Georgia loses game, and wins a FIBA World Cup berth anyway
Georgia lost, and then celebrated. Iceland won, and was devastated. One of the last Basketball World Cup spots went to Georgia on Sunday — even though it lost to Iceland 80-77 in the final Europe Region qualifying game for both teams. Iceland needed to win by four points or more to win a tiebreaker over Georgia for the World Cup berth. It came up one point short. Both teams finished qualifying with 5-5 records, with the tiebreaker going to Georgia by the slimmest of margins. Iceland had a 3-point try by Elvar Fridriksson — its best shooter — rim out with about 3 seconds remaining, and Georgia held on for the loss that really was a win. “Amazing. I’m so happy, man,” said Georgia’s Thaddus McFadden, a Michigan-born guard who played at the junior college and Division II levels before embarking on what’s now a 14-year pro career overseas. “I may mess around and cry. This means so much to everybody. I’m just so happy.”
