European powerhouse squads Spain and France moved one step closer to clinching a spot in the 2016 Rio Olympics after advancing to the semifinals of EuroBasket 2015.

Spain booked the first semis seat on Tuesday after escaping with a 73-71 win in a thrilling encounter with Greece at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.

Pau Gasol had another solid performance for Spain, finishing with 27 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the field, while also adding nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

The veteran center also got a much-needed support from naturalized forward Nikola Mirotic, who finished with 18 points. Veteran point guard Sergio Rodriguez added 10 points and five assists for Spain.

Spain made big plays down the stretch, but Greece kept on fighting until the final buzzer sounded. Spain was ahead by six points with 1:05 left to play in the game. Nick Calathes made it a four-point game before Gasol split his two free throws to increase the lead to five points.

Calathes hit a three-pointer in the ensuing possession to make it 70-68 before Rodriguez hit two free throws with 13 seconds left in the match. Kostas Sloukas knocked down another three-pointer to pull within one point, while Gasol split his free throws again.

Down by two points, Giannis Antetokounmpo's desperation heave did not hit the rim, allowing Spain to escape with the victory. Spain advance to the semifinals for the ninth consecutive EuroBasket despite playing without most of their superstars this year like Ricky Rubio and Marc Gasol.

"With so many of our great players out, reaching the semifinals is a great, great accomplishment," said Spain coach Sergio Scariolo, whose team absorbed two defeats during the preliminary round.

Meanwhile, France also booked a spot in the semifinals after cruising to an 84-70 win over Latvia in their quarter-final match in Lille.

France struggled to get into their rhythm in the opening half, but started to play like a well-oiled machine in the second half led by superstar point guard Tony Parker.

Parker, the EuroBasket all-time leading scorer, paced France with 18 points and six assists, while fellow veteran Boris Diaw added 14 points. Rudy Gobert also provided a huge lift as he finished with 13 points on top of six rebounds and six blocks for France.

France will face Spain in the semifinals on Thursday. The two powerhouse teams also faced off in the semis of EuroBasket 2013, where France pulled off a huge win in overtime before defeating Lithuania in gold medal game.

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