Perovic: No Gasol is the difference for Spain

Perovic: No Gasol, no easy win for Spain When Serbia and Spain meet tonight to determine which of the European powers will advance to the 2010 FIBA World Championship final four, it will mark the third time the squads meet in one year – in fact, it’s been 366 days since the relatively unheralded young Serbs surprised the sluggish Spaniards in their Eurobasket 2009 opening game. And the two Eurobasket 2009 games in which the teams faced off is hardly history: 17 of the 24 players on the teams’ rosters have returned for this tournament. It is, however, one of Team Spain’s two absentees that will make the difference in the rubber match tonight, in Kosta Perovic’s opinion: Pau Gasol. Despite acknowledging Espana’s many strengths and recalling the 85-63 defeat handed Serbia in the Eurobasket championship game, Pekovic was quoted in Spanish media as stating “Clearly it will be a difficult game for us, but also for them.” (“Está claro que va a ser un partido difícil para nosotros… pe...