By Niki Bakouli/ bakouli@eurohoops.net
The score was 29-27 in favor of Lithuania and Linas Kleiza had scored already 16 points, the final was still a battle and then amazing happened. Nicolas Batum scored 8 points and France closed the first half with a 21-3 run, getting a 16 points lead (50-34) after 20 minutes of play.
Lithuania never recovered and France cruised to the final 80-66 win. It was a historic feat, the first gold medal of France in Eurobaskets’ history as the generation of Tony Parker finally climbed to the top of Europe. However, the hero of the final is a little bit younger. Portland’s Nicolas Batum scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Boris Diaw added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while Parker himself had 12 points on 2/17 shots and three assists.
As Nicolas Batum said: “Tony came last night to my room and told me that he was really tired, so I had to step up”. Still, Parker was named the MVP of the tournament and he became the first European player who have been MVP and winner of a Eurobasket tournament and also an NBA champion and the MVP of the finals.
He was joined in the best five of the tournament by Slovenian guard Goran Dragic, Croatian forward Bojan Bodganovic, Lithuanian forward Linas Kleiza and Spanish center Marc Gasol.