EuroBasket 2011 Final
Encyclopedia
The EuroBasket 2011 final was the championship game of EuroBasket 2011
played at the Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas
, Lithuania on 18 September between Spain
and France
. By virtue of FIBA Europe
's two outright berths in the 2012 Summer Olympic
basketball tournament
, both finalists qualified for the 2012 London Games
.
The defending European champions Spain qualified to the final after topping their preliminary round group, winning their second round group, and beating Slovenia
and Macedonia in the final round. France, in their first EuroBasket final, also topped their preliminary round group, finished second in their second round group behind Spain, and defeated Greece
and Russia
in the final round.
The Spanish team retained their European championship with a 98–85 win. Guard Juan Carlos Navarro
was named tournament MVP.
He joined his teammate Pau Gasol
and opponent Tony Parker
as members of the all-tournament team who played in the final. Macedonia's Bo McCalebb and Russia's Andrei Kirilenko
were also named to the team.
, which cut a 17-point lead to two with 17 seconds left before losing, The Spaniards had an easier win over Portugal
, posting a ten-point lead in the first quarter and never trailing thereafter. In their final Group A games, Luol Deng
's and Dan Clark
's 21 points in the first half were not enough against Spain, which were led by Marc Gasol
's in the third quarter, who scored 12 points in that period to deny the British from cutting the gap. The Spaniards secured the top seed in Group A with a blowout win against hosts Lithuania
; Spain's 38–12 lead at the end of the first quarter proved to be too much for the Lithuanians. In the preliminary round finale, Turkey
won against Spain, who were leading by six points at the end of the third quarter when the Turks had a 16–2 run in the fourth period. Pau Gasol did not play as he injured his ankle in the game against Lithuania.
In their first game in the second round, Spain led by nine against Germany
but the Germans ended the quarter with a 12–3 run; Dirk Nowitzki
gave the lead to Germany with a jump shot at the start of the fourth quarter. However, Fernando San Emeterio
and Rudy Fernandez
scored on the next possessions to put Spain back in the lead, but Heiko Schaffartzik
and Chris Kaman
kept the deficit to three points until Spain made the deciding run of the game, leading 72–65 with two minutes left in the game to put the game away for Germany. In their next game, Spain had an easy win against Serbia
; the Spaniards limited Milos Teodosic
's productivity, and the outcome was never in doubt when they led by as much as 29 points in the third quarter, despite a last-ditch 13–0 run by the Serbs in the fourth quarter. The win clinched Spain's quarterfinal berth. With qualification secure for both teams, France
benched Tony Parker
and Joakim Noah
in their final second game, while Spain played most of their main players, leading to a blowout win for Spain.
Slovenia
led in the first quarter of their quarterfinal game 23–16 when Spain tied the score with a 9–2 run. Spain eventually led 35–31 at halftime and never trailed again at the restart to advance to the semifinals. Spain's semifinal opponent Macedonia started the game leading 7–4, later in the quarter, Pau Gasol was benched for committing two personal fouls. Gasol's replacement, Serge Ibaka
had several dunks that led to a Spanish run to end the quarter, capped off by a Sergio Llull
three-pointer to put Spain's lead at 26–18. Gasol returned in the second quarter, dunking to give the Spaniards their first double-digit margin when the Macedonians had their own 14–3 run, capped off a three-pointer from Damjan Stojanovski to retake the lead, 32–31; Macedonia retained the one-point lead at halftime. Neither of the teams pulled away early in the third quarter, but Juan Carlos Navarro
's three-point shots give Spain a 71–62 margin to prevent the Macedonians from getting close, qualifying for the final anew.
