Slovenia bounce back
Slovenia got back on the winning track after defeating Croatia, 91-84, in their Group B duel at the Abdi Ipekci Arena in Istanbul on Monday.
Both European squads suffered humiliating losses at the hands of the United States and were eager to bounce back. The game was close after the first quarter with the Croatians just ahead by two, 18-16. The Croatians were the better squad in the second period as they led by as many as eight points en route to a 44-39 half-time advantage.
The Slovenians finally showed their aggressiveness in the third period, outscoring their opponents, 26-15, to take a 65-59 lead into the final quarter. Former National Basketball Association player Bostjan Nachbar led the Slovenians' rally in the third, scoring six points. Goran Dragic and Gasper Vidmar also made their presence felt, contributing five and four points, respectively, as the Slovenians led by as many as nine points.
A basket by Nachbar allowed the Slovenians to extend their lead to 67-59 early in the fourth. However, the Croatians responded with treys from Marko Popovic and Roko-Leni Ukic to take a 68-67 lead. Big man Primoz Brezec regained Slovenia's advantage moments later but Marko Tomas sank a three-pointer on the other end to put Croatia on top again, 71-69. Tomas' basket, however, proved to be Croatia's last hurrah as the Slovenians countered with an 11-0 run to take the lead for good. Miha Zupan's trey from top of the key sparked the decisive run for the Slovenians. The Croatians, however, did not give up as Popovic and Ukic kept the squad within striking distance after hitting three-pointers. Croatia actually closed the gap to 76-80 before Samo Udrih scored timely baskets to keep their opponents at bay.
Jaka Lakovic and Uros Slokar finished with 15 points each to lead the Slovenians to their second victory in three games. Dragic added 14 points while Nachbar had 11 points and five rebounds. Ukic, who plays for Turkish club Fenerbahce Ulker, led all scorers with 20 points and made seven assists. Backing him up were Popovic and Tomas, who contributed 17 points apiece. Centre Luka Zoric scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Croatians before sustaining a leg injury.
Slovenia and Croatia will take a break tomorrow. The two teams will resume their campaign on Wednesday. Slovenia will lock horns with Brazil while Croatia will battle Tunisia. The Slovenians walloped the Tunisians, 80-56, in their opening game but were demolished by the United States, 77-99, on Sunday. The Croatians were trounced by the Americans, 78-106, in their first outing but bounced back with a 75-54 annihilation of Iran on Sunday.
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