Spain overcame the absence of injured superstar Pau Gasol and crushed Greece 70-47 on Sunday to win the FIBA World Cup. The Spaniards' chances received a huge blow when the inspirational 7-foot Gasol broke his foot in the 75-74 semifinal win over Argentina. However, Gasol's teammates didn't let him down and managed to extend their perfect record. Jorge Garbajosa scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out four assists to help Spain win their first world title in history. Juan Navarro chipped in with 20 points while captain Carlos Jimenez put on a resilient show, collecting 11 defensive rebounds.
USA finished in third place Mihalis Kakiouzis fought Spain solely, posting 17 points and nine rebounds but his efforts were not enough to save below-par Greece. The game looked tight in the first quarter with the Spaniards edging 18-12 past Greece, who ousted frontrunners USA in the semis. But the Greeks suffered a drastic dip in form in the second quarter, leaving Spain go to the locker room with a massive 20-point lead. Spain held on to the game, imposing their rhythm through an airtight defense and highly-accurate shots to maintain the gap and march on to win the title. USA beat Argentina 96-81 in the third-place playoff on Saturday to grab the bronze medal.
