jose Juan Barea,
Nathan Peavy and
Carmelo Lee added 13 points each for the winners.
Jianlian Yi replied with game-high 24 points and 7 rebounds for
China.
Wang ZhiZhi had 17 points in the loss.
Greece - Turkey
65-76
Turkey cheered up their fans with a confident win over Greece in the
third round of the World Championship. The hosts of the tournament
posted the third straight win in Group C. Greece suffered the first
loss as they fell at 2-1 record.
Ersan Ilyasova (207-F-87) unloaded 26 points in the victory.
Greece and Turkey stayed close in the opening minutes.
Ersan Ilyasova helped the hosts to an 18:12 lead late in the
starting frame.
Ersan Ilyasova kept Turkey in charge as they won the opening
frame 22:15.
Sofoklis Schortsanitis
(206-C-85) and Perperoglou teamed up for Greece and the Hellenes cut
the margin to just two points 25:27. Back-to-back three-pointers
from
Ioannis Bourousis
(212-C-83, agency:
FCM) brought Greece within just one. Ender Arslan and Turkoglu
scored next six points and Turkey regained an 8-point advantage. But
Kaimakoglou and Spanoulis drained consecutive trebles and Greece
trailed by only two points at halftime 39:41. Turkey went on a 7:0
run midway through the third quarter to gain a 9-point lead. Greece
cut it back to five but Ilyasova hit a three-pointer and triggered a
10:1 run that gave the home team a 65:51 lead at the final break.
Turkey put the fans on their feet scoring with a 7:0 run early in
the fourth quarter. The Hellenes answered with an 11:1 rally to get
back within 8 points. Hidayet Turkoglu stopped the bleeding for
Turkey with a three-pointer and the teams went scoreless for more
than three minutes at the end of the clash.
Omer Asik
(213-C-86) provided 12 points for the winners.
Semih Erden
(211-C-87) added 10 points for Turkey.
Ioannis Bourousis replied with 15 points and 7 rebounds for
Greece.
Sofoklis Schortsanitis finished with 9 points in the losing
effort.
Group D
New Zealand - Lebanon
108-76
New Zealand registered the vital win at the World Championship in
Turkey. They bruised Lebanon to improve at 1-2 record in Group D.
Lebanon slipped at 1-2 record in the ladder. It was the first frame
that set the tone in this one. The Tall Blacks dominated the court.
They scored eagerly accounting for as many as 30 points. New Zealand
built a 30:13 lead at the first break. The teams traded baskets
early in the second frame before New Zealand capped the first half
with five consecutive points and grabbed 51:32 lead.
Kirk Penney (196-G-80, college:
Wisconsin) unloaded 14 points in the third term to keep the Tall
Blacks rolling. They posted an 81:56 lead heading into the fourth
quarter. The Kiwis tipped off the fourth quarter with an 11:3 run to
boost the lead. Lebanon never returned the intrigue in this one as
the Tall Blacks cruised to the win at the end.
Kirk Penney was a usual top-scorer for New Zealand with 26
points.
Thomas Abercrombie
(198-G/F-87, college:
Washington St.) added 23 points and 7 rebounds, while
Phill Jones (196-G-74) had 13 points in the win.
Fadi El Khatib (199-F-79, agency:
Pro Management Agency) replied with 18 points and 7 rebounds for
Lebanon.
Rony Fahed (186-G-81, agency:
Pro Management Agency) and
Jean Abdelnour (197-G/F-83, agency:
Pro Management Agency) knocked down 12 points each in the loss.
France - Canada
68-63
France grabbed 3-0 record on top of Group D after a thriller versus
Canadian team. It is even difficult to say for how many times the
score was tied in the court. Only due to the last seconds the
European team managed to remain undefeated producing 68:63 victory.
It was a slow start and the game continues to remain in the
defensive style.
Levon Kendall (209-F-84, college:
Pittsburgh) put Canada in front, while
Nicolas Batum
(201-F-88) was the first to score for the European team.
Levon Kendall made it 5:2 and Brown Denham increased to 10:5.
Bokolo Yannick managed to tie the game at 15:15 after the first 10
minutes.
Kelly Olynyk (211-F-91) again put Canada in front at 17:15 and
he made two free throws later for 22:16. France created a 6-0 run as
Mickael Gelabale (201-F-83) tied the game at 22:22. The score
was also tied three more times until the end of the half and
Kelly Olynyk kept it knotted at 28:28 after two quarters.
Nicolas Batum and
Levon Kendall exchanged the baskets in the start of the third
period and Koffi Alain gave France 36:32. Canada needed a 7-0 run
for 39:36, while again
Nicolas Batum tied it at 39:39. Brown Denham later made the same
for 41:41 and
Kelly Olynyk replied with a three for 44:42 for Canada.
Levon Kendall brought 48:45 and Bokolo Yannick closed the third
period as Canada kept 48:46 lead.
Kelly Olynyk opened the fourth quarter for 50:46 making two free
throws and Bell Ryan increased to 6-point lead. Traore Ali tied it
again at 54:54 and
Jermaine Anderson
(188-G-83, college:
Fordham) made the same at 57:57. Brown Denham gave Canada 50:49
and Anthony Joel brought France 62:61.
Mickael Gelabale scored for 64:61 and
Jermaine Anderson reduced to 64:63 with 20 seconds in the game.
Later
Mickael Gelabale made two free throws for 66:63 and Canada still
had time for the last long-range shot. Brown Denham however decided
to come closer to the basket and was blocked by Koffi Alain.
Nicolas Batum made another two free throws for the emotional
victory.
Nicolas Batum top-scored for the winners with 24 points, while
Boris Diaw (203-F/C-82) and
Mickael Gelabale netted 8 apiece.
Levon Kendall responded with 15 points in the losing effort.
Kelly Olynyk notched 13 and
Jermaine Anderson scored 11.
Spain - Lithuania
73-76
Lithuania survived a heart-stopping final seconds to eke out a
thrilling victory against Spain at the World Championship in Turkey.
The victory propelled the Baltic team to a 3-0 record on top of
Group D. Spain slipped at 1-2 record and endangered their title
defense.
