Day 14 Recap – Semi-Finals

Lithuania 67 Serbia 64 – The tournament favorites, Serbia, were knocked out in a fiercely contested semi-final match against Lithuania. The Serbian team had marched through the tournament pretty much unimpeded thus far, winning their first 7 games by an average of more than 16 points per game. However that all came to a sudden end today in Lille as Lithuania frustrated the White Eagles on their way to securing the biggest upset of the tournament with a 67-64 win. Serbia struggled throughout the game, shooting 32.8% from the field and missing 22 of 28 three point attempts. Their leading scorers in the tournament, Nemanja Bjelica and Miroslav Raduljica, were limited to a combined 20 points on 5/15 shooting and as a team Serbia were out-rebounded 29-40. Lithuania relied upon a 7 man rotation, however 4 of those players scored in double figures, led by Jonas Valanciunas who racked up 15 points on 5/6 shooting. Mindaugas Kuzminskas had his best game of the tournament with 13 points and 9 rebounds and Mantas Kalnietis continued his strong tournament play with 12 points, 9 assists and 5 boards while playing 37 of the 40 minutes. Serbia had 2 chances to tie the game late in the forth quarter but they came up short each time, firstly with a missed Bojan Bogdanovic lay-up and then turnover by Milos Teodosic as the clock wound down.

– The tournament favorites, Serbia, were knocked out in a fiercely contested semi-final match against Lithuania. The Serbian team had marched through the tournament pretty much unimpeded thus far, winning their first 7 games by an average of more than 16 points per game. However that all came to a sudden end today in Lille as Lithuania frustrated the White Eagles on their way to securing the biggest upset of the tournament with a 67-64 win. Serbia struggled throughout the game, shooting 32.8% from the field and missing 22 of 28 three point attempts. Their leading scorers in the tournament, Nemanja Bjelica and Miroslav Raduljica, were limited to a combined 20 points on 5/15 shooting and as a team Serbia were out-rebounded 29-40. Lithuania relied upon a 7 man rotation, however 4 of those players scored in double figures, led by Jonas Valanciunas who racked up 15 points on 5/6 shooting. Mindaugas Kuzminskas had his best game of the tournament with 13 points and 9 rebounds and Mantas Kalnietis continued his strong tournament play with 12 points, 9 assists and 5 boards while playing 37 of the 40 minutes. Serbia had 2 chances to tie the game late in the forth quarter but they came up short each time, firstly with a missed Bojan Bogdanovic lay-up and then turnover by Milos Teodosic as the clock wound down. Lithuania return to the EuroBasket final for the second consecutive tournament. In 2013 they finished as runner-ups to France after losing in the title match, 80-66. This year they will face off against Spain who will likely enter Sunday’s championship game as the favorite. Spain will be looking to capture its 3rd EuroBasket championship since 2009. The matchup between Pau Gasol and Jonas Valanciunas will undoubtedly be the biggest one to watch. Gasol, coming off the heels of a 40 point-11 rebound performance in their semi-final victory over France, is one of the favorites for the tournament MVP and is the heart and soul of the Spanish team. If Valanciunas is able to contain Gasol, then Lithuania will improve their chance to sneak away with their first EuroBasket title since 2003. In 6 head-to-head games in the NBA, Gasol has won 5 of them averaging 16.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while Valanciunas has posted respectable averages of 8.3 points and 8.0 rebounds.

In the 7th place game, the Czech Republic rolled past Latvia 97-70. The 7th place finish is the best in the Czech Republic’s history and secures them a birth in the Olympic qualifying tournament.

So after 87 games, the stage is set for the final of EuroBasket 2015 – Spain vs. Lithuania. Who will be hoisting the trophy and earning the title of EuroBasket 2015 Champions? Check back on TheLoveofHoops on Sunday to find out.