Saric and Simon lead Croatia to shock win over Spain
RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Croatia wrote another dramatic and successful chapter in their sweet summer of 2016 by shocking Spain in their first game at the Olympics.
RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Croatia wrote another dramatic and successful chapter in their sweet summer of 2016 by shocking Spain in their first game at the Olympics.
Aco Petrovic's team trailed by as many as 14 points but clawed their way back and in a thrilling final quarter made the big plays on both ends of the floor for a 72-70 victory.
Dario Saric, whose fame is skyrocketing, preserved the win when he came from the weak side and blocked a game-tying attempt from Pau Gasol at the death.
Turning point: With 1:35 remaining and Spain in front by two, Darko Planinic rebounded Krunoslav Simon's missed three-pointer and scored to knot the contest at 67-67. Simon then stole a pass from Sergio Rodriguez and raced in for a two-point Croatia advantage.
Stats Don't Lie: Five of Croatia's 10 offensive rebounds came in the fourth quarter when they outscored Spain, 25-16.
Hero: Bojan Bogdanovic was a constant scoring threat and finished with a game-high 23 points.
The Bottom Line: Croatia look like they're picking up right where they left off at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Turin, Italy. Spain find themselves in unchartered territory as they didn't lose their opener during their 2008 and 2012 Olympic silver medal runs. They will look to bounce back against Brazil on Tuesday.
FIBA