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US, Turkey set up worlds final clash
Source: Agencies |
September 13, 2010, Monday
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WORLD championship favorite the United States beat Lithuania 89-74 and host Turkey edged Serbia 83-82 on Saturday to reach the final.
Both teams head into the title showdown with 8-0 records after US forward Kevin Durant scored 38 points to sink the Lithuanians and Turkey overcame an eight-point deficit to beat Serbia in the last seconds of a rip-roaring contest in Istanbul.
Serbia was leading 82-81 with 4.5 seconds remaining when Turkey playmaker Kerem Tunceri went through for a layup which sent the 18,000 crowd in the Sinan Erdem Dome into raptures and completed a spectacular comeback.
The Serbians were 72-64 up when their perimeter shooting started to let them down midway through the final quarter and the Turks found their range at the other end.
With top long-range shooters Hedo Turkoglu and Ersan Ilyasova man-marked, Tunceri scored eight unanswered points to turn the tide and force the late drama.
"I'm overwhelmed and I can't believe this. We fought really hard and never gave up, we fought for Turkey and our fans and we made it," Tunceri said.
"We've made history because we kept believing in ourselves and I think we are in good shape to face the United States," added center Kerem Gonlum after Turkey secured a first podium finish in its third world championship appearance.
Phoenix Suns forward Turkoglu scored 16 points, Omer Onan chipped in with 14 and Tunceri had 12 points and five assists for Turkey, whose tight defense produced five steals more than the Serbs and four fewer turnovers.
Oklahoma Thunder forward Durant, 21, coming off his third professional season, has been the US driving force throughout the tournament and produced another effervescent performance against Lithuania.
The east Europeans led 11-9 early on but the US went on a 12-0 run to open up a 23-12 lead by the end of the first quarter on the back of Durant's 17 points.
Lithuania trailed by 15 at halftime and cut the deficit to 40-50 early in the third quarter.
However, it had no answer to Durant's speed, skill and lethal long-range shooting which steered the US to a 79-64 lead midway through the fourth.
"My teammates told me I have to be the go-to guy so I knew I had to step up and convert when they kept running plays for me and I was excited to take on the role," said Durant.
The US, chasing its first world title since 1994, was also propelled by 13 points and 10 rebounds from Lamar Odom and 12 points by Durant's Oklahoma teammate Russell Westbrook.
Both teams head into the title showdown with 8-0 records after US forward Kevin Durant scored 38 points to sink the Lithuanians and Turkey overcame an eight-point deficit to beat Serbia in the last seconds of a rip-roaring contest in Istanbul.
Serbia was leading 82-81 with 4.5 seconds remaining when Turkey playmaker Kerem Tunceri went through for a layup which sent the 18,000 crowd in the Sinan Erdem Dome into raptures and completed a spectacular comeback.
The Serbians were 72-64 up when their perimeter shooting started to let them down midway through the final quarter and the Turks found their range at the other end.
With top long-range shooters Hedo Turkoglu and Ersan Ilyasova man-marked, Tunceri scored eight unanswered points to turn the tide and force the late drama.
"I'm overwhelmed and I can't believe this. We fought really hard and never gave up, we fought for Turkey and our fans and we made it," Tunceri said.
"We've made history because we kept believing in ourselves and I think we are in good shape to face the United States," added center Kerem Gonlum after Turkey secured a first podium finish in its third world championship appearance.
Phoenix Suns forward Turkoglu scored 16 points, Omer Onan chipped in with 14 and Tunceri had 12 points and five assists for Turkey, whose tight defense produced five steals more than the Serbs and four fewer turnovers.
Oklahoma Thunder forward Durant, 21, coming off his third professional season, has been the US driving force throughout the tournament and produced another effervescent performance against Lithuania.
The east Europeans led 11-9 early on but the US went on a 12-0 run to open up a 23-12 lead by the end of the first quarter on the back of Durant's 17 points.
Lithuania trailed by 15 at halftime and cut the deficit to 40-50 early in the third quarter.
However, it had no answer to Durant's speed, skill and lethal long-range shooting which steered the US to a 79-64 lead midway through the fourth.
"My teammates told me I have to be the go-to guy so I knew I had to step up and convert when they kept running plays for me and I was excited to take on the role," said Durant.
The US, chasing its first world title since 1994, was also propelled by 13 points and 10 rebounds from Lamar Odom and 12 points by Durant's Oklahoma teammate Russell Westbrook.
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