EuroBasket 2007

Russia's Andrei Kirilenko took home Most Valuable Player honors.
(Pierre Philippe/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia Win Thriller for Gold
Spain led for the majority of Sunday's championship game, but Russia rallied late and won EuroBasket 2007, 60-59, on a jumper from Jon Robert Holden with two seconds to play. Pau Gasol missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer. Gasol tallied 14 points and 14 rebounds for Spain, while Jose Calderon scored 14. Andrei Kirilenko paced Russia with a game-high 17 points.

Lithuania, which lost to Russia in the semifinals, won the bronze earlier Sunday with a 78-69 win over Greece, the defending EuroBasket champs.

Russia and Lithuania earned automatic berths in the 2008 Olympics. Spain had already clinched a berth by winning the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Meanwhile, Slovenia grabbed the last Olympic qualifying spot with an 88-74 win over France and Germany defeated Croatia, 80-71.

EuroBlogs
Darius Songaila, who is averaging 11.8 points per game while helping Lithuania to an undefeated start at EuroBasket 2007, blogged for NBA.com on Thursday to inform us on the significance of qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics, basketball craziness in Lithuania and much more. The four-year pro has high expectations with the Wizards heading into the upcoming NBA season.

Before his team was eliminated by Germany, Italy's Marco Belinelli blogged for NBA.com as well. The Warriors draft choice scored 25 points on Wednesday. For more on all the action in Spain, check out what former NBA.com blogger George Eddy has to say in his blog on FIBA.com.

NBA Players Participating in EuroBasket 2007 | Qualifiers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics

COMPETITION FORMAT
Sixteen teams will compete in EuroBasket 2007. Four groups of four teams will play in Alicante, Granada, Palma de Mallorca and Seville
Only the top three teams from each group will go on to the next round. These 12 teams that have classified will be divided into two groups of six teams (the three best from groups A and B on one side and the three best from groups C and D on the other). The second round will be held in Madrid.
Subsequently, after all the teams have faced each other, and taking into account the results obtained from the first round, the four best teams from each one of the two groups of six will move on to the quarterfinals, which will be played in a single game format (the fourth-placed team of one group will play the first-placed team of the other, the second-placed team of one group will face the third-placed team of the other, and so on).

FIBA Americas 2007 | 2006 FIBA World Championship | 2004 Olympics
SCHEDULE
QUARTERFINALS
Gm. 43 Sept. 13 Spain def. Germany
Gm. 44 Sept. 13 Russia def. France
Gm. 45 Sept. 14 Greece def. Slovenia
Gm. 46 Sept. 14 Lithuania def. Croatia
SEMIFINALS
Gm. 47 Sept. 15 Germany def. Slovenia
Gm. 48 Sept. 15 Croatia def. France
Gm. 49 Sept. 15 Spain def. Greece
Gm. 50 Sept. 15 Russia def. Lithuania
FINALS
7th Place Sept. 16 Slovenia def. France
5th Place Sept. 16 Germany def. Croatia
Bronze
Medal		 Sept. 16 Lithuania def. Greece
Gold
Medal		 Sept. 16 Russia def. Spain
Schedule & Results | Standings | Video

PHOTOS

Dirk Nowitzki led the way for Germany.
Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
NBA Players at Eurobasket
Olympic Qualifiers