London, England – Tony Parker scored 27 points and Nicolas Batum added 21, leading France to an 82-74 victory over Lithuania in men's basketball.
The French have won two straight games after opening Group A with a loss to the United States. France shot 53.4 percent on Thursday, fueled by its two NBA stars. Parker, of the San Antonio Spurs, made 7-of-11 shots and Portland's Batum was 7-of-9 from the field.
Martynas Pocius scored 18 points to lead Lithuania, which is 1-2 and will play the United States on Saturday. Linas Kleiza contributed 17 points and seven rebounds in defeat.
France led by as many as nine in the first quarter and carried a 25-21 edge to the second, but Lithuania pulled in front late in the first half and built a 43-39 advantage at the break.
A three-pointer by France's Mickael Gelabale snapped a 49-49 tie with just under three minutes left in the third, igniting a 10-3 run to close the period. Boris Diaw scored four during the burst and set up Parker's three in the final seconds, sending the French to the fourth with a 59-52 advantage.
Batum started the final period with a bucket and the French continued to pour it on, opening a 70-54 cushion with just over six minutes to play. Lithuania got only as close as six in the final seconds.
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