ESP/CHN – Spain shock China with fourth-quarter comeback and win in OT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Spain came from 14 points down against China in the fourth quarter to force overtime and then won 85-75 in a spectacular Group B clash in the Olympics at the Wukesong Arena.

Led by the incredible Rudy Fernandez and 17-year-old Ricky Rubio, the world champions fell behind by as many as 15 points in the second half but never quit fighting and were ultimately rewarded with their second win in Beijing.

The Chinese, beaten by the United States in their opener, are now 0-2.

Pau Gasol had 29 points to lead all scorers but it was the end-to-end intensity provided by a pair of players who led Spanish side DKV Joventut to Copa del Rey and ULEB Cup glory last season that won the game for the Spanish.

Fernandez, who is going to the NBA next season to play with the Portland Trail Blazers, had 21 points, eight assists and nine rebounds while Rubio only scored one point but was such a menace on defense that he sparked the comeback and also prevented the Chinese from getting off a potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation.

Rubio finished with a game-high five steals while also dishing out four assists and grabbing four rebounds.

"It has been a very difficult game,” Fernandez said to FIBA.com, “especially in the first half.

“We didn't play the way we are used to playing. China have been very effective and in the third and fourth quarter, when we put pressure and we defended better, we posed more problems for them and that's when we started running and won the game. I thought China played a great game."

Spain forced China into 20 turnovers but committed 22 themselves, with Jonas Kazlauskas’ men doing an excellent job cutting off the interior passing of the Spanish.

After Wang ZhiZhi’s long jumper from the right corner had put China into a 72-70 lead with 1:09 remaining, Juan Carlos Navarro missed from behind the arc for Spain and the Olympic hosts were in a good position.

They missed on their next trip down the floor, though, and when Spain next attacked the basket, it was Marc Gasol, the ACB player of the year, that scored over Yao.

With his back to Yao, he spun to his right and despite contact with that 7ft 6in giant that knocked him to the floor, the younger brother of Pau Gasol scored to tie the game.

China still had 19 seconds left but Spain, and specifically Rubio, didn’t allow them to take the last shot.

Instead Rubio, after fouling Liu Wei once, chased the point guard down in front of the Chinese bench and forced him to lose control of the ball.

It went out of bounds.

The ball was awarded to Spain with less than seven seconds left.

After a timeout, Spain inbounded the ball to Rubio and he dribbled hard all the way down the lane and to the hoop.

Shooting over the Chinese defense, the teenager released the shot but narrowly missed and the game went to overtime.

Once in the extra period, Pau Gasol scored down low and after a Yao Ming miss, Rudy exploded to the basket and scored for a 76-72 lead.

Yao rebounded a Zhu Fangyu miss and dunked, only to foul out soon after when making contact with Gasol. The Los Angeles Lakers big man scored on the play and then made the free throw for the three-point play for a 79-74 advantage.

Spain stayed in front and snatched a win that hadn’t seemed possible to the stunned Chinese crowd.

Felipe Reyes was quiet for most of the game but came up big in the fourth quarter with a handful of jumpers helping Spain chip away. He finished with 10 points. Navarro and Marc Gasol scored eight points apiece.

Spain captain Jimenez fell hard to the court in the second quarter and banged his head. He left the game and played no further part.

Liu had 19 points for China, with Zhu and Wang each scoring 15.

Yao, who is still fighting his way back to fitness after the operation on his foot for a stress fracture, started strong but finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and three rebounds.

"I think we did a good job,” China guard Sun Yue said to FIBA.com. “I am proud of what we did considering Spain are the 2006 world champions. We did what we could.

"But the end result hurt us a little bit, although in this game we showed that China can play against the world champions, that we can compete against a team of this level.

“I think Spain showed a lot of experience.”

Sun, who played 25 and a half minutes, added: “We hurried too much and they were so cool. We got nervous.

“This game has given us more experience for our next three games.

“I thought Rudy was a very good player. I had to defend him. Spain’s team are probably one of the best teams in the Olympics."

FIBA