May 25, 2012
World Championships semifinals: September 11
SEMIFINALS, September 11: USA 89-74 Lithuania, Serbia 82-83 Turkey

Robertas Javtokas - Lithuania (Photo: Rodolfo Molina, Euroleague)The United States of America reached the FIBA World Championships final by downing Lithuania 89-74 in the first semifinal on Saturday. USA is set to face Turkey or Serbia, that battle for the other semifinal spot at 20:00, in the title game. Kevin Durant led the winners with 38 points, the most by a US player in competition history. Lamar Odom added 13 and 10 rebounds while Russell Westbrook had 12 points for USA. Robertas Javtokas of Power Electronics Valencia led Lithuania with 15 points. Marty Pocius added 13 while his Zalgiris teammate Mantas Kalnietis had 10. Kalnietis got Lithuania going with a driving basket and fed Javtokas for a layup, good for a 0-4 lead. Durant stepped up for USA with a fallaway jumper and a triple but Pocius answered from downtown for a 7-9 Lithuanian lead. Durant kept pacing USA and singlehandedly put his team back ahead, 14-11. Durant capped a 12-0 run with a seven-meter bomb that gave USA its first double-digit lead, 21-11. A reverse layup by Kevin Love fixed the score at 23-12 after 10 minutes. Zalgiris big man Paulius Jankunas tried to ignite the Lithuanian comeback with a layup but an unstoppable Durant and Odom allowed USA to make it a 15-point game, 29-14. Lithuania found a go-to guy in Pocius, who nailed consecutive three-pointers to give his team some hope at 31-23. Westbrook and Durant took over late in the first half for a 39-25 USA lead. Durant buried another triple to keep USA way ahead, 42-27, at halftime. AJ Milano forward Jonas Maciulis struck from downtown immediately after the break and Javtokas scored twice down low to keep Lithuania within 45-34. Andre Iguodala and Odom stepped up for USA and a three-pointer by Durant restored a 55-40 lead. Tomas Delininkaitis tried to change things with 8 points in an 11-3 run that got Lithuania within 61-51. A second-chance jumper by Westbrook and a reverse layup by Love kept USA out of trouble, 65-53, after 30 minutes. Maciulis and Lietuvos Rytas shooter Martynas Gecevicius buried respective triples for a 71-60 Lithuanian deficit with under 7 minutes left. Durant stayed on fire and free throws by Westbrook sealed the outcome, 79-64. Lithuania kept trying but USA that already booked a ticket to the title game.

Kerem Tunceri - TurkeyTurkey reached the 2010 FIBA World Championship for the first time ever by edging Serbia 82-83 on a last-second layup by Efes Pilsen playmaker Kerem Tunceri. Turkey will fight for the gold medal against USA tomorrow at 20:30 CET. Meanwhile, Serbia will fight against Lithuania in the bronze medal game. Hedo Turkoglu led the winners with 16 points. Omer Onan of Fenerbahce Ulker added 14 while Tunceri and his Efes teammate Ender Arslan each had 12 for Turkey. Marko Keselj of Olympiacos led Serbia with 18 points. Nenad Krstic and Dusko Savanovic of Power Electronics Valencia each added 15 while Euroleague MVP Milos Teodosic of Olympiacos had 13 and 11 assists. Three-pointers by Milenko Tepic of Panathinaikos and Novica Velickovic of Real Madrid allowed Serbia to get an early 6-4 lead. Velickovic struck from downtown but back-to-back baskets by Onan and a wild triple by Turkoglu tied it at 15-15. Teodosic joined the three-point shootout and added free throws for a 20-17 Serbian lead after 10 minutes. Turkey struggled to score and Savanovic banked in a close shot to keep his team ahead, 24-19. Kerem Gonlum and his Efes Pilsen teammate Sinan Guler took over with consecutive three-point plays to get the crowd involved at 26-25. Savanovic stepped up with 7 unanswered points to boost the Serbian lead to 33-25. Arslan tried to change things for Turkey but Keselj singlehandedly allowed Serbia to get a 42-35 halftime lead. Semih Erden and Turkoglu brought Turkey within 44-41 immediately after the break. Krstic tried to change things for Serbia but Onan struck from downtown to tie it at 46-46. Teodosic and Keselj downed three-pointers in a 8-0 run that gave Serbia some fresh air, 54-46. Arslan led the Turkish comeback to get his team within 56-55. A free throw by Savanovic fixed the score at 63-60 after 30 minutes. The game turned into a physical battle but three-pointers by Keselj, Teodosic and Savanovic kept Serbia ahead, 75-69, with more than 4 minutes left. Tunceri followed a driving layup that completed the Turkish comeback, 75-76. Serbia struggled to score right when it mattered and free throws by Onan capped a 0-9 run for a 75-78 score. Free throws by Savanovic, Krstic and Keselj allowed Serbia to regain the lead, 80-79, with 28.7 seconds left. Erden took over with a two-handed dunk but Teodosic fed Velickovic for a layup that gave Serbia a 82-81 edge with 4.3 seconds to go. Tunceri found space for an uncontested layup that sealed the outcome, 82-83, with 0.5 seconds left. Serbia found time for a final shot but Erden blocked Velickovic's shot at the buzzer.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Euroleague.net
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