World champion Spain rolled to an 81-66 triumph over Greece in a Group B match of the men's basektball tournament in the Wuhesong Olympic Basketball Gymnasium.
It was a rematch of the title final at the FIBA World Championship in Japan in 2006 when the Spanish thumped the Greek 70-47.
Greece, however, seemed to have the hope to revenge the defeat in the beginning as the two sides changed lead eight times before Spain took control.
Spain broke a 26-all tie to take a 35-26 lead on a 9-0 run and finished the first half 35-29. The Spanish extended the lead as many as 19 points in the third quarter with a 15-2 spurt. Then the world runner-up Greece collapsed.
Rudy Fernandez, playing in front of his Portland Trail Blazers boss and USA assistant coach Nate McMillan, who will coach him during his rookie season in the NBA, poured in 16 points to lead Spain. Jose Manuel Calderon had 13 and Pau Gasol added 11 and seven rebounds.
Vasileios Spanoulis led the Greek with 15 points, Dimitrios Diammantidis hit 14 and Nikolaos Zisis 10 for Greece, who made a 11-of-24 poor free throws shooting percent.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2008)