VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Pau Gasol faces Dirk Nowitzki again, this time in their national team colors at the start of the second round of the European Championship.
Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks swept Gasol’s Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA’s Western Conference semifinals. This time, Gasol is favored to come out ahead.
Gasol’s defending champion Spain, silver medalist Serbia, world championship runner-up Turkey, host Lithuania and Germany with Nowitzki and France with Tony Parker are all in the same second-stage group. Four teams will advance to the quarterfinals.
