to make an appeal because, according to the FIBA rules, it should be made 15 minutes after the game. LKF still wrote a letter to FIBA questioning how they should act in such situations. An illness sidelined Valančiūnas from the fourth game versus Estonia, who were returning to EuroBasket for the first time since 2001. Another close match ensued, with the score tied during the final seconds (62–62) before an accurate shot by Jonas Mačiulis saved the Lithuanians (64–62). Tensions reached new heights in the first round closer against the Czech Republic. The game finished tied in 69–69, forcing an overtime which the Lithuanians won (16–12), guaranteeing first place in the group, in spite of all the previous struggles. Kazlauskas wanted to spare the returning Valančiūnas from much playtime given the recent illness, but the player insisted in playing as much as he could, finishing with a double-double. At the eight-final Jonas Mačiulis continued to carry the stagnating Lithuania national team over his shoulders past Georgia, 85–81. The game again was a true thriller, with the Lithuanian squad leading just 80–79 during the final 15 seconds before Mačiulis secured victory by hammering an important three-pointer with just a few seconds remaining on the shot clock. Mačiulis had the greatest number of EFF Points in EuroBasket history with 50 points in that game (34 points with 85% accuracy, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks), being the first player to hit the 50 point mark since Dirk Nowitzki's 52 in the 2001 bronze medal game. At the quarter-final Lithuania, just like two years ago, faced Italy, led by such prominent NBA players like Danilo Gallinari, Marco Belinelli and Andrea Bargnani. The game was so intense that it required an overtime, in which the Lithuania national team turned a higher gear, with three players scoring double-doubles (Jonas Valančiūnas, Jonas Mačiulis and Mantas Kalnietis) en route to a 95–85 that gave Lithuania their third straight semi-final. Following the game, Mačiulis said: "We won, but there are only three medals sets. We have to win one of these". The semi-final was a true European basketball classic: Lithuania versus Serbia, coached by Aleksandar Đorđević, who led the then-Yugoslavia to beat Lithuania in the 1995 EuroBasket final. The Lithuanians were considered underdogs of the match due to the Serbians being undefeated that far while the Balts struggled in all games. Still, Lithuania led for