KAUNAS, Lithuania — There is only one thing that is ultimately relevant for Americans about the team that just won EuroBasket: One year from now, will Spain have what it takes to defeat Team USA in the gold medal game of the London Olympics? Because let’s face it, this Spanish team showed it is clearly the second-best team in the world right now, just as they were three years ago in Beijing when they put 107 points on the board (in a
By Chris Sheridan KAUNAS, Lithuania — “He was like a maestro today. He was like a picture in the Louvre or something like that — just beautiful. Juan Carlos, you’ve got to recognize, is one of the artists of European basketball.” It was a DaVinci of a quote that Spanish coach Sergio Scariolo delivered Friday, about as eloquent of an assessment a man could deliver after what he witnessed from his own personal Michelangelo. Juan Carlos Navarro scored 19 points in the third quarter to single-handedly break
By Chris Sheridan KAUNAS, Lithuania — He had said it so many times over the course of EuroBasket, Spanish coach Sergio Scariolo was starting to sound like a broken record: “The 3-point shooting will come. It can come at any time, and it will come.” It certainly did, and it came in such a quick blast that a surprisingly close game became a blowout in an instant. Spain made seven 3-pointers on 10 attempts in the third quarter, starting with one by Rudy Fernandez
By Chris Sheridan VILNIUS, Lithuania — Spain learned Monday who its opponent will be in the second round of Eurobasket, and it is a team that will try to dictate the pace of the game and keep it slow. That opponent is Slovenia, which advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Finland 67-60 to claim fourth place in Group F. “We know them, we respect them, we know they are full of excellent talented players and experienced players, and we would be stupid if we were