May 20, 2013
London 2012, Preliminary Round, Game 2: July 31
Spain, Brazil and Russia took a big step forwards to reach the Olympic tournament quarterfinals in London 2012, as both teams improved to 2-0 in Group B. Spain topped Australia 70-82, as Pau Gasol paced the winners with 20 points. Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid added 17. Earlier on, Russia downed China 54-73 behind 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists from reigning Euroleague MVP Andrei Kirilenko. Former All-Euroleague first team choice Viktor Khryapa of CSKA had an all-around game with 7 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Brazil had to battle hard to top Great Britain 62-67, as Marcelinho Huertas of FC Barcelona Regal had 13 points and 8 assists. Lithuania bounced back from its initial loss in the tournament by thrashing Nigeria 72-53. In a critical showdown also in Group A, France bested Argentina 71-64 behind 17 points from Tony Parker. USA overwhelmed Tunisia 63-110 to go up to 2-0 in Group A.

GROUP A

Lithuania 72-53 Nigeria

Mantas Kalnietis - Lithuania (Photo: FIBA)Lithuania bounced back from its initial loss in London by thrashing Nigeria 72-53 on Tuesday. Both teams are tied in Group A with a 1-1 record. Darius Songaila led the winners with 12 points. Former All-Euroleague first team choice Linas Kleiza added 11, Rimantas Kaukenas had 10 while four-time Euroleague champion Sarunas Jasikevicius of FC Barcelona Regal dished 9 assists for Lithuania. Ike Diogu and Al-Farouq Aminu each had 12 points for Nigeria while Alade Aminu of Elan Chalon added 10. Kleiza and Kaukenas shined early but a put-back basket by Alade Aminu of Elan Chalon tied it at 8-8. Reigning Eurocup Rising Star Jomas Valanciunas and Simas Jasaitis of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar fueled a 6-0 run that restored a 14-8 Lithuanian lead after 10 minutes. A three-pointer by Jasikevicius and a very effective Songaila allowed Lithuania to make it a double-digit game, 23-11. Nigeria called timeout but Jasikevicius and Real Madrid swingman Marty Pocius made it an 18-point game, 29-11. Al-Farouq Aminu and Tony Skinn brought Nigeria within 34-27 at halftime. Kleiza and Jasaitis shined after the break to give Lithuania some fresh air at 43-30. A three-pointer by Zalgiris big man Paulius Jankunas broke the game open, 52-34, late in the third quarter, enough for Lithuania to keep a 56-40 margin after 30 minutes. Antanas Kavaliauskas of VEF Riga soon made it a 20-point game, 60-40, enough for Lithuania to cruise to a well-deserved win.

France 71-64 Argentina

Mickeal Gelabale - France (Photo: FIBA)In one of the most exciting games so far in the Olympic Tournament, France downed Argentina 71-64 in Group A on Tuesday. Both teams join a four-way tie for second place with a 1-1 record. Parker led the winners with 17 points. Nicolas Batum added 15, Mickael Gelabale of BC Khimki had 13 while two-time Eurocup champion Nando De Colo got 11 for France. Manu Ginobili had 26 points for Argentina while Luis Scola added 16. Scola and Ginobili shined early and a fast break layup by two-time All-Euroleague second team selection Pablo Prigioni gave Argentina a 7-10 lead. It didn't last long, as Gelabale and Batum struck from downtown in a 12-0 run that allowed France to get a seven-point edge, 19-12, after 10 minutes. Argentina improved its defense in the second quarter and a driving layup by Ginobili made France stop the game at 19-18. France found a new go-to guy in Kevin Seraphin, who got some help from Batum and De Colo to give France a 32-24 margin. Prigioni and Ginobili managed to keep Argentina within 32-29 at halftime. A baseline jumper by Scola tied the game, 37-37, right after the break. A layup by Prigioni completed the Argentinean comeback, 42-43, but De Colo, Parker and Lokomotiv Kuban center Ali Traore put France back ahead, 55-53, after 30 minutes. Batum buried a triple and fed Gelabale for an easy basket, good for a 60-55 French edge. Parker had 6 unanswered points in a 7-0 run that sealed the outcome, 67-58, with under 3 minutes to go. As always, Argentina kept trying but it was already too little, too late for the South American powerhouse.

Tunisia 63-110 USA

Kevin Love - USAThe United States of America overcame a slow start to thrash Tunisia 63-110 and become the exclusive Group A leader with a 2-0 record. Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love led 6 players in double digits with 16 points apiece. Makram Ben Romdhane led Tunisia with 19 points. Tunisia had a strong start, as three-pointers by Rzig and Ben Romhdane allowed the AfroBasket 2011 champions to get a 8-4 margin. Tunisia still led a 15-14 egde late in the first quarter and just as some people had already started to wonder, USA took off with a 0-12 run that Russell Westbrook capped with a running jumper, good for a 14-26 margin. Kechrid struck three times from downtown to keep Tunisia within 30-35 after 16 minutes but Durant and Chandler boosted the US lead to 33-46 at halfime. USA improved its defense and overall concentration after the break, started to run the floor and find easy baskets all over the place. Carmelo Anthony, Andre Iguodala and Anthony Davis led the USA in a 39-point third quarter that allowed their team to seal the outcome, 47-85, after 30 minutes. Everything was said and done already but USA kept rolling and never looked back.

