(Getty)
It’s likely both Spain and France will be competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in basketball. One country will just clinch a spot in Rio much, much earlier.
The winner of Thursday’s EuroBasket 2015 semifinal will not only book a spot in the championship of the highly regarded European tournament, it will also automatically qualify for the Rio Olympics. The loser, on the other hand, will have to compete in a different Olympic qualifying tournament in July, just a month before the Summer Games begin.
Clearly, the former route is much more advantageous, making this matchup of world basketball powerhouses all that more intriguing.
France enter as the favorite. The defending champions and hosts have been unbeatable thus far, winning all seven of their games by an average margin of 15.6 points. Reigning EuroBasket MVP Tony Parker has led the way with 12.1 points and 4.0 assists per contest, and rising superstar Rudy Gobert has been a force on both ends of the court. France’s depth is especially impressive, with NBA players Nicolas Batum, Boris Diaw and Joffrey Lauvergne also making big impacts.
Spain hasn’t quite enjoyed the same level of success. Playing without Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Ricky Rubio, they lost two group-stage games, needing a last-second missed free throw from Germany’s Dennis Schroder to advance to the knockout stage and keep their Olympic hopes alive. With Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic, though, Spain can never be written off.
The rematch of the thrilling 2013 overtime semifinal tips off on Thursday, September 17, at 9 p.m. GMT+2 (3 p.m. ET). Here’s how to watch online or on mobile:
Watch Spain vs. France Online
(Getty)
For those in the United States, the game can be watched live online at ESPN3. It is free to watch for anyone with an internet service provider, and a cable subscription is not needed. Click here for frequently asked questions about ESPN3.
For viewers in other countries around the world, the station that is providing television coverage (check here to see what station that is in your country) may also provide a live stream on its official website, so be sure to check there.
Finally, viewers anywhere can watch all EuroBasket games with a subscription to LiveBasketball.TV. The subscription costs $9.99 per month.
Watch Spain vs. France on Mobile
(Getty)
Mobile and tablet users can watch coverage of ESPN3 on the WatchESPN app. You can download the app for free in the App Store , the Google Play store, the Amazon App store or the Windows Store.
Users with a subscription to LiveBasketball.TV can also watch via their mobile device or tablet. Here’s more info on how to watch.
Comments