. The French pulled away early in the third quarter but Janis Blums
scored on several three-pointers to cut the lead to two points, at 72–70. Nicolas Batum
and Mickaël Gelabale
converted their own three-point shots to bring back the French lead to eight. In their game against Israel
, Tony Parker
scored 21 points in a game in which the Israelis made it close when he was on the bench; with France leading 28–14 in the second quarter and Parker on the bench, Lior Eliyahu
and Yotam Halperin
brought the Israelis within a single-digit advantage when Parker returned. He scored on a lay-up, but David Blu converted on a three-pointer to give Israel the lead. Parker scored on his own three-pointer, and led a 12–0 run after the break to put the game out of reach for the Israelis. In a game where both teams are undefeated, Tony Parker
had a game high 32 points, erasing Germany's lead in the first quarter and creating an unassailable French lead; Dirk Nowitzki
and Chris Kaman
were benched for much of the second half, but Nowitzki returned to cut the lead to ten. That was the closest the Germans would get as Nowitzki finished with a team high 26 points. With Parker sitting out the next game, Italy
started the game strong, leading by a point after Steed Tchicamboud
and Gelabale each scored a three-pointer. Danilo Gallinari
also made a three-pointer, but the French tied the score off two made free-throws from Batum; Gelabale scored on another three-point shot to wrest the lead back for the French. With the Italians taking a one-point lead off Gallinari's split free-throws, Boris Diaw
was fouled on the post. Diaw scored on both free-throws, Andrea Bargnani
missed on the other end, and Diaw scored on a lay-up to give the French an 85–82 lead with 36 left. After a time out, Gallinari missed on a three-pointer, and when the French rebounded the ball, the game was out of reach for the Italians. On the preliminary round finale that will decide the group winner, the game went into overtime when Parker missed on a three-pointer at the buzzer. In the extension, Marko Keselj
converted his seventh three-pointer of the game to give the Serbs a 96–95 lead. Parker made his two free-throws at the other end, and Dusko Savanovic
three-pointer was short, to give France the victory.
The Turks
trailed in their opening game of the second round against the French 61–48 with 6:33 remaining in the game when they made a 13–2 run, ended by an Ersan Ilyasova
three-point play to cut the lead to two with 45 seconds left. Parker scored on two free-throws to bring the French lead to four with 18 seconds left when Emir Preldzic
made an off-balanced three-pointer to cut the deficit to one, with eight seconds left. The Turks fouled Parker with five seconds left, who made both free-throws. Preldzic, off a Turkish time out, was called for a five-second violation, sealing the game for the French. The French next faced the hosts Lithuania
, whom they lead at the half by nine points. The Lithuanians then had a 12–2 run at the final six minutes of the third quarter to cut the lead to three. Nando de Colo
scored on a three-pointer to give France the two-point lead, and free-throws two minutes later were enough to keep the hosts from retaking the lead. The French suffered their first defeat of the championship when they were beaten by Spain, 96–69. Noah and Parker sat out in the game; French coach Vincent Collet
justified their absences, saying that Noah was advised to sit out due to an issue with his calf, and Parker who was tired from the last couple of games.
Facing the Greeks
in the quarterfinals, the French trailed 15–4 after a three-pointer by Antonios Fotsis. The French had a 10–2 run the at rest of the quarter to limit the lead to a single possession. The Greeks extended their lead back to seven, but France tied the game with seven unanswered points. Noah, who had missed his first six attempts, dunked to give France a four-point lead. The Greeks retook the lead at the end of the half, with Ioannis Bourousis getting his own dunk to post a halftime score of 39–32. The French erected a deciding 16–5 run, but while Greece was able to cut the lead to two with two minutes left, the French were able to hold off Greece to score a semifinal appearance.
The French next faced an undefeated Russia
in the semifinals. The French had a deciding 8–0 run in the third quarter to deny a repeat of the 2007 final, although Andrei Kirilenko
led a Russian run to cut the lead to four, but it wasn't enough as Parker and Batum scored on clutch shots at the final minutes. The win clinched France's first appearance in the EuroBasket final
started the game with two dunks to give the French team an 8–7 lead. José Calderón
scored five points to give the Spaniards a 17–12 lead, forcing French coach Vincent Collet
to call a timeout. The teams scored on several three-point shots but Spain held a 25–20 lead at the end of the first quarter. Spain stretched the lead to nine in the second quarter but two three-pointers from Mickaël Gelabale
and Tony Parker
kept the game close. However, Serge Ibaka
's third block of the night led to a Pau Gasol
basket to pad the Spanish lead to ten. Coming off another timeout, Ibaka blocked two more French shots. Later, Rudy Fernández
was called for an unsportsmanlike foul against Tony Parker
, whom he pulled down to the floor. This led to a French 7–0 run, capped off by a Nicolas Batum
three-pointer and a dunk to cut the lead to five. Spain increased their lead to nine, 50–41, at the end of the first half.
