FIBA – Turkey put on a show in Ankara, France upset Spain

ISTANBUL (2010 FIBA World Championship) – Hosts Turkey got off to a dream start at the 2010 FIBA World Championship scoring the game’s first 14 points on four three-pointers and a dunk on their way to an 86-47 win over the Ivory Coast in Ankara.
 
Meanwhile, France scored the shock result of the day as they overcame a slow start to beat defending champions Spain 72-66 in Izmir behind 16 points and six rebounds by Mickael Gelabale, who had not played in a major international competition since the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.
 
In Istanbul, the USA pulled away from Croatia in the second quarter to record a comfortable 106-78 win but will hope to improve on their free-throw shooting performance (12 of 22) in the coming games.
 
Greece opened the day’s play in Ankara by surviving China’s second half rally to take an 89-81 victory behind 42 combined points by Ioannis Bourousis and Nikos Zisis.
 
Here is a look at the day’s other games.
 
Group A (Kayseri): Australia played from behind throughout, but did just enough in the end to avoid an upset, edging out Jordan 76-75. Serbia thrashed Angola 94-44 despite being without star players Milos Teodosic and Nenad Krstic and Argentina survived a fourth quarter rally by Germany to edge them out 78-74.
 
Group B (Istanbul): Slovenia used some balance scoring to get the better of Tunisia 80-56 while Brazil raced to a 22-12 first quarter lead and did not look back as they saw off Iran 81-65.
 
Group C (Ankara): Russia pulled away in the final frame to shake off Puerto Rico 75-66, a result all the more impressive as David Blatt’s team were without star player Viktor Khryapa.
 
Group D (Izmir): Lithuania overcame a 37-point explosion by Kirk Penney to beat New Zealand 92-79.  Lebanon scored a surprise and important victory, getting the better of Canada 81-71.

Click here for full boxscores are available.
 
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