Spain and Macedonia face off in FIBA Europe Championship semi-final on Friday.
Spain and Macedonia are only a win away from securing a ticket to next year's London Olympics. But only one team will advance after they play each other in the FIBA Europe Championship semifinals in Lithuania today.
The Spaniards reached the last four by blasting Slovenia 86-64 on Wednesday. The defending champions started slow but when they finally made their move, they made their opponents pay dearly for it.
Brothers Pau and Marc Gasol along with veteran guards Juan Carlos Navarro and Jose Calderon proved to be too much for Slovenia. Those four players along with substitutes Serge Ibaka and Felipe Reyes make the Spaniards an easy favorite to win the tournament for the second time in a row.
Spain coach Sergio Scariolo, however, is wary of the Macedonians, whom they will play for the first time.
"They are the surprise team of the tournament," he said.
"They are compact, solid and serious. They defend very well and have kept their opponents' scoring to the lowest (in the tournament).We will try to change that (today) against them."
Another cause of concern for Spanish fans is the condition of Calderon, who sprained his ankle in their last game. Scariolo, however, said his prized guard is doing well and will likely play today.
Macedonia, meanwhile, is looking forward to posting another upset win. Nobody considered the tiny former Yugoslav state as a contender prior to the tournament but all that has changed following its impressive run towards clinching an Olympic spot.
The Macedonians stunned host Lithuania 67-65 in the quarterfinals behind the game-winning trey of Vlado Ilievski. The Spaniards should also look out for naturalized player Bo McCalebb, who has been the team's heart and soul in the tournament.
Pero Antic, Vojdan Stojanovski and Predrag Samardziski are also playing well and could be a headache for the Spaniards.
"In terms of team unity and spirit, we are the best team in the tournament. People back home will be celebrating on the squares and on the streets. This is for them," Antic said.
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