POL - Scariolo ready to face Les Bleus; Serbs prepared for Russia

LODZ (EuroBasket 2009) – Sergio Scariolo has hit several bumps in the road as the new coach of Spain’s national team but the Italian is right where he wants to be as the EuroBasket hits the business end of the tournament.
 
Spain rebounded from a Group C defeat to Serbia and a Group F loss to Turkey to reach the Quarter-Finals, clinching their last-eight place with a win over Poland on Wednesday.
 
The only undefeated team in the competition, France, await them in Katowice with the two squaring off on Thursday night and Scariolo says he believes there is enough time to make tactical adjustments to face Les Bleus.
 
“We have developed a way to be ambitious tactically, the ability to catch the main concepts in one day,” he said after Wednesday’s crunch win over Poland.
 
“I’m realistic and know that  we will  face the best team in the European Championship so far. Athletically, it will be a great effort. We have to respect them, but I think we have gained respect.”
 
Scariolo says there should be no easy games in the Quarter-Finals.
 
“We have to face this challenge no matter who the opponent is,” he said.
 
Spain big man Pau Gasol, who missed all of the preparation games after injuring a finger in training and requiring surgery, appears to have returned to his best form.
 
He blocked three shots in the first quarter of Wednesday’s win over Poland and finished with 20 points and five rebounds in just 18 minutes on the court.
 
France, he says, will be an extremely tough team to play against.
 
"France is a hard rival," Gasol said.
 
"They are undefeated and we need to beat them if we want to progress. They have confidence and good players as well as being more rested than us, but we have to win."
 
France played their last Qualifying Round game against Greece on Tuesday while Spain beat Poland on Wednesday and then boarded a bus for Katowice, arriving at their hotel in the early morning hours of Thursday.
 
"France creates many dangers," Gasol said.
 
"Tony Parker is the engine of the team, he has ball possession, he is very fast and aggressive.
 
"They have a balanced group with players of high level.
 
"But we will be ready for them."
 
In Thursday’s first Quarter-Final, Serbia take on a Russia team that has beaten the odds by staying in the competition despite the absences of key players Andrei Kirilenko, JR Holden and Viktor Khryapa.
 
Serbia, whose main aim coming into the tournament was to claim one of the six places on offer for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, are confident heading into the game.
 
“Now we are in the Final Round - where every team is extremely strong,” Serbia star Milenko Tepic said. “But we have also proved that it is not an accident that we are going to Katowice.”
 
Serbia defeated Lithuania in their last Qualifying Round game on Wednesday with Milos Teodosic scoring 20 points and handing out 12 assists.
 
Jeff Taylor, Katowice
FIBA