FIBA Round of 16: Brazil to face Serbia, Lithuania to face Turkey in quarterfinals
Lithuania 76, New Zealand 71
Lithuania came into its Round of 16 matchup with New Zealand as heavy favorites at the FIBA World Cup, and the team looked the part as it built up a 23-9 lead after one quarter and a 15-point lead at one point in the second quarter.
But New Zealand stormed back in the second half, and even took its first lead of the game on a Corey Webster three-pointer with 7:15 remaining that made it 59-58.
Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas, who dominated all day, proved too much down the stretch however, outscoring New Zealand 8-6 over a four-minute stretch following Webster's go-ahead bucket.
That Valanciunas-led run gave Lithuania the lead for good and propelled the European nation to a quarter-final berth.
Valanciunas finished with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go with 13 rebounds and three blocks, while Webster's 26 points led the way for New Zealand.
Lithuania will play the winner of Sunday's matchup between Australia and Turkey in the quarters.
Serbia 90, Greece 72
After a perfect group stage that saw Greece go 5-0 while outscoring opponents by an average of 13 points and beating Argentina to conclude the opening round, the team was sent home by Serbia on Sunday after just one elimination game.
The two teams were tied early in the third quarter, but Serbia finished the game on a 40-22 run over the final 18 minutes.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (21 points) and Miroslav Raduljica (16 points) led five Serbian players in double figures, while Nick Calathes posted 14 points and five rebounds in a losing effort for Greece.
Serbia will now play the winner of Brazil vs. Argentina in Wednesday's quarterfinal.
Turkey 65, Australia 64
Let's start at the end. Trailing by two points with 20 seconds left in the match, Turkish small forward Emir Preldzic called for an isolation. With Turkey's fate firmly in his hands, Preldzic swayed back and forth, lulling his Australian defender to sleep until - with just five seconds left on the clock - he pulled up and canned a triple to send his team through to the quarterfinals.
The loss was particularly tough for the Australians, who led for the majority of the game and held a double-digit lead in the third. Forward Joe Ingles had a chance with five seconds left to retake the lead, but he mishandled the ball on a drive to the basket and committed a turnover.
Preldzic and shooting guard Sinan Guler led the way for Turkey, netting 16 points apiece. Their efforts help offset a tepid day for New Orleans Pelicans center Omer Asik, who only managed three rebounds and four points.
The Australians were led in scoring by Aron Baynes (15 points) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (13 points). Turkey will face Lithuania in the quarterfinals.
Brazil 85, Argentina 65
Has the sun finally set on the Golden Generation of the Argentinian team? Brazil easily dispatched of their South American rivals Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals.
It was a tightly contested game throughout, with Argentina holding a slim lead through much of the first half thanks to some errant three-point shooting from Brazil. However, the second half saw Brazil outscore Argentina by 21 points.
It's a bitter ending for the shorthanded Argentinians, who were without San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili for the tournament due to injury. The team's core players - Andres Nocioni, Pablo Prigioni, Luis Scola, Ginobili - are well into their thirties, and unlikely to sustain their excellence for much longer. It seems the Argentinian squad that captured the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics has now reached their expiry date.
Brazil was led in scoring by shooting guard Raulzinho Neto, who poured in 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field. Prigioni topped Argentina with 18 points. Brazil will face Serbia in the quarterfinals.