France defeated host team Spain to Advance to the FIBA World Cup 2014 Semi-finals

By BallersPinas


Spain was a favorite to enter the FIBA World Cup 2014 Finals until they were defeated by Team France a while ago in the quarterfinals via 65-52.

Unlike in their previous games in the eliminations and Round of 16 wherein they dominated their opponents, Spain played poorly in this match. From the first up to the last quarter, they struggled to match France's intensity and will to win.

For the first time in the tournament, Spain trailed behind against a team at the end of the first half 35-28. Their struggles continued up to the final buzzer wherein Pau Gasol was the only player doing the work for his team. His teammates seem to be absent in this all important showdown.

Boris Diaw led Team France with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Nicolas Batum added 10 while Thomas Huertel pitched in 13 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. Big man Rudy Gobert poured in 5 points and 13 rebounds. He also held his own against the Gasol brothers.

On the other side, Pau Gasol led Team Spain with 17 points and 8 rebounds. His support crew, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka didn't perform well as they only produced single digit outputs respectively.


France will face Serbia in the semi-finals tomorrow morning at 4:00 am PH Time. USA will face Lithuania in the first game at 3:00 AM.


Game Summary: