Spain survived a late thriller over Turkey in Day 5 of the EuroBasket (69-72, LIVE from Hedgeout.net) and clinched the top place in Group A.
In a back-and-forth battle in Tbilisi, the Spaniards stood tall in the end and claimed a big victory over the Turks. Shane Larkin turned the ball over and gave Spain the chance to take a 3-point lead (68-71).
Larkin then made one free throw (69-71) and Turkey fouled Diaz, who went to the line for two. He missed the second, but the Spaniards took the offensive rebound and sealed the deal.
Spain survived a hard-fought battle, where no team led by double digits, with several lead changes and game ties taking place.
Willy Hernangomez (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Lorenzo Brown (11 points and 7 assists) were the top players for the winners.
Cedi Osman led all scorers with 20 points for Turkey, while Korkmaz added 16 (14 in the second half) and Sengun posted 14 points and 12 boards.
Spain (4-1) and Turkey (3-2) will now travel to Berlin for the knockout stage of the EuroBasket. Their games will take place on Saturday, September 10.
The Spaniards will now take on Lithuania in the first single elimination game. On the other hand, the Turks will face Slovenia, France or Germany in the Round of 16.
