The first games in the second group stage in EuroBasket 2011 featured some of the biggest names in the tournament, but the biggest of all -- 2011 NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki -- found himself on the short end as Germany fell to reigning champ Spain 77-68. Marc Gasol led the Spanish with 24 points, and his brother Pau had a great fourth quarter and finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Nowitzki faded down the stretch as Spain attempted to cut the German star off from his team.
EuroBasket 2011: Dirk Nowitzki, Germany Can’t Hang With Spain
Germany now finds itself at the bottom of Group E, with no wins and three losses. (First-stage wins against teams eliminated from a team’s record heading into this second group stage.) Spain moves to 2-1 and looks solid in advancing to the knockouts with Serbia and France left on the docket.
The French remained undefeated in the tournament with a 68-64 win over Turkey. As is to be expected by now, Tony Parker led France with 20 points while playing 37 of a possibe 40 minutes. Parker did, however, shot 0-5 on three-pointers as Turkey nearly took the win; as a team, the French shot just 4-17 from long-range. The two teams shot a combined 35 percent from the field.
In the day's final game, host Lithuania beat back Serbia 100-90. (Yes, a triple-digit FIBA game! Mon dieu!) The Lithuanians assaulted Serbia's defense to the tune of 60 percent shooting for the game -- they must have loosened the rims after France-Turkey -- as rising point guard Mantas Kalnietis and promising big man Jonas Valanciunas led the way with 19 and 18 points respectively. Valanciunas, who was picked No. 5 by the Raptors in June's NBA Draft, did his work in just 20 minutes.
France has clinched a spot in the knockouts. This group will reconvene on Friday; Group F, starring Russia, Greece and Macedonia, will get in action on Thursday.
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