Vitaliy Fridzon scored 24 points and Russia rallied from an early 18-point deficit to edge Spain 77-74 Saturday in a battle of unbeatens to clinch a top seed in the Olympic men’s basketball tournament. Both Russia and Spain had already clinched berths in the medal playoffs that begin on Wednesday, but Russia stayed with the US Dream Team of NBA stars as the only undefeated squads remaining. Reigning European champion Spain and Brazil will meet on Monday for the second seed with the loser likely to enter the opposite side of the bracket as the United States in the knockout rounds. Los Angeles Lakers centre Pau Gasol scored 20 points but missed a crucial free throw late in the game. Having squandered the 18-point edge in just over 21 minutes, Spain entered the fourth quarter trailing 56-53 but began with a 16-4 run for a 69-60 lead with 4:39 to go. Sergio Rodriguez and Felipe Reyes each scored four in the run.
