By Wallace B. Wheaton Sep 3, 2006, 17:45 GMT
Saitama, Japan - Spain captured their first-ever international basketball title at senior level with a dominating 70-47 victory over Greece on Sunday to win the gold medal at the 2006 World Championships.
Spain's players jubilate during the awarding ceremony of the FIBA World Championship in Saitama, near Tokyo, Sunday 3 September 2006. Spain defeated Greece 70-47 to become world champion. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON
Playing without their injured superstar centre Pau Gasol, Spain put together an inspired fight to knock off the reigning European champions Greece.
Juan Carlos Navarro and Jorge Garbajosa each scored 20 points - including a combined 10 three-pointers - to lead Spain to the crown.
Felipe Reyes chipped in with 10 points as the replacement for Gasol in the starting line-up. And the star's younger brother, Marc Gasol added two points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Half of the team's roster - Pau Gasol, Reyes, Navarro, Jose Manuel Calderon, Benna Rodriguez, Carlos Cabezas - were on the Spain team which captured the junior world championship title in 1999 in Portugal.
The Greeks were held to the second fewest points in the tournament's 56-year history. Only Brazil scored fewer in a 62-41 loss to the United States in 1954.
Mihalis Kakiouzis led the Greeks with 17 points while Theodoros Papaloukas added 10 points.
Before the game even started, the Spaniards made a very public display of unity, entering the arena wearing 'Pau tambien juega' ('Pau plays with') T-shirts - a show of support for their injured centre who suffered a foot injury in the semi-final victory against Argentina.
The Greeks started the game continually passing down to Lazaros Papadopolous in the blocks, trying to take advantage of Reyes. But the Spaniard held his own, with doubling defensive help from Garbajosa. And Reyes scored three of Spain's first four baskets.
Calderon and Navarro followed with back-to-back three-pointers to give Spain a 16-10 lead with two minutes to go in the first.
The Spanish led 18-12 after the first period.
Garbajosa knocked down consecutive three-balls and Navarro hit two jumpers as Spain opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run for a 16-point advantage.
A Papaloukas three-pointer was Greece's first basket in more than four minutes and trimmed the deficit to 28-16.
Jimenez answered with three baskets to push the lead to 19 points, at 35-16, 3:27 before the interval.
Spain coach Pepu Hernandez rested his starters but Greece were unable to cut into the lead.
In fact Reyes got an offensive rebound and put back and was fouled. He missed the foul shot but grabbed the rebound and scored on a lay-up.
Spain increased the lead to 20 points at half-time - 43-23.
Greece tried all they could to get back into the game, but they would pull no closer than 17 points in the second half as their three-pointers just wouldn't drop.
The Greeks couldn't handle the Spanish pressure, turning the ball over 18 times and shooting just 38 percent.
Your Talkback on this Story