Linas Kleiza
(203-F-85, college:
Missouri) finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds to pace the
winners. Spain and Lithuania looked well-matched early in the game.
They traded baskets before the defending champions unleashed a 13:2
run to take a 22:11 lead after ten minutes. Alex Mumbru scored four
points in a row to stretch the lead for Sergio Scariolos team at the
start of the second quarter. But back-to-back three-pointers from
Jasaitis and
Martynas Pocius (196-G-86, agency:
Interperformances, college:
Duke) started an 11:2 run from Lithuania as they cut the
deficit. The Baltic team narrowed the deficit at just 6-point mark
late in the period. Garbajosa and
Marc Gasol (212-C-85, agency:
Interperformances) stepped up for Spain as they restored a safe
cushion. Spain established a 43:35 lead at the interval.
Rudy Fernandez (197-G-85) stretched the lead to 10 points at the
start of the third quarter. Soon Gasol made it a 13-point buffer for
the Spanish team. The margin kept on growing and reached an 18-point
mark as Spain seemed to roll. But
Jonas Maciulis
(198-G/F-85, agency:
Interperformances) scored five points in a 7:3 run from
Lithuania as they cut the deficit at 11-point mark heading into the
fourth stanza.
Linas Kleiza,
Jonas Maciulis and
Martynas Pocius organized a 10:0 rally at the start of the
fourth quarter as the deficit almost evaporated. Gasol scored two
free throws but
Martynas Pocius immediately replied with a treble to knot things
up at 69.
Marc Gasol and
Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) gave the lead back to Spain but
not for long.
Mantas Kalnietis (196-G-86, agency:
Interperformances),
Linas Kleiza and
Martynas Pocius teamed up for seven points in a row as Lithuania
gained a 74:71 lead with 16 seconds remaining.
Juan Carlos Navarro dragged Spain within one but
Linas Kleiza went deadly from the stripe and iced the win for
Lithuania.
Jonas Maciulis and
Martynas Pocius provided 13 points each for Lithuania.
Mantas Kalnietis had 12 points in the win.
Juan Carlos Navarro and
Marc Gasol replied with 18 points each for Spain.
Rudy Fernandez finished with 13 points in the loss.
Day: 2 (Preliminary Round) - Aug.
30, 2010 Group A
Argentina - Australia
74-72
Argentina and Australia closed Day 2 at the Preliminary Round of the
World Championship. It was another battle in the court and only due
to the last period the Latin American grabbed 74:72 victory. Gibson
had a chance to bring the victory for Australia with the buzzer but
missed a three-pointer. Although Argentina was the favorite of the
game, they could not take the lead. Gibson scored from the perimeter
for Australia and his lay-up brought 8:3. Andersen David scored for
12:5, while Newley Brad gave his side 15:8. Mills Patrick nailed
another shot from the arc to taste 25:20 after the first 10 minutes.
Argentina won the opening tip of the second period 5-0 as
Carlos Delfino (198-G-82) tied the game at 25:25. Gutierrez
Leonardo gave them 34:33 and Mills Patrick increased to 39:33. It
was the last shot in the half and both squads disappeared in the
lockers. Australia went on a bigger lead in the third period as
Ingles brought the double digits at 53:43. Nielsen Matthew kept the
difference at 56:49, but Argentine cut it to 4 after 30 minutes. The
beginning of the last period belonged to the Latin American side but
then Mills Patrick tied it at 65:65 and 69:69. Prigioni immediately
responded from the perimeter for 72:69 and
Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) gave 74:70 from the free throw line with
8 seconds to go. Australia however did not give up and could win the
game. At first Ingles reduced to 74:72 with 3 seconds and then
Gibson had a chance to bring the victory for Australia with the
buzzer but missed a three-pointer.
Luis Scola erupted with 31 points and Gutierrez followed him
with 17. Prigioni netted 9, while
Carlos Delfino scored 7. Ingles produced 22 points in the losing
effort. Mills Patrick chipped in 21, while Nielsen Matthew poured in
10.
Jordan - Angola
65-79
A late rally secured the first win for Angola at the World
Championship. The African powerhouse held off Jordan for 1-1 record
in Group A. Jordan slipped at 0-2 record and would look desperately
for the win when they take on Serbia tomorrow. Angola opened the
game aggressively. They quickly posted a 13:6 lead. But Jordan
responded with six points in a row to take a 17:16 lead after ten
minutes.
Carlos Morais (190-G-85) opened the second quarter with a
three-pointer to give the lead back to Angola but Jordan reacted
immediately. Rasheim Wright hit two trebles sparking an 8:0 run from
the Asian team. Jordan maintained the advantage and posted a 35:29
buffer at the big break. Daghles, Zaid Abbaas and Rasheim Wright
kept Jordan in control in the third quarter. They arrived at the
final break leading by one 47:46. Angola kept their opponents
scoreless for more than three minutes at the beginning of the third
term and pulled in front for a 56:47 lead. Adais stopped the
bleeding for Jordan however
Eduardo Mingas (200-F-79) stretched the lead at 10-point mark
for Angola. Jordan clawed their way back within four points however
back-to-back treys from Miguel Lutonda and Almeida silenced Jordan.
Angola did not loosen the grasp in the final seconds and celebrated
the initial win at the tournament. Miguel Lutonda stepped up with 16
points for Angola.
Carlos Morais provided 14 points, while Joaquim Gomes had 13
points in the win. Rasheim Wright replied with 18 points and 6
rebounds for Jordan. Zaid Abbaas accounted for 14 points and 11
rebounds in the loss.
Serbia - Germany
81-82 2OT
If France-Spain was one of the top games last night, the game
between Serbia and Germany became the most interesting in Day 2. Two
European sides needed two overtimes to find out the winner. Germany
led from the end of the fourth period until the final whistle, while
Serbia managed to tie the game twice. Only in the second overtime
Germany grabbed valuable 82:81 win for 1-1 record. The start of the
game already showed that it would be tough in the court. Serbia took
17:14 despite
Christopher McNaughton
(211-C-82, agency:
Pro One Sports, college:
Bucknell) 's dunk at the end of the frame. The latter also tied
the game at 17:17 and Jagla brought 20:18. Rasic Aleksandar managed
to tie the game from the perimeter at 25:25, whilst Schaffartzik
Heiko gave Germany 37:35 lead at the halftime. Nothing had changed
in the third quarter as the teams exchanged the lead several times.
