Tibor Pleiss has gotten no photo love so far, so here he is beasting to the hoop.

It's Tuesday morning, and the 2010 FIBA World Championships are distant in everyone's memories. The NFL has now started its' season up again, the players are all back to enjoying their off-seasons, and the courts in Turkey have gone dark. But, as we sit on our couches watching football and counting down the days until the Thunder's season starts, it's important to think back on the championships and think about what happened, and what the championships mean to Thunder fans and the NBA at large.

For Thunder fans, it means the continued emergence of Kevin Durant as a superstar. Sure, he's won an NBA scoring title, finished second in MVP voting, and almost forced the second 7-Game 8 vs. 1 seed upset in NBA history, but this tournament has helped to seal the deal. Not only nationally, but internationally. Granted, the FIBA Championships were mostly reduced to second-rate cable networks, early morning timeslots on ESPN, and online viewing here in the states, but I can guarantee you that there were other countries that may have been getting their first look at Kevin Durant when their team played the United States. And boy, did they get a good look. Kevin Durant wasn't the best scorer in the tournament (that honour goes to Luis Scola), but relative to his team, he was easily the best all-around player. And some Lithuanian, Turkish, or Russian people saw how he tore up their hometown team, and vowed to keep a better eye on him as time went on. And, believe it or not, US fans actually got to see more of Kevin Durant in this tournament then they've gotten to see of Kevin Durant in the past 3 seasons. The Thunder had been mostly shut out of national TV until the series with the Lakers, so getting to see Kevin Durant destroy international teams has undoubtedly built up some fans.

Below: Talking Westbrook, Krstic, and Pleiss. Also, my FIBA All-Tournament Team!

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Much respect, guys. Much respect.

It was the final day of FIBA Action today, and the results were....well, a little bit disappointing. The one close matchup (the 5th Place game) wasn't on TV, and the other two games were all but decided by the third quarter. Then again, Kevin Durant ended up winning tournament MVP, and Team USA did grab gold, so it wasn't entirely a bad day. Continue reading for a recap of how it all went down.

Lithuania Defeats Serbia, 99 to 88

The game started off all Serbia, and it was signified by a quick three to start off the game. They made their living mostly on threes or deep jumpers. Both teams clearly wanted to go inside, but the tight zone defense usually meant that a player would get blocked or stripped in the paint. Towards the end of the quarter though, the paint started to open up for Lithuania, and they quickly made up the 7 point or so deficit to take the lead at 23 to 22.

In the second, both teams started playing a man-to-man, and that opened up things a little bit in the paint. But Lithuania quickly jumped out to a 13 Point lead on the heels of some excellent three point shooting and great individual play from Linas Kleiza. Serbia was struggling to keep up, mostly because Nenad Krstic had never really gotten going, and because they were scold from beyond the arc. Serbia hit a buzzer-beating three to cut it down to 10 at the half, but things were still looking grim if they were to hope for a gold medal.

The third quarter was just more bad news for Serbia. Lithuania continued to shoot well from the outside, while Serbia continued to dump it down to Nenad Krstic or tried to cut to the hoop, but every play seemed to fail in one way or another. Eventually, Serbia's offense completely failed, and Lithuania had extended their lead to 22, with the score being 72-50. Serbia had cut it to 18 by the end of the quarter, but the game looked all but decided.

And it was. Serbia battled in the fourth to get back to within 11 by the final result, on a final meaningless Marko Keselj dunk. Lithuania took the bronze, and their fans went crazy. The indisputable MVP of the game was Linas Kleiza, who spearheaded the 2nd Quarter run that gave Lithuania an insurmountable lead. Kleiza also finished with a monstrous 33 Points, 7 Rebounds, and 4 Assists. Lithuania may be team-oriented, but they definitely couldn't have done it without Kleiza. Nenad Krstic finished with 5 Points and 8 Rebounds on 2 of 7 shooting. Novica Velickovic had 18 Points, 4 Rebounds, and 3 Assists to lead the way for Serbia.

