May 20, 2013
London 2012, Semifinals: August 10
Spain made it to its third Olympic final by topping Russia 67-59 in the first Olympic semifinal. Former All-Euroleague forward Pau Gasol led the winners with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Jose Manuel Calderon added 14 points while Marc Gasol and Real Madrid star Rudy Fernandez each added 11 for Spain. Sasha Kaun of CSKA Moscow led Russia with 14 points. Reigning Euroleague champion Andrei Kirilenko and Anton Ponkrashov of CSKA each added 10. Russia led 20-31 at halftime but Sergio Llull of Real Madrid, Calderon and Marc Gasol fueled the Spanish comeback after the break. A 9-0 run allowed Spain to get the lead for good, 55-49, and Russia never recovered. Up next at 22:00 CET, USA faces Argentina in the second semifinals. Both teams already met at this stage in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, splitting wins. The winner will face Spain in the title game at 16:00 CET on Sunday. The loser will battle against Russia for the bronze medal a little bit earlier, at 12:00 CET.

Spain 67-59 Russia

Felipe Reyes - Spain (Photo: London 2012)Spain made it to its third Olympic final by rallying to top Russia 67-59 in the first Olympic semifinal. Pau Gasol led the winners with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Calderon added 14 points while Marc Gasol and Fernandez each added 11 for Spain. Kaun led Russia with 14 points. Kirilenko and Ponkrashov each added 10. Russia was first to score on a layup by Kaun but Marc Gasol soon gave Spain its first lead, 4-2. Kaun scored again and a three-pointer by Ponkrashov put Russia back ahead, 4-7. Former All-Euroleague forward Viktor Khryapa of CSKA shined with a fast break layup but Fernandez answered from downtown and a power basket by Serge Ibaka tied it at 9-9. A three-pointer by BC Khimki Moscow Region guard Vitaly Fridzon gave Russia a 9-12 edge after 10 minutes. Sergey Monya of Khimki joined the three-point shootout and a tip-in by Kirilenko boosted the Russian lead to 14-19. Kaun took over with a dunk and back-to-back triples by a red hot Monya made it a double-digit game, 14-27, after an 0-8 run. Pau Gasol tried to change things for Spain but Russia dominated the game with its matchup zone defense. A free throw by FC Barcelona Regal superstar Juan Carlos Navarro fixed the halftime score at 20-31. Fernandez struck from downtown immediately after the break and Calderon copied him soon after that to give Spain some hope, 28-33. Ponkrashov swished a jumper and a three-pointer by Fridzon gave Russia some fresh air 29-38. It didn't last long, as Fernandez singlehandedly brought his team within 36-40. Pau Gasol followed a triple with a put-back slam and Calderon hit another one from beyond the arc to tie the game, 46-46, after 30 minutes. Ponkrashov took over with a layup-plus-foul but Llull had 4 points in a 9-0 run that completed the Spanish comeback, 55-49, with 6 minutes to go. Calderon nailed another three-pointer and Felipe Reyes of Real Madrid downed a baseline jumper to make Spain get a double-digit lead, 60-50. Kirilenko and Kaun tried to change things but Spain kept a safe margin until the final buzzer.

Argentina 83-109 USA

Lebron James and Chris Paul - USA (Photo: London2012.com)The United States of America marched to yet another Olympic final by downing Argentina 83-109 in the second semifinal at the O2, home of the 2013 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four, on Friday. USA will face Spain in the gold medal game on Sunday at 16:00 CET. Before that, Argentina will fight for the bronze medal against Russia at 12:00 CET. USA reached its 15th Olympic final and has the chance to battle for its 14th Olympic crown. Argentina, the 2004 Olympic champion, lost the chance to reach the title game in its third Olympic semifinal. Durant led the winners with 19 points. James and Anthony each added 18 while Kobe Bryant had 13 for USA. Former Euroleague winner Manu Ginobili led Argentina with 18 points. Carlos Delfino and former All-Euroleague forward Luis Scola each added 15. Chris Paul and Bryant struck from downtown and a fast break dunk by Durant made Argentina call timeout at 4-15. Ginobili and Carlos Delfino stepped up for Argentina and a finger roll layup by Scola gave his team some hope at 13-18. Andres Nocioni of Caja Laboral swished an off-balance baseline jumper that capped a 9-0 Argentinian run. Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams allowed USA to restore a 19-24 margin after 10 minutes. Scola scored again and consecutive triples by Delfino kept Argentina within 27-30. James stepped up for USA and singlehandedly boosted his team's lead to 27-37. Delfino and Leo Gutierrez struck from downtown but Durant and Anthony kept their team way ahead, 35-45. A layup by Scola and a buzzer-beating triple by Ginobili brought Argentina closer, 40-47, at halftime. Ginobili sank another three-pointer immediately after the break and soon added a layup-plus-foul to keep Argentina within 46-51. USA found a go-to guy in Durant, who nailed consecutive triples in a 0-8 run that broke the game open, 46-59. James provided a highlight with a wild dunk-and-foul and Durant stayed on fire to make it a 17-point game, 57-74, after 30 minutes. Nothing changed from that moment, as USA improved its lead to 64-93 behind an outstanding Anthony and sealed the outcome long before the final buzzer.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Euroleague.net
PrintPrint Send to a FriendSend to a Friend ShareShare

Special Features

Interviews
Sergio Llull , Real Madrid
Sergio Llull - Real Madrid - EB12
By reaching its second Final Four in three years, Real Madrid has proved that it is ready to start a new era and to... MORE
Interviews
Sarunas Jasikevicius , FC Barcelona Regal
Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona Regal - EB12
As arguably the most successful active player in the competition, Sarunas Jasikevicius of FC Barcelona Regal is... MORE
Interviews
Stratos Perperoglou , Olympiacos Piraeus
Stratos Perperoglou - Olympiacos Piraeus
After becoming the last team to reach the Final Four, reigning Turkish Airlines Euroleague champion Olympiacos... MORE
Interviews
Nenad Krstic , CSKA Moscow
Nenad Krstic - CSKA Moscow - EB12
A second straight dominant season for both CSKA Moscow and star center Nenad Krstic has both player and club poised... MORE

Submenu