 Dirk Nowitzki got Germany off to a flying start |
Germany, Lithuania and Slovenia all but clinched their places in the European Championship quarter-finals with their second consecutive group wins. But tournament favourites France also looked impressive - Tariq Abdul-Wahad, the first Frenchman in the NBA, scored 16 points as they defeated Italy 85-52.
The 2000 Olympic silver medalists achieved the victory watched by former Boston Celtics great Larry Bird.
In Group A, Slovenia beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 73-62 with Marko Tusek scoring 16 points and Primoz Berec 14.
In Group B, Germany were never under serious pressure against an error-prone Latvia.
The Germans, who stole most rebounds, won 94-86 with NBA player Dirk Nowitzki shooting eight points in the first five minutes.
Lithuania, who squeezed past Baltic rivals Latvia by a single point on Friday, overwhelmed Israel 94-62.
The taller Lithuanians were led to victory by a steady stream of three-point shots from Arvydas Macijauskas.
Lithuania grabbed 13 rebounds to Israel's three.
The winner of Sunday's match between Germany and Lithuania will win Group B and qualify directly for the quarter-finals.
Spain continued their unbeaten start in Group C, defeating Russia 89-77, led by 31 points from NBA centre Pau Gasol.
In Group D, Greece got the better of Turkey 75-70 for their second win in a row.
MMIX
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