Christopher McNaughton scored for 46:41 and then Markovic Stefan
already gave Serbia 49:48. Schaffartzik Heiko closed the period from
the arc for 56:54 advantage after 30 minutes. When at the end of the
fourth period Greene Demond nailed two for 69:63 it seemed the game
would be over, but a 6-0 run brought Serbia to 69:69 after 4
quarters. Germany again took the lead in the start of the firt
overtime and enjoyed 73:69 with 3 minutes until the end of it, but
Serbia tied it at 73:73. Jagla gave the winners 82:77 with 1 minute
in the second overtime but again Serbia had a chance to win. Rasic
Aleksandar reduced to 82:81 but then his teammates missed two shots.
Jagla top-scored for the winners with 22 points and Greene Demond
followed him with 15. Schaffartzik Heiko netted 14 and
Christopher McNaughton brought 12. Perovic Kosta responded with
20 points in the losing effort as Serbia is also with 1-1 record.
Rasic Aleksandar posted 15, Tepic Milenko notched 14 and Velickovic
Novica added 11.
Group B
Brazil - Tunisia
80-65
Brazil recorded the second straight win at the start of the World
Championship. They knocked down Tunisia to stay undefeated in Group
B. Leandrinho Barbosa scored 21 points to pace the South American
champions. Tunisia jumped ahead early in the game but Brazil quickly
denied the deficit and surged ahead. Leandrinho Barbosa knocked down
12 points late in the opening frame as Brazil earned a 26:16 lead
after ten minutes. The Latin American side tipped off the second
quarter with seven points in a row to boost the lead. Brazil
maintained the advantage and entered the second half up by 13 points
43:30.
Mohamed Hadidane (205-F-86) and Radhouane Slimane put Tunisia
within 8 points midway through the third stanza. Braa hit a trey a
bit later as Tunisia clawed their way within 7 points 40:47. But
Brazil recovered and finished the quarter ahead by 11 points 59:48.
Tiago Splitter and
Marcelinho Machado (199-F/G-75, agency:
Interperformances) gave Brazil a 66:53 lead midway through the
final term.
Marcelinho Machado hit another treble as the Latin American team
cleared off to a 17-point advantage. Tunisia could not recover in
the reminder of the contest as Brazil cruised to the victory. Tiago
Splitter provided 16 points for Brazil.
Marcelinho Machado netted 13 points in the win. Marouana Kechrid
nailed 15 points for Tunisia. Radhouane Slimane had 14 points and 8
rebounds in the loss.
Slovenia - USA
77-99
The USA posted the second straight win at the start of the World
Championship in Turkey. This time Slovenia fell victim of Mike
Krzyzewski's team. The USA team did not lose a single quarter in
this one and celebrated a confident win at the end.
Kevin Durant (206-G/F-88, college:
Texas) knocked down 22 points to lead the winner. The USA opened
the game on a 12:2 run. They easily maintained the lead throughout
the quarter and recorded a 23:11 advantage at the first break.
Slovenia used a 10:2 run midway through the second term to cut the
deficit. However the North American side quickly unloaded eight
points in a row to restore a safe distance. They rallied to a 42:28
lead at halftime. The USA unleashed a 17:2 run in the third quarter
to secure a massive 59:32 advantage. Slovenia struggled to find a
proper answer as they trailed by 21 points at the final break. The
USA kept on cruising in the final stanza. They did not allow their
opponents to get any closer and celebrated yet another comfortable
win at the end. Rudy Gay notched 16 points for the winners.
Russell Westbrook (191-G-88, college:
UCLA) and Andre Iguodala added 11 points each for the USA.
Bostjan Nachbar
(207-G/F-80, agency:
Interperformances) replied with 13 points for Slovenia. Gasper
Vidmar finished with 10 points in the losing effort.
Croatia - Iran
75-54
Croatia posted the initial win at the World Championship in Turkey.
They overcame Iran for 1-1 record in Group B. Iran slipped at 0-2
record. Croatia entered the game eager to leave the stunning loss to
the USA behind. But Iran seemed ready for the challenge and stayed
close. But the European team managed to pull away late in the
quarter. They posted a 22:13 advantage at the first break.
Bojan Bogdanovic
(202-G/F-89), Kus and Kresimir Loncar all connected from beyond the
arc to give Croatia a 31:15 lead. Before Iran managed to come back
to life Croatia gained a 20-point lead at 42:22. The Europeans
established a 44:24 advantage at the interval. Arsalan Kazemi and
Hamed Haddadi (218-C-85, agency:
Agency No 10) got Iran rolling at the beginning of the second
half. Iran got within 10 points late in the quarter but Tomas hit a
three-pointer to ensure a 43:30 advantage for Croatia into the
fourth stanza. Croatia quickly restored a 20-point lead in the final
stanza. Iran could not pick up the slack and had to surrender at the
end. Roko-Leni Ukic and
Bojan Bogdanovic accounted for 13 points each for Croatia.
Ante Tomic
(217-C-87) added 12 points and 7 rebounds in the victory.
Hamed Haddadi replied with 27 points and 9 rebounds for Iran.
Arsalan Kazemi notched 10 points in the loss.
Group C
Puerto Rico - Greece
80-83
Vassilis Spanoulis
(193-G-82, agency:
Beo Basket) led Greece to the second win at the Preliminary
Round of the World Championship. The European team handed Puerto
Rico their second loss at 83:80. Zisis opened the game for Greece,
while Barea brought 8:6 for his side. The teams exchanged the leads
several times and then
Nathan Peavy
(203-F-85, agency:
Limelight Hoops, college:
Miami (OH)) made a three-pointer to close the first period. The
squads stayed again within few points exchanging the lead several
times. Barea tied it at 28:28 and Tsartsaris made the same at 30:30.
Puerto Rico made the last push in the end of the half for 41:35
halftime advantage. Moreover Sanchez, Ricardo nailed three in the
start of the second for the biggest lead at 47:38.
Vassilis Spanoulis however reduced to 49:47, whilst Diamantidis
brought Greece 52:51. Bourousis scored three at the end of 30
minutes as Greece tasted 59:56 advantage.
Nathan Peavy opened the last frame with a dunk and
Nathan Peavy gave Latin American lead at 63:62.
Vassilis Spanoulis responded from the perimeter for 65:65 with 6
minutes to go.
Vassilis Spanoulis later made a free throw to tie the game again
at 75:75 and Greece continued the run until 82:75. Sanchez Ricardo
scored the last 5 points for his team but it was enough just to
reduce to three points.
Vassilis Spanoulis Vasileios paced all the winners with 28
points and Tsartsaris Konstantinos nailed 14. Diamantidis Dimitrios
and Bourousis Ioannis brought 12 points each. Barea ended up with 20
points in the losing effort. Ramos netted 16, while Sanchez Ricardo
added 13.
China - Ivory Coast
83-73
China celebrated the first win at the World Championship in Turkey.
They knocked down Cote d'Ivoire in Group C. China thus improved at
1-1 record in the ladder. The African powerhouse slipped at 0-2
record. The first term turned into a determined battle of two
well-matched teams. China managed to pull ahead but they led by just
four points at the first break 21:17. Cote dIvoire opened the second
quarter with five points in a row to surge in front. However China
stopped the bleeding and back-to-back three-pointers from
Wang ShiPeng (197-F/G-83) and
Ding Jinhui (204-C-90) allowed the Asian team to establish a
37:28 advantage. China ensured a 41:33 lead at the interval.
Wang ShiPeng opened the second half with five straight points to
boost the lead. China kept their opponents at bay and soon Jianlian
Yi and Wei Lui helped China to a 66:50 advantage late in the third
term. Cote d'Ivoire threw all they had to erase the deficit. They
narrowed the margin to 7 points after a bucket from
Mouloukou Diabate (180-G-87). However
Ding Jinhui and
Wang ShiPeng sank three free throws in the dying seconds and
sealed the winning outcome for China. Jianlian Yi came up with 26
points and 9 rebounds for China.
Wang ShiPeng added 25 points and 7 boards in the victory.
Mouloukou Diabate responded with 20 points for Cote d'Ivoire.
Kinidinnin Konate accounted for 11 points in the loss.
Turkey - Russia
65-56
Turkey improved to 2-0 record in Group C after the win over Russia.
The hosts produced 65:56 at the Preliminary Round of the World
Championship. The team celebrated the wins in the opener of the
tournament yesterday and desired to remain undefeated. After two
minutes of silence in the opening tip,
Sergey Monya
(204-F-83) nailed three for the first lead. Onan later tied it at
6:6 and Ilyasova made the same at 14:14. Voronov was the last to
score in the quarter as the hosts took 16:15 advantage. The second
period however belonged to the Turkish side. They started with 7-1
run as Arslan nailed three for 25:16. Gonlum brought 30:20, while
Kaun sent the teams to the lockers for 33:22. Turkey did not even
think of slowing down and kept the necessary advantage. Although
Russia reduced to 5 points in the start of the third period,
Omer Asik
(213-C-86) gave the hosts 37:29.
Sergey Monya made two free throws for 39:31, whilst
Sergey Monya scored for 43:31. Tunceri closed the third period
with a lay-up as Turkey had 48:37 after 30 minutes. Khvostov erupted
from the arc for 50:43 and
Sergey Monya made the same for 54:46. The teams continued to
score from the long distance and Arslan and Fridzon exchanged the
baskets for 57:49. Turkoglu however nailed another three to bring
the victory with 2 minutes to go. he nailed another one for 65:51,
while
Sergey Monya brought the last five points for the Russian side.
Turkoglu paced all the winners with 14 points, while Ilyasova and
Omer Asik added 10 apiece. Arslan and Erden ended up with 9
points each in a win.
Sergey Monya and Kaun replied with 13 points each in the losing
effort.
Sergey Bykov
(190-G-83) finished the game with 10 points as Russia is tied at
1-1.
Group D
Lithuania - Canada
70-68
Lithuania stayed on the winning track at the World Championship in
Turkey. They nipped Canada to improve at 2-0 record in preliminary
Group D. Canada found themselves in an uncomfortable position after
the second straight defeat at the tournament. Canada ensured almost
a perfect start to the game. They posted a 20:7 lead after seven
minutes of action. However Jonas Maciulis and
Linas Kleiza
(203-F-85, college:
Missouri) capped the opening quarter with five points in a row
to narrow the gap at 8-point mark. Pocious put Lithuania within five
at the start of the second period. But Canada remained in charge as
Joel Anthony and
Jermaine Anderson
(188-G-83, college:
Fordham) boosted the gap to 11 points 40:29 with just over two
minutes to go.
Linas Kleiza and Klimavicius narrowed the gap at 10-point mark
at halftime 33:43. Levon Kendall stretched the lead to as many as 15
points in the third quarter but the Baltic team found the way to
return into the contest. They capped the frame with a 16:1 rally to
trim the distance at just two points 55:57. Tomas Delininkaitis
tipped off the fourth term with a three-pointer to put Lithuania in
charge. The lead changed hands for several times before Jankunas
gave Lithuania a 70:66 advantage with under three minutes remaining.
Denham Brown cut the deficit at just two points but the teams could
not score in the final 90 seconds and Lithuania escaped with a
narrow win at the end.
Linas Kleiza delivered 18 points and 10 rebounds for Lithuania.
Martynas Pocius and Tomas Delininkaitis provided 11 points apiece in
the victory.
Jermaine Anderson knocked down 15 points, issued 5 assists and
grabbed 4 boards. Joel Anthony had 12 points in the loss.
Lebanon - France
59-86
France recorded the second straight win at the start of the World
Championship in Turkey. They fired past Lebanon in Group D tonight.
