Spain's Pau Gasol reacts after scoring against Serbia and Montenegro during their match at the World Basketball Championship in Saitama, Japan, yesterday. Spain won 87-75. - Reuters

SAITAMA, Japan (AP):

Title contenders Ar-gentina and Spain advanced to the quarter-finals of the basketball World Championship yesterday after strong games from their star players.

Manu Ginobili scored 28 points to help make up for his team's one-for-18, three-point shooting in Argentina's 79-62 win over New Zealand, while Pau Gasol had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead Spain to an 87-75 victory over defending champions Serbia and Montenegro.

Lithuania and Turkey also advanced to the final eight.

Arvydas Macijauskas scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter as Lithuania overcame four missed free throws in the final seconds for a 71-68 victory over Italy.

Serkan Erdogan had 24 points, including two three-pointers, and Turkey went five-for-five from three-point range over the final 4:22 to beat Slovenia 90-84 to advance to the final eight.

Argentina improved to 6-0 at the worlds and will face Turkey (5-1) in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, while Spain will face Lithuania.

Impressive lead

Ginobili, who plays for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, made Argentina's only three-pointer to give the South Americans a 70-58 lead 3:47 remaining.

"In the last five games, we were making the three-point shots," Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez said. "Today, New Zealand had a lot do with us making only one."

New Zealand pulled to within nine points in the fourth quarter before Ginobili's three-pointer started a 12-point run for Argentina.

"I guess we have to be happy that we had a bad day today," Ginobili said. "We didn't need the three-point shooting. We expect to get better for our next game."

Ginobili had six points early in the third quarter. His two-handed dunk gave the Olympic champions a 49-35 lead and Argentina went into the fourth quarter leading 59-44.

"For our team, he's the man," Hernandez said. "He knew how well New Zealand was defending the pass so he knew he had to score a lot."

Argentina, runners-up at the 2002 worlds in Indianapolis, got 23 points from Fabricio Oberto and 10 from Luis Scola.

"That was the game we expected, very aggressive and physical contact on their part," said Ginobili, who took a charge in the third quarter. "But we held on and now we're in the final eight."

The 2.13-metre (7-foot) Gasol, who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, won the match-up of NBA big men, outplaying 6-11 Darko Milicic of the Orlando Magic.

Never really tested

Milicic had 18 points and 15 rebounds for Serbia and Montenegro (2-4), who won the gold medal in 2002 as Yugoslavia, but only one player from that team was back to defend the title.

Spain opened the game with a 9-2 run and was never really tested, using their quickness advantage to get inside for easy shots or to get to the line. Spain was 21-for-38 inside the three-point line and was 27-for-36 from the free throw line while Serbia and Montenegro were 11-for-12.