EuroBasket 2011: Spain def. France to become back-to-back Champion

 

Spanish NT wins Gold

          History was made at EuroBasket 2011 on Sunday when Spain became just the first country this century to win back-to-back gold medals, outpacing France 98-85 before a sellout crowd of 15,440 at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania.   

          Turkish Airlines Euroleague legend Juan Carlos Navarro of FC Regal Barcelona was named MVP after pouring in 27 points and dishing 5 assists to lead Spain. Navarro averaged 29.3 points over three games as Spain breezed through the quarters, semis and final. The former Euroleague MVP was joined on the All-EuroBasket 2011 team by teammate Pau Gasol, Bo McCalebb of FYROM and Montepaschi Siena, Tony Parker of France and Andrei Kirilenko of Russia. In the bronze-medal game, Russia outlasted F.Y.R. of Macedonia 68-72 after the score had been tied with under 20 seconds left. A one-handed flip-in with 16 seconds left by Sergey Bykov of Lokomotiv Kuban proved the game-winner.

Mythical Five Selection (Juan Carlos Navarro 'MVP', 4th from the left)

        
      Spain had set standards that other European countries had to try to match, said France point guard Tony Parker, a triple NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs. “They have been playing together for six or seven years and I know how it feels from my experience at San Antonio, where we have played for many years together,” said Parker, who won the NBA title with the Spurs in 2003, 2005 and 2007. “It makes a difference when the tough times come. “We are still learning, everybody has to be patient. There is a lot of stuff to improve but with the experience we will get better,” he added. Spain and France have qualified automatically for the Olympics from Europe along with hosts Britain, who performed well in Lithuania although they were knocked out in the preliminary rounds. The British, led by Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng, had two wins and three defeats, one of which was an 86-69 loss to Spain in which they held their own for three quarters of the game. Russia, Macedonia, Lithuania and Greece, who finished third, fourth, fifth and sixth, will enter an inter-continental 12-team playoff for another three Olympic berths next year.