Βy Stathis Trapezanlidis/ info@eurohoops.net
It was the biggest game of the first day and Serbia ended up smiling. The “Eagles” beat Spain 80-70 and already have an advantage in the “group of death” at Berlin behind the monster game of Nemanja Bjelica. The Euroleague MVP had 24 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
It was a close game until 1.39′ before the final buzzer. Spain was trailing by one (71-70), but Serbia finished the game with an impressive 9-0 run which started with a steal by Ognen Kuzmic and continued with two big threes by Bjelica and by Bogdan Bogdanovic. Pau Gasol tried to win the game by himself in the end, had 16 points and it was not enough.
His teammate at Chicago, Nikola Mirotic, had a double double (10 p., 10 r.), still the game was all about Serbia with Milos Teodosic adding 12 points and 4 assists for the winners and Nemanja Nedovic had 14 points, ten of them at the last of the first half when he turned the game around for Serbia, which was trailing by two at this point (36-34).
Serbia faces Germany next, while Spain has to play against Turkey.