LILLE, France, Sept 17 (Reuters) - A resilient Spain beat holders and hosts France 80-75 after overtime to reach the European championship final and clinch an Olympic berth thanks to a breathtaking performance from their captain Pau Gasol on Thursday.
The Chicago Bulls centre scored 40 points and collected 11 rebounds to set up a showdown with either Serbia or Lithuania, who meet in the other semi-final on Friday.
The top two teams from the 24-nation tournament will advance to next year's games in Rio de Janeiro and the next five enter three intercontinental qualifying tournaments for an extra three spots.