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| British guard Nate Reinking (left) vies with Spanish guard Jose Calderon during the men's preliminary round basketball match of the London 2012 Olympic Games. (AFP Photo) |
LONDON: Reigning European champions Spain's squad of NBA standouts just held off a late charge from rank outsiders Great Britain for a 79-78 win Thursday and a men's Olympic basketball medal playoff berth.
Jose Calderon led Spain with 19 points and sank crucial free throws in the final seconds to hold off minnows Britain, led by 25 points from Joel Freeland and 23 from NBA Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng.
Pau Gasol added 17 as Spain clinched a quarter-final berth and ensured one for Russia, the two being Group B co-leaders at 3-0, while the British squad fell to 0-3, on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention.
The Spaniards stretched their lead to 60-48 entering the fourth quarter but Deng sparked a stunning British rally, the Olympic hosts making a 9-2 run to pull within 68-65 on an inside jump by Pops Mensah-Bonsu with 3:18 remaining.
Gasol added two free throws and his brother Marc Gasol another to give Spain a 71-65 advantage but Freeland sank a jumper with 2:00 to play and added a layin with 1:25 remaining to pull Britain within two points at 71-69 behind.
The home rowd screamed for Britain to pull off the upset but turnovers by Deng and Mensah-Bonsu led to four points for Spain.
Dan Clark answered for Britain by hitting a 3-pointer to cut Spain's edge to 75-72 and, after Calderon sank two free throws with 25 seconds remaining, Nate Reinking's 3-pointer for Britain made it 77-75.
Calderon made two more free throws with 17 seconds remaining, but Britain responded yet again, centre Mensah-Bonsu sinking a 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining leaving them just a point behind,
Calderon took the inbounds pass for Spain and raced around the backcourt, eluding British players desperate to foul him and stop the clock. Instead, the final seconds ticked away and the Spaniards had survived an epic scare.
Spain captain Juan Carlo Navarro missed his second game in a row with a left foot injury.
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