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Willy Hernangómez and Spain advance to face Greece in EuroBasket quarterfinals

Despite three uninspiring quarters, Spain held off a pesky Polish squad to set up a matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece.

By AustinGreen
Boris Streubel/Getty Images

New York's draft-and-stash prospect Willy Hernangómez played five mostly uneventful minutes on Saturday as Pau Gasol scored 30 points to lead Spain past Poland and into a quarterfinal matchup with Greece on Tuesday.

Gasol took advantage of the short FIBA three-point line, hitting 6-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc. His back-to-back triples in the fourth quarter officially put the game out of reach after a scrappy Polish squad matched Spain step-for-step through three quarters.

Led by Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat, Poland looked ready for the upset as the game was tied at 55 entering the fourth quarter. But the Polish went cold, mustering just two points in the first five minutes of the period as Spain opened up a double-digit lead.

As I mentioned yesterday, Willy's lack of minutes shouldn't be a surprise. Given his inexperience and the high-stakes nature of EuroBasket, Willy probably won't play more than four or five minutes in a game for the rest of the tournament.

He provided Gasol with a two-minute breather at the beginning of the second quarter, but he didn't attempt a field goal. Later, he played three minutes of garbage time after Gasol turned the game into a blowout.

Willy did make one nice play, attacking Gortat in transition to draw a foul and earn a trip to the free-throw line. He made 1-of-2.

Now Spain will prepare for a meeting with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece, who are fresh off a 75-54 win against an overmatched Belgian squad. Greece, who also features Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos, will be the toughest opponent Spain has faced since their loss to Serbia in the first game of the tournament.

Check back Tuesday for a recap of what should be an excellent quarterfinal game.

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