Mickael Gelabale (201-F-83) top-scored for France once again
unloading 18 points. The lead changed hands for several times
throughout the opening frame. France eked out a narrow 22:20
advantage after ten minutes. Bokolo and
Mickael Gelabale tipped off the second quarter with back-to-back
three-pointer to organize a 16:2 run that put France up by 16 points
38:22. Les Bleus arrived at halftime leading by 14 points 42:28.
Lebanon used a 7:0 run midway through the third term to get closer.
But France quickly replied and marched to a 63:47 advantage at the
final break.
Mickael Gelabale and
Alain Koffi
(207-C-83, agency:
Beo Basket) began the fourth quarter with four points in a row
and never looked back en route to a confident win at the end.
Alain Koffi finished with 17 points for France. Ian Mahinmi and
Nando De Colo delivered 14 points each for the winners.
Jackson Vroman (208-C/F-81, college:
Iowa St.) answered with 19 points for Lebanon. Fadi El Khatib
had 12 points in the losing effort.
Spain - New Zealand
101-84
Spain had to sweat to earn their first win at the World
Championship. They faced New Zealand in the second round of action
and worked hard to come out winners at the end. It all went well for
Spain at the start of the game. They quickly built an 18:5 lead. But
Kirk Penney and
Thomas Abercrombie
(198-G/F-87, college:
Washington St.) helped the Tall Blacks get within 8 points late
in the quarter. Spain eked out a 28:19 lead after ten minutes.
Michael Fitchett and Kirk Penney dragged the Kiwis within 6 points
midway through the second quarter 31:37. Rudy Fernandez and Fernando
San Emeterio gave an 11-point lead for Spain but the Tall Blacks
would not go away.
Thomas Abercrombie knocked down 8 points and New Zealand got
within only 4 points at halftime 44:48. Spain opened the third term
with nine points in a row to set the tone. They kept New Zealand at
safe distance and established a 77:63 advantage at the final break.
Casey Frank and Phill Jones sparked hope for the Tall Blacks opening
the fourth quarter with five straight points. However the Spaniards
replied with a 16:0 run to clear off for good in this one. Marc
Gasol finished with 22 points for Spain. Juan Carlos Navarro added
18 points, while
Jorge Garbajosa (205-C/F-77, agency:
Interperformances) provided 14 in the win. Kirk Penney replied
with 21 points for New Zealand.
Thomas Abercrombie finished with 19 points and 6 boards in the
loss.
Day: 1 (Preliminary Round) - Aug.
29, 2010 Group A
Germany - Argentina
74-78
Argentina posted the opening win at the World Championship. They
held off pesky Germany in opener in Group A.
Carlos Delfino (198-G-82) accounted for 27 points and 8 rebounds
to lead the winners. The lead changed hands for several times
throughout close first quarter. Quinteros capped the frame with five
points to give Argentina a 23:18 lead. The Latin American side
quickly stretched the lead to 8 points. However soon Germany erased
the distance and leveled things up at 36. Fabricio Oberto returned
the lead to Argentina but not for long though.
Heiko Schaffartzik
(182-G-84) and Demond Greene exploded with three-pointers as Germany
accumulated a 42:39 lead at halftime.
Carlos Delfino triggered an 8:0 run from Argentina early in the
third quarter as they grabbed a 49:46 lead. The Latin American side
gained control and cleared off to an 11-point distance late in the
third quarter.
Carlos Delfino hit a trey to give his team a 63:49 advantage.
But
Heiko Schaffartzik crowned the stanza with a triple of his own
and Germany trailed by 11 points. Germany used a 12:1 run midway
through the final stanza to narrow the gap at just two points 66:68.
Tim Olbrecht drew things level from the stripe at 71 apiece.
Fabricio Oberto notched three points in a row to give the lead back
to Argentina. Hamann and Olbrecht once again knotted things up. Luis
Scola and
Carlos Delfino followed with three more points as Argentina
returned into the drivers seat. Hamann then missed two free throws
and
Carlos Delfino sealed the winning outcome from the stripe. Luis
Scola finished with 20 points for Argentina. Fabricio Oberto added
11 points and 6 caroms in the win. Demond Greene answered with 20
points for Germany. Tibor Pleiss canned 12 points in the loss.
Australia - Jordan
76-75
Australia came from behind to snatch a narrow win against Jordan at
the World Championship opener for both teams.
Aleks Maric
(211-C-84) came up with 23 points to give the Boomers the first win
in preliminary Group A.
Zaid Abbaas (203-F-83) ensured a 10:3 lead for Jordan early in
the encounter. Jordan kept their opponents at bay as they piled up
an 18:12 lead at the first intermission. David Andersen and Mark
Worthington knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to level things
up at the start of the second quarter. But Jordan did not allow
their opponents to surge ahead. Osama Daghles capped the half with a
layup and the Asian side built a 39:32 advantage. Rasheim Wright and
Osama Daghles helped Jordan to a 47:36 lead midway through the third
stanza. The Boomers knocked down seven points in a row to boost the
lead. Matt Nielsen,
Aleks Maric and Brad Newley leveled things up at 52 late in the
frame. Ayman Idais hit a three-pointer to give the lead back to
Jordan. But Matt Nielsen and
Aleks Maric helped Australia to take a 56:55 lead into the
fourth quarter.
Aleks Maric stretched the gap to three points at the beginning
of the fourth term. The teams traded baskets for some time before
Osama Daghles and Al-Khas secured a 69:64 lead for the Jordanian
side. Rasheim Wright immediately stretched the advantage to as many
as 7 points with under three minutes to go. However David Andersen,
Aleks Maric and Patrick Mills triggered a 6:3 run from the
Aussies as they narrowed the gap to four points. Mills and Matt
Nielsen dragged Australia within just one point with 34 seconds
left. David Anderson followed the miss from Osama Daghles with two
free throws to put the Boomers in front 76:75 with 13 seconds to go.
Jordan went on a desperate rally under the basket in the dying
seconds but both Rasheim Wright and
Zaid Abbaas missed their attempts and Australia celebrated a
tough win at the end. David Andersen produced 22 points for
Australia. Patrick Mills added 10 points in the victory.
Zaid Abbaas notched 20 points for Jordan. Rasheim Wright had 16
points in the losing effort.