While the French were able to score at the start of the third quarter, Spain managed to maintain the lead within the 10-point margin. France scored five points in a row but Juan Carlos Navarro
scored to prevent the lead from decreasing. The Spanish team started the fourth quarter with another run, and they retained the title they had won two years ago in Poland.
Navarro, who scored 27 points in the final and 35 points in the semifinal against Macedonia, was named tournament MVP. Pau Gasol
achieved a double-double in the final, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while Calderón scored 17 points, Fernández had 14, and Gasol's younger brother Marc
had 11. Spain's successful title defense was the first since Yugoslavia
's 1997 title.
After the game, Prime Minister of Spain
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
congratulated the team, remarking that "discounting the national football team
which has just started its brilliant run, I think there is no other team in Spanish sport history that has shone as long as you have."
Eurobasket 2011
EuroBasket 2011 was the 37th men's European Basketball Championship, held by FIBA Europe. The competition was hosted by Lithuania. This was the second time Eurobasket had been held in Lithuania, the country having also hosted the 1939 championship. FIBA Europe asserted that Lithuania managed to...
played at the Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania on 18 September between Spain
Spain national basketball team
The Spanish national basketball team is the basketball team representing Spain in international competitions, organized and run by the Spanish Basketball Federation...
and France
France national basketball team
The French national basketball team is the national basketball team representing France. It is administrated by the Fédération Française de Basket-Ball . The team has been competitive, but has yet to win a major international tournament...
. By virtue of FIBA Europe
FIBA Europe
FIBA Europe is a zone within the International Basketball Federation which includes all 49 national European basketball federations.-Division A:-Division B: -Division C:...
's two outright berths in the 2012 Summer Olympic
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
basketball tournament
Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- External links :**...
, both finalists qualified for the 2012 London Games
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
.
The defending European champions Spain qualified to the final after topping their preliminary round group, winning their second round group, and beating Slovenia
Slovenia national basketball team
The Slovenian National Basketball Team is a team that is selected by the Basketball Federation of Slovenia to compete in major international basketball events in representation of Slovenia....
and Macedonia in the final round. France, in their first EuroBasket final, also topped their preliminary round group, finished second in their second round group behind Spain, and defeated Greece
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
and Russia
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
in the final round.
The Spanish team retained their European championship with a 98–85 win. Guard Juan Carlos Navarro
Juan Carlos Navarro (basketball)
Juan Carlos Navarro Feijoo , nicknamed "La Bomba" , is a Spanish professional basketball player...
was named tournament MVP.
He joined his teammate Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
and opponent Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
as members of the all-tournament team who played in the final. Macedonia's Bo McCalebb and Russia's Andrei Kirilenko
Andrei Kirilenko
Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko is a Russian-American professional basketball player who plays at the small forward position for the CSKA Moscow in the Russian Professional Basketball League. He also plays for the Russia national basketball team...
were also named to the team.