GROUP B

China 54-73 Russia

Andrei Kirilenko and Viktor Khryapa - RussiaRussia took a huge step forwards to reach the Quarterfinals in Group B by downing China 54-73 early on Tuesday. Russia went up to 0-2 while China dropped to 0-2. Kirilenko led the winners with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Alexey Shved had 14 and 6 assists, CSKA center Sasha Kaun added 13 and 4 blocks, Timofey Mozgov got 10 points while Khryapa had an all-around game with 7 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Yi Jianlian led China with 16 points and 4 blocks. Russia had a slow start but free throws by CSKA guard Anton Ponkrashov gave his team its first lead, 4-5. Russia found a go-to guy in Shved, who got some help from Kirilenko and Khryapa to boost the Russian lead to 12-20 after 10 minutes. Wang Zhizhi and Jianlian tried to ignite the Chinese comeback but a layup-plus-foul by Kirilenko and a three-pointer by Shved made it a double-digit game, 15-26. Russia found a new go-to guy in BC Khimki forward Sergey Monya and 8 unanswered points by an unstoppable Kirilenko broke the game open, 21-40. A fast break layup by Lui Wei and a huge dunk by Jianlian fixed the halftime score at 25-40. Shipeng Wang and Sun Yue shined after the break but China only managed to trade baskets for some minutes. Vitaly Fridzon of Khimki and a free throw by Kaun made it a 20-point game, 30-50. Russia boosted its margin to 39-61 after 30 minutes and did not find much trouble to seal an unquestionable win.

Australia 70-82 Spain

Rudy Fernandez - Spain (Photo: FIBA)Spain went up to 2-0 in Group B by topping Australia 70-82 on Tuesday. Pau Gasol paced the winners with 20 points.  Fernandez added 17 while Marc Gasol got 12 for Spain. Joe Ingles of FC Barcelona Regal and Brad Neley led Australia with 12 points apiece. Australia powered up the boards in the opening minutes and back-to-back layups by Ingles and Newley allowed the Boomers to get a 10-8 lead. A three-point play by Serge Ibaka put Spain back ahead, 12-13, but Mark Worthington and Aron Baynes helped Australia to get a five-point lead, 19-14, after 10 minutes. Sergio Llull of Real Madrid struck from downtown early in the second quarter and a layup-plus-foul by Pau Gasol allowed Spain to regain the lead, 21-22. Former All-Euroleague first team pick Fernando San Emeterio of Caja Laboral stepped up and a three-pointer by Llull boosted the Spanish League to 25-31. Fernandez shined with an acrobatic basket to help Spain to get a 32-37 lead at the break. Fernandez and Pau Gasol sank back-to-back triples in a 0-10 run that broke the game open, 32-47. Fernandez stayed on fire, as Spain improved its margin to 40-62 late in the third quarter. Australia kept trying but Ibaka took over with consecutive slams and Spain managed to seal the win minutes before the final buzzer.

Great Britain 62-67 Brazil

Marcelinho Huertas - Brazil (Photo: FIBA.com)Brazil joined a three-way tie for first place in group B by edging Great Britain 62-67 behind 21 points from former All-Euroleague center Tiago Splitter. Huertas added 13 and 8 assists. Nate Reinking and Pops Mensah-Bonsu led Great Britain with 13 points apiece. Great Britain went scoreless in the opening 4 minutes but 6 unanswered points by Dan Clark allowed his team to get a 6-4 lead. Free throws by Mensah-Bonsu and a three-pointer by Mike Lenzly boosted the British lead at 11-4 after 10 minutes. Brazil made just 2 of 20 shots in the first quarter. Leandrinho Barbosa tried to change things with a triple and got some help from Splitter to get Brazil within 18-15. Mensah-Bonsu and Luol Deng stepped up for Great Britain but Splitter and Larry Taylor allowed Brazil to tie the game, 27-27, at halftime. Splitter put Brazil back ahead, 27-29, immediately after the break. Back-to-back three-pointers by Reinking made the hosts regain the lead, 35-34. Joel Freeland and Deng kept pacing their team and a jumper by Mensah-Bonsu tied it at 42-42. Former Euroleague champion Anderson Varejao and Barbosa allowed Brazil to get a five-point edge, 43-48, after 30 minutes. Back-to-back triples by Deng gave Great Britain its last lead, 57-56, with 4 minutes to go. A 0-7 run that Nene Hilario capped with a huge dunk, however, allowed Brazil to seal the outcome down the stretch, as the hosts never recovered and Huertas kept full control of the game in the final minutes.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Euroleague.net
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