Angola - Serbia
44-94
Serbia produced the biggest lead so far at the start of the World
Championship in Turkey. The European team smashed Angola 94:44 even
without some key players. Rasic opened the game from the arc and
Perovic scored for 5:2. Cipriano reduced with Angola to 7:6, while
Serbia created a 13-0 run for a bigger lead. Rasic scored two threes
in a row for 23:9 and later he closed the period at 25:9. Mbunga
opened the second period for the African team, while
Dusko Savanovic
(204-F/C-83, agency:
Beo Basket) scored four consecutive points for Serbia. Paunic
nailed three for 35:13 and
Dusko Savanovic increased to 39:15. Morais sent the squads to
the lockers for 43:18 as Serbia looked dominant in the court. The
tempo did not fall in the third period as Serbia continued to
dominate the game. Bjelica started the period with a jump shot and
Gomes replied from the perimeter for 47:23. Velickovic scored for
54:27, while
Milan Macvan
(205-F-89) made 4 in a row for 65:29.
Dusko Savanovic closed the frame at 77:32 as he made a jump
shot. Mbunga was the first to score in the last period, while
Cipriano reduced to 83:38. Perovic scored two from the free throw
line to give the European side 86:38, while Bonifacio posted tow in
reply. Mingas was the last player of Angola to deliver in the game,
while Serbia closed the opener with 6-0 run. Perovic brought the
final victory in the game. Rasic stepped up with 22 points for the
winners for 1-0 record.
Dusko Savanovic netted 13, while
Milan Macvan posted 11. Cipriano delivered 10 points in the
losing effort and Morais Carlos nailed 8.
Group B
Tunisia - Slovenia
56-80
The game between Slovenia and Tunisia became the first one in Group
B of the World Championship in Turkey. The European side was the
favorite in the game and proved it with 80:56 win. Slovenia easily
opened the game with 7-0 run and never looked behind after. Brezec
Primoz made it 9:2 and
Bostjan Nachbar
(207-G/F-80, agency:
Interperformances) brought 11:6. The first quarter belonged to
Slovenia that grabbed 22:14 after the 10 minutes. Zupan Miha scored
fro 26:17, while Hadidane reduced to 31:24. Kechrid kept the African
team alive at 34:28 and Dragic Goran closed the half at 39:28.
Slovenia had a better break and started the third frame with 9-0
run. Dragic Goran later scored for 50:29 and Brezec Primoz gave his
side 61:38. Dragic, Goran was the last to score in the period as
Slovenia enjoyed 63:40 deficit after 30 minutes of the game. Slimane
Radhouane opened the last period with a lay-up and Brezec Primoz
responded for the European side. Udrih Samo gave Slovenia 67:43,
while
Gasper Vidmar (209-C/F-87, agency:
Interperformances) brought 69:45. Lakovic Jaka hit from the
perimeter to ensure 74:47, whilst Tunisia answered with 4
consecutive points. Klobucar Jaka nailed another three-pointer for
the winners as his shot became the last one for the winners. Braa
Hamdi closed the game from the free throw line to make the final
score. Dragic Goran stepped up with 16 points for the winners and
Gasper Vidmar netted 15.
Bostjan Nachbar followed them with 14, while Brezec Primoz added
9.
USA - Croatia
106-78
The USA victoriously opened their World Championship campaign. They
rolled over Croatia in Group B. The USA dominated this one. They
opened the game with seven quick points but Croatia found the way to
rebound. The European team surged ahead 19:18 late in the first
quarter. The North American team surged back in front and won the
opening frame 22:20. The USA went on a 12:0 run midway through the
second quarter to clear off. Soon
Eric Gordon
(193-G-88, college:
Indiana) hit two three-pointers and Rudy Gay added another one
as the USA opened a 21-point advantage. Croatia could not get any
closer in the third quarter. Mike Krzyzewski's team piled up a
30-point lead heading into the fourth term 78:48. Croatia got within
23 points midway through the fourth stanza. But the USA quickly
restored a 30-point lead and cruised to the victory at the end.
Eric Gordon top-scored with 16 points to lead the winners. Kevin
Durant added 14 points and 8 rebounds, while
Chauncey Billups (191-G-76, college:
Colorado) provided 12 points for the USA. Bojan Bodganovic
replied with 17 points for Croatia. Marko Popovic had 16 points in
the loss.
Iran - Brazil
65-81
Brazil celebrated the first victory at the World Championship in
Turkey beating Iran. The Latin American team ensured 81:65 in the
opener. Brazil opened the game with five consecutive points, but
Iran responded with 6-0 run. Splitter later scored four in a row for
17:11. Becker drove a lay-up to close the period at 22:12. Batista
started the second period from the free throw line and Kamranyd to
24:15. Machado answered with the three-pointer and Kazemi cut it to
27:17. The difference remained of 8-10 points in the frame and
Splitter was the last to score in the half for 39:29 halftime
advantage.
Guilherme Giovannoni (202-F-80, agency:
Interperformances) opened the third quarter with a lay-up and
his another shot ensured a bigger lead at 46:29. Barbosa added two
free throws for 48:31 and Garcia posted two for 53:35. Kardoust and
Davari pulled Iran back to 57:42, while Davoudichegani remained them
alive at 61:46 after three quarters. Moreover Veisi nailed three to
open the last period and Hassanzadeh scored for 63:50. Brazil
meanwhile bounced back with 9-0 run and took 74:52 with 4 minutes in
the game.
Guilherme Giovannoni increased to 76:59, while Machado netted
three for 79:63. Vieira brough the final score on the board making a
jump shot.
Guilherme Giovannoni paced all the winners with 17 points.
Barbosa and Splitter followed him with 13 each, while Huertas added
10. Ehadadi finished the night with 16 points in the losing case.
Kamrany netted 13 and Sahakian posted 10.
Group C
Greece - China
89-81
Greece recorded the first win at the World Championship in Turkey.
They knocked down China in Group C opener. Ioannis Bourousis and
Nikolaos Zisis
(195-G-83) scored 21 points each to lead the winners. Ioannis
Bourousis helped the Hellenes to a strong start. Greece quickly
grabbed a 9:2 lead.
