RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Not golden, not the Olympic medal it still covets, but Spain got something.
Australia would take anything.
Pau Gasol scored 31 points in perhaps his Olympic farewell and Spain added a bronze to its collection on Sunday with an 89-88 win over Australia, painfully denied its first medal inside the rings.
Sergio Rodriguez made two free throws with 5.4 seconds left and the Spaniards, who captured silver in 2008 at Beijing and the London Games, got the defensive stop they needed as Australia fumbled the ball away on its last possession.