France dethroned two-time defending champions Spain with a 75-72 overtime win in Friday's second Semi-Final at EuroBasket 2013 to return to the Final and set up a showdown against Lithuania.
Tony Parker scored 32 points and Antoine Diot had 10 points including four free-throws in the final 23 seconds as France came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat their nemesis and now will take aim at winning their first European title on Sunday.
Spain were paced by 19 points from Marc Gasol while Rudy Fernandez had 17 points in the loss.
Instead of trying to become the first nation since Yugoslavia in 1977 to win three European titles in a row, the Spaniards will look to beat Croatia to collect the bronze medal.
The game was tight through the first half of the opening quarter until Spain opened a 12-8 lead. France answered with the next six points but Spain punched right back with six points including an alley-oop from Rodriguez to Fernandez just before the quarter buzzer for an 18-14 lead.
Parker and Johan Petro opened the second quarter by tying the game before Spain's defense shut down the French attack. Pablo Aguilar and Rodriguez nailed three-pointers and Fernando San Emeterio collected four points in a 16-2 run over the final 9:17 minutes of the first half for a 34-20 lead at the break.
The Spanish cushion was 35-23 before Diot nailed two triples to cut it to 35-29. A Gasol basket kept Spain up 44-35 but Mickael Gelabale and Parker knocked down three-pointers of their own to get Les Bleus within 44-41. Sergio Llull connected from beyond the arc however to give Spain a 49-43 advantage going into the final quarter.
Nando De Colo hit from long range to open the final frame and Gelabale got France within 49-48. But Rodriguez and Fernandez took over, first with an alley-oop for Fernandez who was fouled on the play and converted the three-point play, and then triples by both Real Madrid aces for a 58-51 lead with six minutes to go.
It was 60-53 until Florent Pietrus, Batum and Parker each buried three-pointers in an 11-3 run for a 64-63 French lead. Gasol put Spain ahead and Alexis Ajinca split two foul shots with 40 seconds to play to tie the game at 65-65.
Fernandez then blocked Parker's lay-up attempt with 12 seconds left and then Jose Calderon missed his good look for three from the corner and Victor Claver's tip-in attempt didn't make it up and the game went into overtime.
In the extra period, Parker made two pairs of free-throws inside the final 70 seconds and Diot knocked down two with 24 seconds and 18 seconds left to make it 75-72.
France played tough defense on the final possession and Gasol's three-point attempt came up short.
FRANCE vs SPAIN GAME HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO.
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