Road to the final
| Stage | ||
|---|---|---|
Defeated Poland Poland national basketball team The Polish national basketball team is the national basketball side that represents Poland in international competitions. It is administrated by the Polski Związek Koszykówki... 83–78 Defeated Portugal Portugal national basketball team The Portuguese national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Portugal in international competition. Portugal never had great success in the past at international level, but have qualified for the Eurobasket three times, more recently in EuroBasket 2011... 87–73 Defeated Great Britain Great Britain national basketball team The Great Britain men's national basketball team, known as Great Britain or GB, is the national team for Great Britain in basketball... 86–69 Defeated Lithuania Lithuania national basketball team The Lithuanian national basketball team is the representative for Lithuania in international men's basketball. Lithuania won bronze medals in three out of five Olympic tournaments it participated in.... 91–79 Defeated by Turkey Turkey national basketball team The Turkish national basketball team is the basketball section that represents Turkey in international competitions. The team is nicknamed "12 Dev Adam" .... 57–65 |
Preliminary round | Defeated Latvia Latvia national basketball team The Latvian national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Latvia in international competitions.-EuroBasket 1935:The Latvians won the first European basketball championship, the EuroBasket 1935 held by the International Basketball Federation's FIBA Europe continental federation... 89–78 Defeated Israel Israel national basketball team The Israeli national basketball team is the basketball team that represents Israel in international competition.The Israeli team has participated 25 times in the European championship tournament. Their best achievements were a silver medal in Eurobasket 1979, and 5th place in 1953 and 1977... 85–68 Defeated Germany Germany national basketball team The German national basketball team for men is the basketball side that represents Germany in international competitions. Their biggest successes are the victory in the European Championship of 1993 at home in Germany, the silver medal in the 2005 European Championships and the bronze medal in the... 76–65 Defeated Italy Italy national basketball team The Italian national basketball team is the national basketball team representing Italy. It is administrated by the Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro .... 91–84 Defeated Serbia Serbia national basketball team The Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches.... 97–96 (OT) |
Defeated Germany Germany national basketball team The German national basketball team for men is the basketball side that represents Germany in international competitions. Their biggest successes are the victory in the European Championship of 1993 at home in Germany, the silver medal in the 2005 European Championships and the bronze medal in the... 77–68 Defeated Serbia Serbia national basketball team The Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches.... 84–59 Defeated France France national basketball team The French national basketball team is the national basketball team representing France. It is administrated by the Fédération Française de Basket-Ball . The team has been competitive, but has yet to win a major international tournament... 96–69 |
Second round | Defeated Turkey 68–64 Defeated Lithuania Lithuania national basketball team The Lithuanian national basketball team is the representative for Lithuania in international men's basketball. Lithuania won bronze medals in three out of five Olympic tournaments it participated in.... 73–67 Defeated by Spain Spain national basketball team The Spanish national basketball team is the basketball team representing Spain in international competitions, organized and run by the Spanish Basketball Federation... 96–69 |
| Defeated Slovenia Slovenia national basketball team The Slovenian National Basketball Team is a team that is selected by the Basketball Federation of Slovenia to compete in major international basketball events in representation of Slovenia.... 86–64 |
Quarterfinals | Defeated Greece Greece national basketball team The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World... 64–56 |
| Defeated Macedonia 92–80 | Semifinals | Defeated Russia Russia national basketball team The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships... 79–71 |
Spain
The Spanish started their EuroBasket 2011 campaign with a close win against PolandPoland national basketball team
The Polish national basketball team is the national basketball side that represents Poland in international competitions. It is administrated by the Polski Związek Koszykówki...
, which cut a 17-point lead to two with 17 seconds left before losing, The Spaniards had an easier win over Portugal
Portugal national basketball team
The Portuguese national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Portugal in international competition. Portugal never had great success in the past at international level, but have qualified for the Eurobasket three times, more recently in EuroBasket 2011...
, posting a ten-point lead in the first quarter and never trailing thereafter. In their final Group A games, Luol Deng
Luol Deng
Luol Deng is a South Sudanese-British professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls and the Great Britain national basketball team. He plays the small forward position.-Early life:...
's and Dan Clark
Dan Clark
Dan Clark is an English actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter and television director.-Television:He is best known for playing the character of Don Danbury in BBC Three series How Not to Live Your Life which he wrote and starred in...
's 21 points in the first half were not enough against Spain, which were led by Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol i Sàez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft...
's in the third quarter, who scored 12 points in that period to deny the British from cutting the gap. The Spaniards secured the top seed in Group A with a blowout win against hosts Lithuania
Lithuania national basketball team
The Lithuanian national basketball team is the representative for Lithuania in international men's basketball. Lithuania won bronze medals in three out of five Olympic tournaments it participated in....
