Lithuania beats China 78-67 to reach quarters

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

ISTANBUL: Linas Kleiza scored 30 points Tuesday to help send Lithuania into the quarterfinals of the basketball world championship with a 78-67 win over China.

China jumped out to a 16-5 lead in the round of 16 game, but Lithuania used a 16-2 run in the second quarter to go ahead 36-31 with 3:20 left.

A 16-3 run then put Lithuania up 64-51 going into the fourth quarter. China came within 67-62 with 5:10 left, but Kleiza scored 10 unanswered points to put the game away.

Liu Wei scored 21 points for China, while Yi Jianlian of the Washington Wizards added 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Lithuania was one of three teams that went undefeated through the five preliminary round games. China was the only team to advance with just one win.

 

Russia pounds New Zealand

Lithuania victory followed Russia's trouncing of New Zealand 78-56 on Monday, just after the United States outplayed Angola 121-66 to reach the quarterfinals.

Russia beat New Zealand 78-56 Monday after Andrey Vorontsevich had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Timofey Mozgov, Russia's 2.16-meter (7-foot-1) center who recently signed for the New York Knicks, added 16 points and seven rebounds. Russia outrebounded New Zealand 41-25 and had five blocks to the Kiwis' one.

Kirk Penney led New Zealand with 21 points.

Russia used a 13-0 run to jump ahead 29-21 in the second quarter. In the second half, a frontline led by Vorontsevich overpowered a much smaller New Zealand.

Russia next plays Thursday against the United States, pitting coach David Blatt against his native country in what could be his final game after five years as Russia coach.

“I remember watching as a kid and crying when the US lost to the Soviets in the 1972 Olympics,” Blatt said.

 

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