Round of 16 spots are confirmed, but final positions still to play for in Group C and D

CLUJ-NAPOCA/ISTANBUL (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - All eight Round of 16 spots from Groups C and D are already known, but the last day of Group Phase action will see the teams set up their dates for the Round of 16. Spain will stay first in Group C, Croatia second, the rest is unknown.

In Group D, Serbia, Latvia and Russia are heading into the final day of the Group Phase tied at 3-1. If they have a tie at the end of the day, Serbia will take first place, Latvia behind them and Russia in third, but there is even a possibility of having a four-way tie of teams at 3-2.

Things will be much clearer once the first two games finish in Istanbul, with Russia and Serbia playing against teams that have no chance of advancing - Great Britain and Belgium, respectively. It will give them another chance to warm up for the Round of 16.

"We are not only getting ready for the game against Belgium, but also for the rest of the competition, the Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals. We already know each other very well, the players have grown and we have built some things that make us better on the court," Serbia head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic told media.  

A win for Serbia means they cannot finish lower than second place. But there are eight potential cases for the final day of Group D, with Latvia having the most possible outcomes - from being first in group to finishing all the way down in fourth.

"There is no euphoria yet, because of the complicated standings in this group. That's why the game against Turkey ahead of us will be important,"  Latvian forward Zanis Peiners said.

Turkey and Latvia will have the luxury of knowing where they could finish, playing the final game of the group. A win for Latvia would mean Turkey play Spain as soon as the Round of 16.

That is because Spain won Group C even before the final game day. They will sign off in Cluj-Napoca with a game against Hungary, the team that won two straight games after being winless in a FIBA EuroBasket Final Round for 48 years.

"The game against Spain is a perfect opportunity for us to take photos," Hungarian coach Stojan Ivkovic joked after taking a place among the best 16 teams of Europe.

Hungary could even finish in third place in Group C, with a win over Spain and a Montenegro loss against Romania. But they would have to break the Spanish winning streak, lasting 10 games, beginning back in the Group Phase in Berlin two years ago.

Romania will wave goodbye to the competition with a game against Montenegro, whilst Croatia and Czech Republic play a re-match of the Round of 16 in 2015. Czech Republic won that game by 21, even if they repeat such a performance on Thursday, they will still stay in fifth spot of Group C. Croatia are locked in, they will finish second in Group C no matter what.

FIBA