; Spain's 38–12 lead at the end of the first quarter proved to be too much for the Lithuanians. In the preliminary round finale, Turkey
Turkey national basketball team
The Turkish national basketball team is the basketball section that represents Turkey in international competitions. The team is nicknamed "12 Dev Adam" ....
won against Spain, who were leading by six points at the end of the third quarter when the Turks had a 16–2 run in the fourth period. Pau Gasol did not play as he injured his ankle in the game against Lithuania.
In their first game in the second round, Spain led by nine against Germany
Germany national basketball team
The German national basketball team for men is the basketball side that represents Germany in international competitions. Their biggest successes are the victory in the European Championship of 1993 at home in Germany, the silver medal in the 2005 European Championships and the bronze medal in the...
but the Germans ended the quarter with a 12–3 run; Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
gave the lead to Germany with a jump shot at the start of the fourth quarter. However, Fernando San Emeterio
Fernando San Emeterio
Fernando San Emeterio Lara is a Spanish professional basketball player. San Emeterio currently plays for the Spanish club Baskonia, which is also known as Caja Laboral.-Pro career:...
and Rudy Fernandez
Rudy Fernández (basketball)
Rodolfo "Rudy" Fernández y Farrés is a Spanish professional basketball player. He is a 6'6" tall shooting guard/small forward who is currently signed to the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, though he will play for Real Madrid until the current NBA lockout ends...
scored on the next possessions to put Spain back in the lead, but Heiko Schaffartzik
Heiko Schaffartzik
Heiko Schaffartzik is a German professional basketball player. He is currently playing with the pro club ALBA Berlin in Germany.-German national team:...
and Chris Kaman
Chris Kaman
Christopher Zane Kaman is an American-German basketball player for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. Kaman stands 7'0" and weighs 265 pounds...
kept the deficit to three points until Spain made the deciding run of the game, leading 72–65 with two minutes left in the game to put the game away for Germany. In their next game, Spain had an easy win against Serbia
Serbia national basketball team
The Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches....
; the Spaniards limited Milos Teodosic
Miloš Teodosic
Miloš Teodosić is a professional basketball player from Serbia. He is 1.96 m tall. He can play at either the point guard or shooting guard position. He is currently a member of the pro club CSKA Moscow.-Player profile:He can play at either guard position...
's productivity, and the outcome was never in doubt when they led by as much as 29 points in the third quarter, despite a last-ditch 13–0 run by the Serbs in the fourth quarter. The win clinched Spain's quarterfinal berth. With qualification secure for both teams, France
France national basketball team
The French national basketball team is the national basketball team representing France. It is administrated by the Fédération Française de Basket-Ball . The team has been competitive, but has yet to win a major international tournament...
benched Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
and Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noah is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship...
in their final second game, while Spain played most of their main players, leading to a blowout win for Spain.
Slovenia
Slovenia national basketball team
The Slovenian National Basketball Team is a team that is selected by the Basketball Federation of Slovenia to compete in major international basketball events in representation of Slovenia....
led in the first quarter of their quarterfinal game 23–16 when Spain tied the score with a 9–2 run. Spain eventually led 35–31 at halftime and never trailed again at the restart to advance to the semifinals. Spain's semifinal opponent Macedonia started the game leading 7–4, later in the quarter, Pau Gasol was benched for committing two personal fouls. Gasol's replacement, Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka
Serge Jonas Ibaka Ngobila , commonly referred to as Serge Ibaka, is a professional Spanish basketball player of Congolese origin, playing the power forward position for Real Madrid of the Liga ACB. He is also under contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA, but is playing in Spain because...
had several dunks that led to a Spanish run to end the quarter, capped off by a Sergio Llull
Sergio Llull
Sergio Llull Melià is a Spanish professional basketball player. He is 6 ft 3 ¾ in tall. He currently plays with the professional club Real Madrid.-Player profile:...
three-pointer to put Spain's lead at 26–18. Gasol returned in the second quarter, dunking to give the Spaniards their first double-digit margin when the Macedonians had their own 14–3 run, capped off a three-pointer from Damjan Stojanovski to retake the lead, 32–31; Macedonia retained the one-point lead at halftime. Neither of the teams pulled away early in the third quarter, but Juan Carlos Navarro
Juan Carlos Navarro (basketball)
Juan Carlos Navarro Feijoo , nicknamed "La Bomba" , is a Spanish professional basketball player...
