Olympic games, quarterfinals: Wednesday, August 20, 2008
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Lithuania reached the Olympic Men's basketball tournament semifinals for the fifth consecutive time by downing China 94-68 at Wukesong Arena in Beijing on Saturday. Despite being in the semifinals in each Olympic Games since Barcelona 1992, Lithuania now has the chance to reach its first-ever olympic final if it beats Spain on Friday. Lithuania won Olympic bronze medals in 1992, 1996 and 2000 and finished fourth in 2004. Despite its quarterfinal loss, China reached its best Olympic result ever in Beijing 2008. Three-time Euroleague winner and former Final Four MVP Sarunas Jasikevicius of Panathinaikos paced the winners with 23 points on 5-for-6 three-pointers and 6 assists. Reigning Euroleague MVP Ramunas Siskauskas added 15 points, Linas Kleiza had 13 while Simas Jasaitis of DKV Joventut got 12 for Lithuania. Yao Ming led China with 19 points on 11-for-13 free throws, Yi Jianlian added 11 and 8 rebounds while Liu Wei had 10 points for the hosts. Lithuania led 41-30 at halftime, broke the game in the third quarter and cruised to an easier than expected win.
Robertas Javtokas of Dynamo Moscow managed to slow Ming in the opening minutes while Rimantas Kaukenas of Montepaschi Siena gave Lithuania a 6-4 edge. China tried to slow down the game tempo but Lithuania kept dominating the game with its run-and-gun style. Siskauskas and Jasikevicius struck from downtown for a 12-6 margin. Sun Yue and Wei stepped up for China, combining for 7 points in a 0-9 run that gave the hosts a 12-15 edge. Lithuania could get its frontcourt but free throws by Jasikevicius and a buzzer-beating triple by Siskauskas gave their team a 19-17 edge after 10 minutes. Ming found his first points early in the second quarter but Javtokas and Siskauskas scored in quick transitions to make the hosts call timeout at 25-20. Yue and Ming tried to change things for China but Marijonas Petravicius of Lietuvos Rytas and Ksistof Lavrinovic of Montepaschi had easy baskets while a three-pointer by Jasikevicius made it an eight-point game, 32-24. China improved with a 1-3-1 zone defense but an outstanding Jasikevicius and Jasaitis took over late in this period to give Lithuania its first double-digit lead, 38-28. Ming dunked it but once again Siskauskas beat the buzzer with a corner triple for a 41-30 halftime score.
Ming played more aggressive after the break, singlehandedly bringing China within 41-34. Ksistof Lavrinovic rescued Lithuania with consecutive jumpers while Jasikevicius sank his trademark triple from the top of the key to make China call timeout at 48-36. Du Feng stepped up with a jumper and Ming added free throws, but only brought China within 50-40. Petravicius made foul shots while Kaukenas and Kleiza struck from downtown to make it a 16-point game, 58-42. China even missed open shots now and even when Ming kept going to the foul line often, he only got his team within 60-48. Kleiza buried another triple while Jasikevicius followed an easy layup with his own shot from downtown to break the game open, 70-53, at the end of the third quarter. China, backed by an incredible crowd, needed a quick comeback to keep its options alive. It didn't happen, however, as Jasikevicius and Kleiza stepped up early in the fourth quarter for a 20-point Lithuanian lead, 76-56. Jasaitis sank a consecutive triples that sealed the outcome, 81-56, as Lithuania returned to the Olympic semifinals for the fifth straight time and keeps its option to go back home with a medal.
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Euroleague.net
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