Spain vs. France 2016 final score: Nikola Mirotic leads Spain to decisive quarterfinal victory

A battle of old rivals quickly turned into a one-sided affair in Rio, with Spain defeating France 92-67 in their quarterfinal matchup. Both teams struggled to create separation early on, and only the Spanish were able to develop enough counters to break through.

Open looks were at a premium to start the game, as both France and Spain took time to feel their old rival out. The ebb-and-flow mirrored that of a boxing match, each fighter fending off jabs and looking for an opening.

France continued to have a tough time creating looks for themselves throughout the game, despite the return of star guard Tony Parker. They only managed to get one three-point attempt off in the first quarter, with Spain forcing the French into long twos and contested jumpers far more than is optimal.

When Boris Diaw was on the court for France, Spain was well aware that his first, second and third instinct was to pass the ball. Several times throughout the game, Spain was able to gamble for steals off-ball or sag off Diaw on the perimeter because of his reluctance to shoot. In one particularly jarring example toward the end of the second quarter, he stood unguarded underneath the rim, only to deliver a pass to a teammate for a contested 10-foot jumper.

Spain looked a lot more crisp as they settled in, and France’s inept offense helped them get out on the break and take advantage of their bevy of creative passers. The quality of each team’s shots was reflected by their performance inside the arc; Spain shot a blistering 71 percent from two in the first half of the game, a reflection of how often they were able to find open cutters and streaking players in transition.

Nikola Mirotic was a standout in the game, exploiting matchups and knocking down open threes when France botched rotations. Between Mirotic’s play and jolts from young players like Willy Hernangomez, the Spanish are getting just enough from the next generation to prop up their aging stars.

Next up for Spain is a likely date with Team USA and a spot in the gold medal game on the line.

The French carried high expectations into the Olympics and failed to deliver on them. If there’s a culprit for their underwhelming performance, it’s an offense that just didn’t get the job done.

Part of France’s problem was a personnel issue; they had enough creators and secondary offensive players, but the lack of a go-to scorer reared its head throughout the tournament. Parker is miscast as a high-volume player at this point in his career, and Diaw’s reluctance to put shots up detracted from the value of his passing.

French national team coach Vincent Collet deserves to be questioned following his team’s lukewarm performance in Brazil. Evan Fournier’s blend of skills might not have been a cure-all for the French, but failing to include the Orlando Magic guard looks even more puzzling in retrospect.

The golden generation of Spanish talent is edging toward its end, and many wrote off their chances in Rio with Marc Gasol on the shelf. They’re valiantly hanging on despite his absence, looking to put together one last run at glory on their way out.

Spain’s early losses may end up looking like misnomers. After losing by a total of three points to the host country and the upstart Croats, the Spanish are getting on a roll as the tournament moves toward the medal round. They’ll still be major underdogs against Team USA in the semis, but given how ugly America’s defense has been, perhaps the old guard of Spain can make one last stand.

Complicated as basketball can be, outcomes often boil down to a question simple as, “Who had the best player?” On this occasion, Mirotic was the best player on either team and it wasn’t all that close.

Mirotic was decisive on the offensive end of the court, hoisting threes with no hesitation and attacking players off the dribble when overzealous closeouts came. There wasn’t a good answer for France to turn to — Mirotic bodied Nicolas Batum in the post and was quick enough to breeze past Diaw -- and the Chicago Bulls forward thrived as a result.

Chicago fans have to be hoping for more of this version of Mirotic moving forward. He was assertive in attacking his matchup advantages and would do well to carry that mentality back to the Windy City.