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Chicago Bulls stars Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic lead Spain to elimination round of EuroBasket 2015

By Paul Steeno

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Chicago Bulls big men Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic helped Spain beat Germany on Wednesday to advance to the elimination round of the 2015 EuroBasket tournament that not only crowns a European basketball champion, but also has major implications on qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On Wednesday afternoon, Spain beat Germany 77-76 to knock the Germans out of the 2015 EuroBasket tournament. Pau Gasol scored 16 points on 6-14 from the field, while Mirotic chipped in 12 points to give Spain the slight advantage they needed to win this game.

The winner of this game advanced to the single-elimination round of the EuroBasket tournament, essentially making the contest between Spain and Germany a high stakes elimination game in and of itself. Following Spain’s big win, Pau Gasol described to reporters the mentality he approached the game with.

"We have to win, we have no other choice. We’re committed to getting the result we set out to get in this tournament. Our goal remains to qualify to the Olympics and get in the race for the medals. Our defense has to be on a much higher level, much better than in the game against Italy where we gave up 105 points. Although it’s true that they made some huge shots, we cannot defend like that if we want to do something important in this championship. —Quote obtained by Dimitris Kontos"

Pau Gasol has been Spain’s leading scorer during the 2015 EuroBasket tournament thus far. In 28 minutes of playing time, Gasol averaged 21.6 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting from the field. In addition, he averaged 8.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists to go along with his scoring statistics. Through the first round of the tournament, Gasol has averaged the most points per game of any player in the tournament.

May 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol (16) complains to the referees about a call during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 106-91. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Mirotic has also been instrumental to Spain’s success. In five games, he averaged 13.2 points on 59 percent shooting. He has made five three-point field goals, shooting at a 38.5 percent clip from behind the arc. Last Saturday night, Mirotic received negative publicity after tearing a flag following Spain’s 80-70 loss to Serbia. Pippen Ain’t Easy writer Michael Whitlow provided a full explanation of the incident.

Spain finished 3-2 in pool play to advance to the knockout round of the 2015 EuroBasket tournament. They will play Poland on Saturday in Lille, France in the first round of a single-elimination tournament that features 16 teams. Next season is an Olympic year, making the stakes of this tournament even higher.

"The winner would advance to the European Olympic qualifying tournament round of 16. The loser would not only be done at EuroBasket, but also not finish in third through seventh place overall, which is necessary for an automatic berth in the global, last-chance Olympic qualifying tournament in July. The top two at EuroBasket earn spots in the 12-team 2016 Olympic basketball tournament. —-Quote obtained by NBC Sports Reporter Nick Zaccardi"

The 2015 version of EuroBasket is the 39th edition of this event. It was first contested in 1935 before becoming a biennial tradition starting in 1947.

EuroBasket divides twenty four teams into four groups where they play a round robin style tournament within their group. The top four teams within each group advance to a single-elimination tournament to determine basketball dominance on the European continent.

The fact that both Gasol and Mirotic have played at a high level in this tournament bodes well for the Chicago Bulls. If this team expects to contend for a championship during the upcoming NBA season, they need every player to perform at their best.

May 10, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic (44) warms up prior to game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Since Gasol’s rookie NBA season in 2001-2002, he has played in six EuroBasket tournaments, three FIBA World Cups, and three Olympics for Team Spain. He has a proven track record of handling the rigors of both an NBA season and international competition in the same year. His time playing in EuroBasket this summer should have a strictly positive impact on his upcoming season barring an unforeseen injury.

Furthermore, both Gasol and Mirotic are teammates on the Chicago Bulls and playing together this summer will likely strengthen their chemistry and camaraderie for the 2015-2016 season. Gasol has served as a mentor for Mirotic simply because both players are European-born stars turned NBA players that happen to play similar positions. This 2015 EuroBasket tournament provides Mirotic with a golden opportunity to learn from his veteran teammate.

For Mirotic, this international competition gives him a chance to shake off some of the rust before his pivotal second NBA season. Ideally, Mirotic’s solid EuroBasket performances will carry over to when the Bulls play their first regular season game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct.27.

Team Spain returns to action on Saturday as they continue their quest to win the 2015 EuroBasket tournament. Team Spain and the Chicago Bulls hope that Gasol and Mirotic continue to perform well in this tournament because it improves the title chances of both organizations.

Next: Disciplinary Allowances for Rodman?

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