Vassilis Spanoulis
(193-G-82, agency:
Beo Basket) stretched the lead to 8 points 20:12. Greece
maintained the advantage and enjoyed a 25:18 buffer at the first
intermission. Tsartsaris and Perperoglou gave the Hellenes a 31:20
lead early in the second stanza. Wang ShiPeng and Yi Jianlian
dragged China within 7 points and later Wang ShiPeng narrowed the
deficit at 6 points. But
Nikolaos Zisis and
Vassilis Spanoulis ensured a 47:37 lead for Greece at halftime.
Nikolaos Zisis and Diamantidis drained two triples early in the
third term to keep the distance at 10-point mark. Diamantidis
connected from beyond the arc once again as the Hellenes stretched
the margin to 13 points. But China struck right back. They went on a
12:2 run to get within just three points 55:58.
Wang ZhiZhi (214-C-79) helped China trail by only three points
at the final intermission 62:65. Yue Sun and Yi Jianlian opened the
fourth quarter with two free throws as China continued to claw their
way back into this one. Jialian Yi put China in charge 66:65. But
Greece took over from there scoring next 9 points to retain the
lead. Yi Jianlian stopped the draught with two free throws but
Nikolaos Zisis responded a three-pointer as Greece gained a
77:68 lead midway through the quarter. Greece enlarged the margin to
8 points before
Wang ZhiZhi and Yue Sun came up with back-to-back trebles to
spark back the intrigue.
Vassilis Spanoulis calm things down with a layup and Ioannis
Bourousis hit a jumper to return a 6-point lead for the Greek side
85:79.
Vassilis Spanoulis went deadly from the stripe in the dying
seconds and sealed the win for Greece in this one.
Vassilis Spanoulis notched 19 points for the winners. Yi
Jianlian replied with game-high 26 points for China. Wang ZhiZhi and
Yue Sun accounted for 15 points apiece in the losing effort.
Russia - Puerto Rico
75-66
One of the most unpredictable games had just finished in Group C of
the World Championship in Turkey. Russia did not mind a slow start
and used a productive last period to win the game at 75:66. Barea
opened the scoring account for the Latin American team, while
Sasha Kaun
(211-C-85) brought the first points for Russia. The teams were tied
twice in the period, while Russia grabbed 14:8 as Vorontsevich made
a dunk at the end. Vassallo with a three opened the second period
and Barea reduced to 18:17.
Sasha Kaun made two free throws for 24:21, but Barea tied it at
27:27. Russia remained in front until the end of the period and
Ponkrashov sent the teams to the lockers for 36:34. In the third
period however Puerto Rico started to play much better. Ramos at
first tied the game at 36:36 and then Barea brought the necessary
lead from the free throw line. Barea and again Ramos brought 42:36,
while
Sergey Monya
(204-F-83) reduced to 42:39. Ramos increased to 45:39 and another
three points from the player showed 48:41 on the board. Russia
however used a 9-0 run to take 49:48 advantage. Mozgov scored for
52:51 and
Sergey Monya delivered for 54:53. Ramos however closed the
period for a minimum lead at 55:54.
Sergey Monya brought the lead back at 56:55 opening the final
period. Barea scored four points in a row for his side to take 59:58
with them.
Sasha Kaun scored for 63:61 and Ponkrashov delivered two for
65:61. Mozgov increased to 68:61 and Puerto Rico needed timeout with
2.30 in the game. Ponkrashov stepped up on the free throw line for
70:61 after a hard foul from Ramos and Fridzon posted two for 72:62.
Ponkrashov and Diaz exchanged the baskets for 74:64, while Barea
made the final score.
Sergey Monya stepped up with 16 points for the winners bringing
the first victory.
Sasha Kaun and Mozgov delivered 13 each, while Ponkrashov added
10. Barea responded with 25 points in the losing effort. Ramos
notched 15, while Vassallo scored 13.
Ivory Coast - Turkey
47-86
The hosts of the World Championship started their campaign with the
easy win over Ivory Coast. Turkey destroyed the team from Africa
86:47 for the first victory. Turkey exploded with 14-0 run in the
opening tip and Tunceri later brought 19:4. Edi reduced to 20:7,
while Kale closed the first period at 23:11. Tape opened the second
frame the guests and Kale reduced to 25:16. Diabate nailed three to
cut it to 25:19, whilst Gonluum closed Turkish 5-0 run. Edi made one
free throw for 30:22 as the hosts later exploded with 10-0 run to
finish the first half at 40:22. Gulered three in the start of the
third period and Kone was the first to score for Ivory Coast. Kone
later cut it to 45:30 and Erden increased to 51:31. Edi pulled his
side to 51:34, whilst Turkoglu was perfect from the free-throw line
for 53:34. Edi made a steal at the very end and made a dunk to close
the third period. It was a bit silent in the start of the fourth
period as only Turkoglu broke it for 54:36. Kale and
Ersan Ilyasova (207-F-87) exchanged the threes for 59:39. Turkey
created another 5-0 run and then Kale scored for 64:41.
Omer Onan (194-G-78)nailed another three for 67:41 with 5
minutes in the game.
Omer Onan shined in the next few minutes bringing a three and a
lay-up for 73:41.
Ersan Ilyasova nailed three for 80:43 and he also scored the
last two free throws for the final success.
Omer Onan paced all the winners with 18 points for 1-0 record.
Ersan Ilyasova followed him with 17 and Tunceri netted 9. Kale
ended up with 10 points in the losing effort and Edi added 9.
Group D
Canada - Lebanon
71-81
Lebanon celebrated the victory at the start of the World
Championship in Turkey. They held off Canada in a thrilling contest
in Group D. Fadi El Khatib unloaded 31 points to pace the winners.
Lebanon opened the game with six points in a row. But Canada
gradually found the right rhythm and surged ahead after a
three-pointer from
Denham Brown (198-F-83, agency:
Edge Sports, college:
Connecticut) 11:9. Canada went on a 9:0 run to take a 20:12
lead. Lebanon answered with eight points of their own to level
things up at 20. The teams stayed close throughout the second term.
