By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Turkey’s defense was a tough nut to crack but in the end, Spain’s guard quality provided the necessary solutions that led to a 73 – 56 win and a ticket to the quarterfinal. The “Rojas” will face Germany that had advanced by downing France.
Fear the beard: Not only did Sergio Rodriguez almost post a double/double (11 points, 9 assists… plus 4 rebounds) but scored what can be considered as a decisive basket for the Spanish victory.
“Chacho” beat the third quarter buzzer from downtown making it 49 – 43 and, more importantly for his squad, shoving a dagger into the Turkish team’s psychology. There were ten minutes left, but that was the beginning of the end for the hosts.
The lone warrior: Spain grabbed a momentum that carried them through a partial score for the 56 – 45. When Turkey rallied for its last stand behind a splendid Furkan Korkmaz (20 points, a new international career-high and 5 rebounds) who scored 5 in a row, Rodriguez’s backcourt mate appeared to finish the business.
Ricky’s helping hand: Rubio dropped 8 out of his 15 (team-high) points in just one minute, making it 64 – 52 with 3:52 left. Coach Sarica’s players, that had fought tooth and nail in order to contain the action of their opponents (particularly the Gasol bros – Pau finished with 11 p., Marc had 10 after 3/9 f.g.) couldn’t recover from that handicap and Spain remained in total control until the final buzzer.
(Photo credit: FIBA.basketball)
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