Medal favorite Spain takes down Greece
BEIJING (AP) - Portland's Rudy Fernandez scored a game-high 16 points and Pau Gasol added 11 to send Spain to an 81-66 win over Greece Sunday in the Olympics opener for both teams.
In a rematch of the 2006 World Championship title game, which Spain won 70-47, was close through the second quarter. But Spain opened up a 16-point lead in the third period, 62-46, quieting the singing, bass drum-banging Greek fans who brought a little atmosphere to the 18,000-seat Beijing Olympic Basketball Stadium.
Greece could get no closer than 10 points the rest of the game and Spain held on the for comfortable win.
With former International Olympic Committee President Juan-Antonio Samaranch and tennis great Rafael Nadal watching from the stands, Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon shot 63 percent from the field and finished with 13 points. Vasileios Vasileios Spanoulis led Greece with 15 points.
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In the Olympic tournament's opening game, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-born Robert Holden scored a game-high 19 points to lead European champions Russia to a 71-49 win against Iran. Russia scored 19 unanswered points to take a 24-5 lead against the Asian champions in the first quarter.
Iran fought back and trailed by just eight points at the end of the third quarter. But the Iranian comeback lost steam in the final period as the Russians stretched their lead to a game-high 22 points.
Iran, led by Mohammad Nikkhah with 16 points, committed 22 turnovers.
"We don't have much Olympic experience, but we gradually adapted to their style and played well in the second half," said Iranian center Hamed Ehadadi, who had a game-leading eight rebounds.
Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points on 78 percent shooting as Germany overwhelmed Olympic rookies Angola 95-66. Los Angeles Clippers' center Christopher Kaman, who received his German citizenship just last month, led Germany with 24 points.
"I think we're a good team. We'll find out just how good on Wednesday, when we play Spain," Kaman said after the game.