KAUNAS, Lithuania – Spain won their second successive European basketball championship after beating France 98-85 in a spectacular final in the Zhalgiris Arena on Sunday.
Spain’s starting five scored a whopping 86 points, more than the entire 12-man French roster, as the champions demonstrated their class and finished the gruelling 24-team tournament with an impressive 10-1 record.
Spain, who were led by inspirational point guard Juan Carlos Navarro with 27 points, also became the first team to win back-to-back titles since the former Yugoslavia did it in the 1995 and 1997 tournaments.
Jose Luis Calderon and Los Angeles Lakers centre Pau Gasol added 17 points each for Spain, the latter also collecting 10 rebounds, Rudy Fernandez added 14 while Marc Gasol chipped in with 11 and six rebounds in front of 15,000 fans.
Tony Parker scored 26 points for France as the two teams, who have 11 NBA players between them, produced a match worthy of the tournament’s favourites.
Navarro also claimed the event’s Most Valuable Player award and it was no more than he deserved after yet another breathtaking performance, having overshadowed his opposite number Parker.
Navarro hit audacious three-pointers from almost impossible angles every time France, who trailed throughout the contest, threatened to catch up.
The Spanish were completely dominant in the paint, where Serge Ibaka dished out six blocks in defence while quick movement of the ball in offense allowed the Gasol brothers to score almost at will.
Outplayed by Navarro, triple NBA champion Parker still tried to inject some energy into his team which had no answer to Spain’s fast breaks and pick-and-roll in offense, despite scoring nine three-pointers at the other end.
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