Israel can already secure its progress to the knockout rounds of EuroBasket 2015 on Monday, after continuing its sensational start to the championships by beating Finland 79-66 in Montpellier, France on Sunday to improve to 2-0 in Group A. There was nothing in Israel's preparations for the tournament to indicate that it was even capable of fighting for a place in the Round of 16. A single win from eight warmup games and numerous injuries meant the blue-and-white entered the European Championships with little expectations. However, everything seemed to fall into place in the promising 76-73 victory over Russia in Saturday's opener, and Israel recorded yet another impressive win against Finland. The blue-and-white led from start to finish, holding an 18-point gap in the second quarter. Finland closed to within four points early in the fourth period, but Israel reestablished a double-digit margin at a crucial moment to clinch the win.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)Updated: