Spain cruise to EuroBasket title after dispatching Lithuania in Lille

Spain secured their third title in the last four editions of the tournament ©AFP/Getty Images

Spain secured their third EuroBasket title in the last four tournaments after comfortably overcoming Lithuania 80-63 in front of a record crowd at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille.

A total of 27,372 spectators filled their way into the venue to witness a rematch of the 2003 final with Lithuania triumphing on that occasion, but they were well short of their level of performance that had seen them overcome Serbia in the last four.

By contrast the Spanish team started extremely brightly following the tip-off as they looked to put the game out sight and by the close of the opening quarter they held a 19-8 lead over their rivals, with their star man Pau Gasol once again at the heart of their attacking play.

A shell-shocked Lithuanian team looked to recover from a disastrous start in the second quarter and although they clawed back three points they still faced an uphill battle with the score reading 41-33 in the Spain's favour at the half-time interval.

Spain were able to stretch their advantage by another nine points in the third quarter of the match and they then kept Lithuania at bay in the closing stages of the match to secure a comprehensive 80-63 win and reclaim the EuroBasket title.

"We have done it again and we have to be proud because this is the tournament where we suffered the most, this time we did not arrive as favourites,” said Sergio Llull, Spain’s point guard.

King Felipe VI of Spain was one of the distinguished figures watching the final ©AFP/Getty Images

“It has a special taste because in the quarter-finals we beat a great team like Greece that was undefeated, in the semis we beat France which was also unbeaten, in their home, and in the final we beat a basketball nation like Lithuania.”

Following the match, which took place in front of King Felipe VI of Spain and Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė, Spain’s Gasol was awarded the most valuable player of the tournament prize.

The French team he almost single-handedly overcame in the semi-final were able to secure the bronze medal earlier in the day after they overcame Serbia.

After the opening quarter of the game finished level the host nation were able to pull away from their opponents in the second and third periods to eventually record a 81-68 victory.