Below: The Game We All Wanted to See, Turkey vs. Team USA.

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The FIBA World Championships will come to a bitter sweet end today. Bitter in that we won't get to see any more basketball until October, but sweet in that we'll get to see Nenad Krstic vie for a Bronze Medal, and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both vie for that ever-elusive gold. If Krstic should manage to get Bronze, the Thunder will have more FIBA medals than any team this year! If that's not reason enough to watch, should Durant and Westbrook win their game, it will be Team USA's first World Championship Medal since 1994. And, should Turkey win, their gold will be their first medal ever, and they will win it in front of 15,000 ecstatic Turkish fans. Hell, even the 5th place game has some intrigue, as the two best Spanish speaking teams in the world, Spain and Argentina, are set to go at it. You'd have to be insane to miss today's action! But, before you rush to the television, take a quick look at the previews below....

5th Place Game:

3. Spain (Group D) vs. 2. Argentina (Group A)

Time: 8:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: These two teams are probably the best equipped in the tournament to take on Team USA, so it's unfortunate that they never went head-to-head. But here, you'll get to see them play for 5th place. Why is 5th place important? Well, mainly due to world rankings. A higher finish in the tournament gets your team higher placement in the world rankings, which are helpful in getting you wildcard slots in the next FIBA World Championship, should your team fail to qualify via other means. Regardless, this will be a battle between very similar styles of play, as Luis Scola and Marc Gasol will battle inside, and Carlos Delfino will attempt to match Juan Carlos Navarro outside. Still, Spain relies a lot less on Marc Gasol than Argentina goes on Luis Scola, so they can rely on their perimeter shooting a bit more. Motivation is a question mark, but basketball is basketball. Spain should win by about 5.

Bronze Medal Game:

1. Serbia (Group A) vs. 1. Lithuania (Group D)

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN Classic

Analysis/Prediction: This is a matchup between two Eastern European powers who play a very similar style of ball. And don't think that this is a game that either of them will take lightly. A bronze medal holds a lot more weight in the world rankings than 4th place. And Serbia will be looking for its' first medal as truly Serbia (They were Serbia and Montenegro before 2006, and part of Yugoslavia before that.) Lithuania will be looking for it's first World Championship medal ever. Nenad Krstic should pair up well with Linas Kleiza, as they both are the leading scorers for their team and have good shooting range for big men. Both teams have balanced scoring among the rest of their players, so you should see a lot of similarly styled scoring from both teams. I see Serbia winning in the end though, because they've had great post play from Velijkovic and Kaselj lately, while post play has been a relative weakness of Lithuania. They also have a go-to big shot guy in Milos Teodosic, who should cause problems for Lithuania at the end of the game. I'm predicting a close game, though. With Serbia playing, how could it not be?

Gold Medal Game:

Bu nasıl oldu?!?!?!?! (How did that happen?!?!?!?!)

Okay, so Lithuania wasn't seriously threatening in the fourth quarter, but they were a couple made threes away from making that a game. And there's no way that you can deny that the Serbia-Turkey game was intense, as Turkey had a storybook finish in front of their home crowd. They secured their first world tournament medal finish ever, and only Team USA stands in the way of that medal being gold. But before we get to what's going to happen tomorrow, let's break down what happened today....

Team USA defeats Lithuania, 89-74

The first quarter was all Team USA. Lithuania scored pretty well early on, hitting a few key threes. But after being up 11-9, Lithuania would run into a Team USA run, which consisted mostly of Team USA getting to the line on a consistent basis. Lithuania struggled to get any ball movement going. By the end of the quarter, Team USA was up by 10.

The second quarter was the same story. There were a few mini-runs by both teams as Lithuania managed to get some fast breaks going. But by the end of the quarter, Team USA was extending their lead again. They continued to penetrate Lithuania inside, and Lithuania couldn't get anything going at their end, as they were relying on mostly non-scoring big men to get something going inside. Personally, I was wondering why they weren't shooting more three pointers, which was their strong suit in their last game against Argentina.

