Two of best European players in the NBA, Pau Gasol (L) and Dirk Nowitzki, are talking to each other. (Photo : Reuters)
NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki will lead host nation Germany against fellow NBA All-Star Pau Gasol's powerhouse team Spain during the last day of preliminary round Group B eliminations in the 2015 EuroBasket.
The high-profile match will be held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany on Thursday, September 10.
Chris Fleming's squad is currently 1-1 in the tournament after they beat Iceland, 71-65, in their opener last Saturday but then succumbed to a buzzer-beating floater by Serbian hotshot Nemanja Bjelica en route to a close 68-66 loss on Sunday.
Nowitzki and 25-year-old center Tibor Pleiss paced the Germans with 15 points each in the game while Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroeder contributed 11 points and six assists, as per ESPN.
An extended possession by the Germans, capped by a three-pointer from backup point guard Heiko Schaffartzik, tied the game at 66-all before Bjelica's last second layup upset the hometown crowd.
Spain is coming off a 104-77 massacre of Turkey in their last game also on Sunday, as reported by SB Nation.
The Spaniards were led by Gasol's 21 points and seven rebounds while five other players scored in double figures, namely Sergio Rodriguez, Felipe Reyes, Guillermo Hernangomez, Rudy Fernández, and Fernando San Emeterio with 14, 12, 11, 10, and 10 respectively.
Nowitzki and company are not as deep as Gasol's squad, and while they may be able to keep up in the first two quarters, Spain will pull away in the second half behind their superior bench players.
Prediction: Spain wins, 90-77
Germany starting five: Tibor Pleiss (C), Dirk Nowitzki (PF), Paul Zipser (SF), Anton Gavel (SG), Dennis Schröder (PG)
Spain starting five: Pau Gasol (C), Nikola Mirotić (PF), Rudy Fernández (SF), Pau Ribas (SG), Sergio Llull (PG)
