TAMPERE (Finland) - Lithuania recovered from a torrid first half to eventually overcome Sweden 74-71 and head to Riga with momentum going into the Round of 16.
Fighting back from as many as 12 points down, Lithuania outscored Sweden 21-14 in the third to take a narrow lead into the final quarter. The Baltic side would hold on down the stretch to finish with a 4-1 record in Group B, while Sweden's spot at the Final Phase was confirmed earlier on Wednesday.
Turning Point
After holding Lithuania to just 14 points in the first quarter, Sweden maintained their advantage, leading by as many as 12 points in the second period, before Lithuania brought it to within 36-32 thanks to a basket from youngster Azuolas Tubelis.
Sweden ended the half ahead, but quickly saw it wrestled away from them by Lithuania with a score inside from Jonas Valanciunas with 6:49 to play in the third as part of a 16-4 run. But Sweden's fighting spirit shone through to narrow the deficit to 54-53 heading into the fourth and set up a tense finale.
TCL Player of the Game
Valanciunas was a monster inside again for the Lithuanians, as he posted 18 points and 9 rebounds, going 7-for-11 from the floor.
Lithuania also relied on 14 points and 7 assists from Arnas Velicka and another double-double from Tubelis with Gytis Radzevicius also adding 13 points. Pelle Larsson led Sweden with 18.
Stats Don't Lie
In a competitive final Group B game before both sides head to Riga for the Round of 16, there was little to separate the two, with five lead changes and five ties, all in the second half. However, Lithuania's superior free-throw percentage was the difference maker, as they shot 22-of-27. Conversely, Sweden were just 8-for-15.
As a side note, Lithuania's 14 first-quarter points was their lowest first-quarter total of a EuroBasket game since the 2015 Final against Spain, when they mustered only 8 points.
Bottom Line
Both teams are through to the Round of 16 as Lithuania's passage was confirmed when they edged past Finland on Monday, with Sweden thanking Great Britain for their win over Montenegro earlier in the day.
They Said
"We have some problems with injuries, but still we have ten guys and everybody is ready to play, what we showed tonight in what was a little bit difficult because we had no real playmaker, just Arnas [Velicka] who was really good today. But we will try to continue to play like that," - Rimas Kurtinaitis, Lithuania head coach.
"It was important for us to get a victory. The team is trying to be together because Rokas is a very big part of the team, he created by himself and getting others involved, so it's big shoes to fill, but I tried to do my best, to listen to what the coach is asking of me and trying to take that responsibility," - Arnas Velicka, Lithuania.
"I always try to be in the moment and be in this game. I think we played a good game against an incredible basketball country, they did good, of course, they lost Normantas early and I want to send get well soon [wishes] to Jokubaitis. It was a tough game, but unfortunately, we couldn't win it," - Mikko Riipinen, Sweden head coach.
"Another time, when we were [performing] in a really good game but we can't close it out. They're big, they're good, they know how to win, they got more rebounds than us but overall we had a really good game, I think," -Ludwig Hakanson, Sweden
For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
FIBA