ISTANBUL (AP) — Luis Scola of the Houston Rockets scored 37 points, carrying Argentina to a 93-89 victory over Brazil on Tuesday and into the quarterfinals of the world championships.
Argentina will next play Lithuania on Thursday. Scola, the tournament’s leading scorer, had 10 of Argentina’s final 12 points.
Carlos Delfino of the Milwaukee Bucks added 20 points and Hernan Jasen scored eight of his 15 in the fourth quarter for Argentina.
Marcelo Huertas scored 32 and Leandro Barbosa had 20 for Brazil, which lost to the U.S. 70-68 and dropped its third close game. Brazil coach Ruben Magnano led Argentina to a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics.
Argentina was without San Antonio star Manu Ginobili and Philadelphia’s Andres Nocioni. It was in danger of elimination before the semifinals for the first time since missing the 2000 Olympics.
