Spain played without their resident stars in EuroBasket 2015, but Pau Gasol proved that he can carry his team on his shoulders as they reclaimed the title on Sunday.
Gasol had another solid performance to lead Spain to a masterful 80-63 win over Lithuania in the EuroBasket 2015 final at the jam-packed Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille.
Gasol finished with 25 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the field to go along with 12 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. For his impressive performances all-tournament long, the Chicago Bulls center was named as EuroBasket 2015 Most Valuable Player. The 35-year-old averaged 25.6 points and 8.8 rebounds in nine games.
"It's of special significance to play this well at this stage of my career after all I've accomplished," Gasol said of winning the title and being named MVP, ESPN reported. "It is something I will remember until the end of my life."
Spain were not considered favorites this year after several key players like Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Calderon and Serge Ibaka did not suit up for the team. In fact, the Spanish squad barely made it into the second round after losing to Serbia and Italy during the group stage.
On their way to the finals, Spain displayed tremendous composure, particularly during their quarterfinal match against Greece and semifinal match against France.
"We have done it again and we have to be proud because this is the tournament where we suffered the most, this time we did not arrive as favorites," Spain guard Sergio Llull said. "It has a special taste because in the quarter-finals we beat a great team like Greece that was undefeated; in the semis we beat France which was also unbeaten."
Llull also had an impressive game for his squad as he finished with 12 points on top of six rebounds and five assists, while veteran Rudy Fernandez chipped in 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field.
On the other hand, Mantas Kalnietis and Renaldas Seibutis led Lithuania with 13 points apiece. Leading scorer Jonas Valanciunas was limited to 10 points and nine rebounds. But still, Valanciunas was also named to the tournament's all-star team alongside Gasol, Sergio Rodriguez, Maciulis and Nando De Colo.
Despite the loss, Lithuania will still play in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The top two teams in EuroBasket 2015 earned a ticket to Rio, while the next five teams will compete in the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