's three-point shots give Spain a 71–62 margin to prevent the Macedonians from getting close, qualifying for the final anew.
France
The French opened EuroBasket 2011 trailing 41–40 at halftime against LatviaLatvia national basketball team
The Latvian national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Latvia in international competitions.-EuroBasket 1935:The Latvians won the first European basketball championship, the EuroBasket 1935 held by the International Basketball Federation's FIBA Europe continental federation...
. The French pulled away early in the third quarter but Janis Blums
Jānis Blūms
Jānis Blūms is a Latvian professional basketball player. He is a combo guard. His current club is CB Bilbao Berri. Janis is known as fierce competitor who can be deadly from three point range and play lockdown defense. Blums is a great character guy and has team first attitude...
scored on several three-pointers to cut the lead to two points, at 72–70. Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum is a French basketball player with SLUC Nancy of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball. He is also under contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, and is expected to return to that team once the 2011 NBA lockout ends. The Blazers acquired his rights during the 2008 NBA Draft for the...
and Mickaël Gelabale
Mickaël Gelabale
Mickaël Gelabale is a French professional basketball player. He currently plays for Spirou Basket in the Belgian BLB...
converted their own three-point shots to bring back the French lead to eight. In their game against Israel
Israel national basketball team
The Israeli national basketball team is the basketball team that represents Israel in international competition.The Israeli team has participated 25 times in the European championship tournament. Their best achievements were a silver medal in Eurobasket 1979, and 5th place in 1953 and 1977...
, Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
scored 21 points in a game in which the Israelis made it close when he was on the bench; with France leading 28–14 in the second quarter and Parker on the bench, Lior Eliyahu
Lior Eliyahu
Lior Eliyahu is an Israeli professional basketball player. He is 2.07 m in height and he weighs 102 kg . He plays at the power forward position, but he can also play small forward. The Houston Rockets own his NBA Draft rights...
and Yotam Halperin
Yotam Halperin
Yotam Halperin is an Israeli professional basketball player. He is a 1.96 m tall combo guard.Halperin, who is Jewish, was born and raised in Tel Aviv and was the basketball star of Metrowest High School in Ra'anana...
brought the Israelis within a single-digit advantage when Parker returned. He scored on a lay-up, but David Blu converted on a three-pointer to give Israel the lead. Parker scored on his own three-pointer, and led a 12–0 run after the break to put the game out of reach for the Israelis. In a game where both teams are undefeated, Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
had a game high 32 points, erasing Germany's lead in the first quarter and creating an unassailable French lead; Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
and Chris Kaman
Chris Kaman
Christopher Zane Kaman is an American-German basketball player for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. Kaman stands 7'0" and weighs 265 pounds...
were benched for much of the second half, but Nowitzki returned to cut the lead to ten. That was the closest the Germans would get as Nowitzki finished with a team high 26 points. With Parker sitting out the next game, Italy
Italy national basketball team
The Italian national basketball team is the national basketball team representing Italy. It is administrated by the Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro ....
started the game strong, leading by a point after Steed Tchicamboud
Steed Tchicamboud
Steed Tchicamboud is a French basketball player who played 16 games for the French men's national basketball team in 2008 .-References:...
and Gelabale each scored a three-pointer. Danilo Gallinari
Danilo Gallinari
Danilo Gallinari is an Italian professional basketball player with Olimpia Milano of the Italian basketball league. He is also under contract with the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, and is expected to return to that team when the 2011 NBA lockout ends. He is 2.08 m in height and 102.1 kg in...
also made a three-pointer, but the French tied the score off two made free-throws from Batum; Gelabale scored on another three-point shot to wrest the lead back for the French. With the Italians taking a one-point lead off Gallinari's split free-throws, Boris Diaw
Boris Diaw
Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod, better known as Boris Diaw , is a French professional basketball player for JSA Bordeaux in France. He has also played in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, and Charlotte Bobcats...
was fouled on the post. Diaw scored on both free-throws, Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani , nicknamed "Il Mago" , is an Italian professional basketball player with the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. He was selected first overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. He is a power forward/center standing at 213 cm and weighing 113.4 kg...
missed on the other end, and Diaw scored on a lay-up to give the French an 85–82 lead with 36 left. After a time out, Gallinari missed on a three-pointer, and when the French rebounded the ball, the game was out of reach for the Italians. On the preliminary round finale that will decide the group winner, the game went into overtime when Parker missed on a three-pointer at the buzzer. In the extension, Marko Keselj
Marko Kešelj
Marko Kešelj is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is currently playing with Olympiacos in Greece.-Pro career:...
converted his seventh three-pointer of the game to give the Serbs a 96–95 lead. Parker made his two free-throws at the other end, and Dusko Savanovic
Duško Savanović
Duško Savanović is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is 2.04 m tall and 102 kg weight. He currently plays with the Turkish club Anadolu Efes. He plays the power forward position.-External links:* at acb.com* at euroleague.net* at adriaticbasket.info* at tblstat.net...
three-pointer was short, to give France the victory.
The Turks
Turkey national basketball team
The Turkish national basketball team is the basketball section that represents Turkey in international competitions. The team is nicknamed "12 Dev Adam" ....
trailed in their opening game of the second round against the French 61–48 with 6:33 remaining in the game when they made a 13–2 run, ended by an Ersan Ilyasova
Ersan Ilyasova
Ersan İlyasova is a Turkish professional basketball player who currently plays for Anadolu Efes. He is also under contract with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, though the NBA is currently in a lockout...
three-point play to cut the lead to two with 45 seconds left. Parker scored on two free-throws to bring the French lead to four with 18 seconds left when Emir Preldzic
Emir Preldžic
Emir Preldžić is a Turkish professional basketball player of Bosnian origin who played for Slovenian national basketball team at the 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament. He is 6 ft 9 in tall and he can play at both the small forward and power forward positions, and he can also play as a...
made an off-balanced three-pointer to cut the deficit to one, with eight seconds left. The Turks fouled Parker with five seconds left, who made both free-throws. Preldzic, off a Turkish time out, was called for a five-second violation, sealing the game for the French. The French next faced the hosts Lithuania
Lithuania national basketball team
The Lithuanian national basketball team is the representative for Lithuania in international men's basketball. Lithuania won bronze medals in three out of five Olympic tournaments it participated in....
, whom they lead at the half by nine points. The Lithuanians then had a 12–2 run at the final six minutes of the third quarter to cut the lead to three. Nando de Colo
Nando de Colo
Nando de Colo is a French professional basketball player. His parents are from Portugal.-Pro career:...
scored on a three-pointer to give France the two-point lead, and free-throws two minutes later were enough to keep the hosts from retaking the lead. The French suffered their first defeat of the championship when they were beaten by Spain, 96–69. Noah and Parker sat out in the game; French coach Vincent Collet
Vincent Collet
Vincent Collet is an French professional basketball coach. Currently, he is the head coach of French League club ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, as well as the head coach of the senior France national basketball team.Collet first became head coach in 2000 after a 13-year career as a player in the Ligue...
justified their absences, saying that Noah was advised to sit out due to an issue with his calf, and Parker who was tired from the last couple of games.
