NBA star Tony Parker led France to an ultimately comfortable victory over Lithuania to leave them on the verge of a place in the London 2012 quarter-finals after an 82-74 win.The San Antonio Spurs man scored 27 points as the French pulled away in the second half to earn their second win from three games in Group A.Defeat was a blow for three-time Olympic Games silver medallists Lithuania, but is unlikely to deny them a place in the knockout stage.
It looked at one point, though, as if the Baltic side's progression might be a whole lot easier as they turned a nine-point deficit in the first quarter into a 43-39 lead by half-time, helped by two quick-fire three-pointers from Martynas Pocius.But Parker, wearing distinctive goggles to protect an eye injury, inspired his side to a recovery, finishing with nine field goals, including two three-pointers, and seven free throws.The third quarter was key, France winning it 20-9, as their opponents' accuracy from outside the circle deserted them.Nicolas Batum followed Parker with 21 points and Ronny Turiaf led the way on the rebound count with 10.