Canada cleared off to a 5-point lead 30:25 but Lebanon cut the
deficit at just one point 34:35. Andy Rautins capped the half with a
jumper to give the North American side a 37:34 advanatge. Canada
opened the second half with five consecutive points to stretch the
lead.
Jackson Vroman (208-C/F-81, college:
Iowa St.) and Fadi El Khatib kept Lebanon in the game. The
forward dragged the Asian powerhouse within just one. Canada entered
the fourth quarter up by one however Fadi El Khatib quickly gave
Lebanon a 60:59 lead. Lebanon grabbed the initiative and gradually
piled up an 8-point lead with under three minutes to go. Bucknor
drained a triple to cut the deficit but Lebanon answered with
quickly restored a comfortable distance.
Denham Brown gave Canada another chance as he hit a
three-pointer to trim the deficit at 8-point mark. Fadi El Khatib
got fouled and sank two free throws to give Lebanon a 10-point lead.
Canada had no time to answer and surrendered at the end. Rony Fahed
scored 17 points for Lebanon. Matt Freije accounted for 12 points in
the win. Joel Anthony notched 17 points for Canada.
Denham Brown accounted for 13 points and 6 assists in defeat.
France - Spain
72-66
France came up with the loudest sensation of the opening day at the
World Championship. They knocked down the defending champions Spain
in Group D. Mickael Gelabale scored 16 points to lead well-balanced
effort from the winner. Spain opened the game with five points in a
row. They maintained the lead throughout the opening frame. Spain
built an 18:9 lead at the first break. Alex Mumbru stretched the gap
to 12 points early in the second quarter 23:11. Les Bleus responded
with a 14:2 run to draw things level at 25. Mickael Gelabale put
France in front 27:26 but Rudy Fernandez capped the half with two
free throws as Spain regained the advantage 28:27. Spain kept France
scoreless for almost five minutes at the start of the third quarter
opening an 8-point lead.
Andrew Albicy (178-G-90) finally broke the offensive draught for
France with a three-pointer. Marc Gasol and Rudy Fernandez helped
Spain to an 8-point lead but France recovered. Alain Koffi and
Nicolas Batum organized a 7:0 run as Les Bleus cut the deficit at
just one point 43:44 heading into the fourth quarter. Fran Vazquez
and Rudy Fernandez gave the Spanish team a 50:46 lead but Mickael
Gelabale kept the temperature high hitting a three-pointer. The
French guard followed with a jumper to put Les Bleus in charge at
51:50. Ali Troare stretched the lead just to watch
Felipe Reyes
(203-F/C-80) hit a treble and level things up at 53. Nicolas Batum
came up with five straight points as France jumped to a 5-point lead
with just over two minutes to go. Rudy Fernandez and
Felipe Reyes hit just one of four free throws attempts and
France punished their opponents grabbing an 11-point lead with just
over a minute to go. Ricky Rubio and Juan Carlos Navarro teamed up
for five straight points to cut the deficit at 6 points 59:65. Boris
Diaw ensured a 67:59 lead for France and then
Andrew Albicy hit four free throws in the dying seconds to ice
the win for Les Bleus. Nicolas Batum accounted for 14 points, while
Andrew Albicy finished with 13 points in the victory. Juan
Carlos Navarro replied with 17 points for Spain. Rudy Fernandez
produced 13 points in a surprising loss.
New Zealand - Lithuania
79-92
Lithuania won the opener of the World Championship in Turkey over
New Zealand 92:79. Two squads opened Group D of the World
Championship in Turkey. It was a tough start for both squads and
both of them exchanges the lead several times. Penny and
Linas Kleiza
(203-F-85, college:
Missouri) scored the first points for their teams and then
Kirk Penney (196-G-80, college:
Wisconsin) scored three for 8:5. Maciulis later tied the game at
15:15 and Gecevicius brought 23:18. Delininkaitis closed the opening
quarter at 25:24 for the Lithuanian team. The second frame fully
belonged to the Baltic side. They opened it with 8-0 run and
completely dominated the court.
Linas Kleiza drove a lay-up for 35:26 and he made a dunk for
41:26 midway through the period. New Zealand managed to score only
10 points in the frame and trailed 16 points at the halftime.
Linas Kleiza nailed three to send the teams to the lockers for
50:34 advantage.
Kirk Penney scored the first two points for his team from the
free-throw line to open the third period. New Zealand looked better
in the court and again
Kirk Penney reduced the gap to 53:41 after a minute and a half
in the third frame. Pledger cut it to 55:44 and Jasaitis made a jump
shot for 57:44. Vukona nailed three for 59:49 and Tait brought his
side within 59:51.
Linas Kleiza however found an answer from the perimeter and gave
Lithuania 62:51. Pledger kept New Zealand within 10 at 63:53, while
Kirk Penney reduced it 64:55.
Linas Kleiza made just one from the line for 65:55 and
Kirk Penney brought 67:59. Klimavicius went on a free throw line
for 69:59, but Vukona again reduced to 8. Maciulis needed three for
72:61 and Klimavicius made a dunk for 74:61 to close the third
period.
Kirk Penney opened the last frame from the free throw line and
Linas Kleiza scored for 76:62.
Kirk Penney and Vukona brought the game again to 10-point
difference at 66:56.
Kirk Penney made one free throw for 76:67, while
Linas Kleiza scored fro 78:67 and then he added another two for
80:67. Gecevicius and
Kirk Penney exchanges the baskets for 82:72, while Vukona
reduced to minus 9. Jankunas scored fro 84:75 and Jankunas made one
free throw for 84:76. Kalnietis was perfect from the line to bring
10-point lead back into the game. Kalnietis and Maciulis made
another free throws at the very end for the final success.
Linas Kleiza top-scored for the winners with 27 points for the
first victory. Jankunas nailed 15, while Maciulis posted 14.
Kirk Penney erupted with 37 points in the losing effort. Vukona
followed him with 19 and Abercrombie notched 7.
Search
InStat FREE TRIAL
Your promo code is eurobasket Click for FREE TRIAL to InStat