The Third Quarter was where Lithuania started to show a little bit of fight. They finally shot a few threes, and managed to get it to within 10, on a remarkable play where Derrick Rose missed a dunk, and it was taken to the other end where Lithuania hit an open three. But, after that, Team USA went on a 7-0 run, with KD hitting a wide open three and Derrick Rose having a rather impressive dunk. But Lithuania charged right back with some good transition offense, and some excellent sharpshooting from 3 Point Land. When it was all said and done, Lithuania had scored 1 point less in this quarter than they had in the entire first half.

Below: Lithuania Valiantly Fights in the Fourth, Serbia-Turkey comes down to the wire.

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Did you watch the classification round games yesterday? Yeah, me either. But the important thing is that today, the Semi-Finals are happening. On ESPN Classic, no less. So, if you happen to have this obscure network (which I do), then you'll get to enjoy Semi-Finals action! Today, we have Serbia vs. Turkey, and Team USA vs. Lithuania. Who will get to the final?

Semi-Finals:

1. Team USA (Group B) vs. 1. Lithuania (Group D)

Time: 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN Classic

Analysis/Prediction: Team USA, put simply, has ten times the talent that Lithuania does. And because of this, they should be able to secure a victory. If Lithuania is able to secure some good three point shots, they should stay in the game for a half-or so, but I see the US winning by 15.

1. Serbia (Group A) vs. 1. Turkey (Group C)

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN Classic

Analysis/Prediction: This one is a tough one. Turkey has looked unstoppable, but you have to admire Serbia's ability to pull it out in the end against other teams. Still, I just don't see Serbia winning this game. In their last game, they had horrible free throw shooting, has a peripheral player absolutely explode in order for them to win, and they rely too much on Nenad Krstic, who is capable of off-nights. I'll say Turkey by about 10.

If you're watching the games, feel free to post your reaction to them in the comments section here!

Today is a rather unremarkable day of action, as the games will be between the losers of the Quarter-Finals. All they'll determine will be the 5th and 7th Place games, so you'd be totally forgiven for taking a FIBA break today. Still, they should be interesting, as they're between premiere teams.

For the full bracket, click here. For the full schedule and previous results, click here.

Classification Round Games:

3. Spain (Group D) vs. 2. Slovenia (Group B)

Time: 10:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Spain has really missed Pau Gasol's presence inside, and I think they'll miss it even more today, against Slovenia's lean and mean interior defense. Still, Slovenia looked pathetic against Turkey, and even though this tournament has been an overall disappointment for Spain, I think they'll come through and win this game. They have the superior talent, and Marc Gasol should be able to get at least 10 Points down low, especially if Nenad Krstic could. Spain by about 5.

2. Russia (Group C) vs. 2. Argentina (Group A)

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN 3 Only

Analysis/Prediction: Both of these teams will be tired from the back-to-back they were forced to play, but Argentina should have a slight edge, as their games was over at that half. Still, I think that Russia's strong interior defense will succeed in collapsing on Scola as Lithuania's did, keeping the Argentinians on the perimeter. And Mosgov and Kaun, who are much taller than Scola, should be able to have their way with him inside. So I'll predict a solid 10 point or so win for Russia.

REPLAY:

Global Community Cup, Team USA vs. Lithuania

Time: 2:00 PM CST

Network: NBATV

This will be a perfect preview of the upcoming USA-Lithuania Semi-Final, so it's a good game to watch and analyze if you are so inclined.

If you're watching the games, feel free to post your reaction to them in the comments section here!

Today was the second day of the Quarter-Finals. While it wasn't as good or as epic as the first day, there will still some interesting results. Russia proved to be more of a challenge than some had expected for Team USA, and Lithuania provided an unexpected beat down on what was thought to be a superior Argentinean team.