Facing the Greeks
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
in the quarterfinals, the French trailed 15–4 after a three-pointer by Antonios Fotsis. The French had a 10–2 run the at rest of the quarter to limit the lead to a single possession. The Greeks extended their lead back to seven, but France tied the game with seven unanswered points. Noah, who had missed his first six attempts, dunked to give France a four-point lead. The Greeks retook the lead at the end of the half, with Ioannis Bourousis getting his own dunk to post a halftime score of 39–32. The French erected a deciding 16–5 run, but while Greece was able to cut the lead to two with two minutes left, the French were able to hold off Greece to score a semifinal appearance.
The French next faced an undefeated Russia
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
in the semifinals. The French had a deciding 8–0 run in the third quarter to deny a repeat of the 2007 final, although Andrei Kirilenko
Andrei Kirilenko
Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko is a Russian-American professional basketball player who plays at the small forward position for the CSKA Moscow in the Russian Professional Basketball League. He also plays for the Russia national basketball team...
led a Russian run to cut the lead to four, but it wasn't enough as Parker and Batum scored on clutch shots at the final minutes. The win clinched France's first appearance in the EuroBasket final
Match details
Joakim NoahJoakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noah is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship...
started the game with two dunks to give the French team an 8–7 lead. José Calderón
José Calderón (basketball)
José Manuel Calderón Borrallo is a Spanish professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors and the Spanish national team.-European career:...
scored five points to give the Spaniards a 17–12 lead, forcing French coach Vincent Collet
Vincent Collet
Vincent Collet is an French professional basketball coach. Currently, he is the head coach of French League club ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, as well as the head coach of the senior France national basketball team.Collet first became head coach in 2000 after a 13-year career as a player in the Ligue...
to call a timeout. The teams scored on several three-point shots but Spain held a 25–20 lead at the end of the first quarter. Spain stretched the lead to nine in the second quarter but two three-pointers from Mickaël Gelabale
Mickaël Gelabale
Mickaël Gelabale is a French professional basketball player. He currently plays for Spirou Basket in the Belgian BLB...
and Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
kept the game close. However, Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka
Serge Jonas Ibaka Ngobila , commonly referred to as Serge Ibaka, is a professional Spanish basketball player of Congolese origin, playing the power forward position for Real Madrid of the Liga ACB. He is also under contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA, but is playing in Spain because...
's third block of the night led to a Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
basket to pad the Spanish lead to ten. Coming off another timeout, Ibaka blocked two more French shots. Later, Rudy Fernández
Rudy Fernández (basketball)
Rodolfo "Rudy" Fernández y Farrés is a Spanish professional basketball player. He is a 6'6" tall shooting guard/small forward who is currently signed to the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, though he will play for Real Madrid until the current NBA lockout ends...
was called for an unsportsmanlike foul against Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
, whom he pulled down to the floor. This led to a French 7–0 run, capped off by a Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum is a French basketball player with SLUC Nancy of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball. He is also under contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, and is expected to return to that team once the 2011 NBA lockout ends. The Blazers acquired his rights during the 2008 NBA Draft for the...
three-pointer and a dunk to cut the lead to five. Spain increased their lead to nine, 50–41, at the end of the first half.
While the French were able to score at the start of the third quarter, Spain managed to maintain the lead within the 10-point margin. France scored five points in a row but Juan Carlos Navarro
Juan Carlos Navarro (basketball)
Juan Carlos Navarro Feijoo , nicknamed "La Bomba" , is a Spanish professional basketball player...
scored to prevent the lead from decreasing. The Spanish team started the fourth quarter with another run, and they retained the title they had won two years ago in Poland.
Navarro, who scored 27 points in the final and 35 points in the semifinal against Macedonia, was named tournament MVP. Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
achieved a double-double in the final, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while Calderón scored 17 points, Fernández had 14, and Gasol's younger brother Marc
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol i Sàez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft...
had 11. Spain's successful title defense was the first since Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
's 1997 title.
After the game, Prime Minister of Spain
Prime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party . He was elected for two terms as Prime Minister of Spain, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. On 2 April 2011 he announced he will not stand for re-election in 2012...
congratulated the team, remarking that "discounting the national football team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
which has just started its brilliant run, I think there is no other team in Spanish sport history that has shone as long as you have."