Team USA Defeats Russia, 89-79

The first quarter of the game was an even battle for both teams. It was a high-scoring quarter, but Russia played excellent interior defense, forcing Team USA to shoot it from the outside every single time. Of course, Team USA hit it almost every single time, but it's good strategy, as the game didn't get out of hand, and Russia got a few key turnovers. Kevin Durant was having a great game, being virtually the only US player succeeding in scoring from inside the 3 Point Line. Also, Russia was succeeding in dominating the post and doing drive and kicks to the outside. Tyson Chandler was put in to deal with it towards the end of the quarter.

The second quarter was mostly more of the same. Russia continued to get through the heart of Team USA's defense and hitting the occasional jumper. Team USA, though, had stopped shooting from the outside and started to base their offense on driving to the hoop and getting to the line, due to a change in personnel. Team USA tried to puch the pace, but Russia would block the right shots at the right time, keeping the game level. Russia went on a small run and was up by 5 in the middle of the quarter, but then Team USA went on a 12-2 run at the end of the half, when Russia started missing their outside shots and were getting blocked on the inside. Team USA was up by 5 at the half.

At the beginning of the second half, it started playing like the first. Russia was effectively keeping up, but the deficit remained the same. Then, about halfway through the third, Team USA started pushing the pace, got a few fast break dunks, and went up by 11. David Kahn, the coach of Russia, called a timeout to try to stem the tide, but after Russia made a basket to cut the lead to 9, the floodgates were kept open by the US, helping them to advance to a 15 point lead. The rest of the quarter was mostly equal.

Below: A Fight To the Finish, Lithuania Soundly Trounces Argentina

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For the full bracket, click here. For the full schedule and previous results, click here.

1. Team USA (Group B) vs. 2. Russia (Group D)

Time: 10:00 AM Central Standard Time

Network: ESPN

Analysis/Prediction: Aside from Brazil, this is probably the toughest matchup Team USA has faced so far. But, Russia is probably the weakest team in the Quarter-Finals, so it's not like Team USA is in huge danger. Nevertheless, they should be careful. The player that will cause fits down low for them is known as Timofey Mosgov, who has scored the most points for Russia and averaged a block a game. Then, they'll have to watch out for Sasha Kaun, who is more of a double double guy, but also a guy who can occasionally stretch the defense and shoot a three. I could easily see Tyson Chandler getting minutes this morning. And on the perimeter they'll have to watch for Sergey Monya, who is a spot-shooting fiend. And keep in mind, they still haven't played former Chicago Bull Viktor Khryapa, who is considered the best player on the team, and he could escalate the team to another level. Now okay, I know I've just gone on about how good Russia is, and, for the record, I do think they have a shot at winning. But Team USA will, most likely, win this matchup. Russia has had problems against quicker teams in the past, as they lost by only 6 Points to the Ivory Coast, and were absolutely burned by Sun Yue in the China game. So, as long as Team USA can keep the pace quick, this should be an easy win. But, needless to say, this is a game of pace, so if Russia turns this into a game of half-court sets, then Team USA may very well play themselves into a loss.

1. Lithuania (Group D) vs. 2. Argentina (Group A)

Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time

Network: NBATV

Analysis/Prediction: In my opinion, this is the weakest of the Quarter-Final matchups, but I might be a bit bias, since I'm angry at Argentina for beating out Brazil, my pick to win it all, in the Round of 16. Argentina is a undertalented team, but they are one that uses the talent that they do have well. Luis Scola has been an absolute monster for them in the paint, averaging 30.3 Points for them, and scoring 37 in their victory against Brazil. Carlos Delfino does a good job for himself as well, averaging 17.8 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 3 Assists. Pablo Prigioni is the orchestrator of the team, averaging a whopping 6.7 Assists, and Fabricio Oberto, who has only played in the last two games, but could go off for a good score at any time. Meanwhile, Lithuania is similar in that they have their star in Linas Kleiza (19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG), but different in that the rest of their team consists of very similar players, who, for the most part, do the same thing. It will be interesting to see the styles clash, but I think that Lithuania is a bit over-rated, so Argentina will be able to pull out a win, especially with their ability to score inside. It will be a close one, though.

If you're watching the games, feel free to post your reaction to them in the comments section here!