HIROSHIMA -- Team Spain arrived in Japan as one of the elite basketball squads in the world. Nothing's changed. Except for this: The Spaniards' margin for error against Angola on Wednesday was as narrow as a pair of chopsticks. That's what happens when your opponent takes 16 more shots and grabs 10 more offensive rebounds.

NBA All-Star center Pau Gasol scored 28 points and Spain held on for a 93-83 victory over Angola at the Hiroshima Prefectural Sports Center in this battle of the FIBA World Championship Group B's last remaining unbeaten teams.

When it was over, Angolan players expressed pride in pushing their highly regarded foe to the brink.

"I think today we showed the world that we can compete with anybody," said Angolan power forward Joaquim Gomes, who had 24 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and has become a fan favorite in Hiroshima.

"(We) showed the world that we'll never give up," he added.

"Of course, games like this build our confidence up."

Spanish coach Pepu Hernandez summarized his team's performance this way: "We have to know that we need to improve."

Spain played effectively in spurts and jumped out a 39-20 lead on a Rudy Fernandez 3-pointer, but it was sporadic brilliance. Fernandez scored 16 and was one of four Spaniards in double figures (Jorge Garbajosa had 15 and Navarro added 12).

Spain's 46-36 halftime lead, sparked by its across-the-board talent, increased to 14 midway through the third. It cut to 71-65 after lead guard Miguel Lutonda, a longtime star in Angola who had 18 points on the afternoon, completed a rare four-point play. He drained a 3-pointer while tumbling to the hardwood and sank a free throw with 7:34 to go.

Teammate Eduardo Mingas, a muscular presence in the middle, hit a layup, Lutonda buried a 3 and Spain's lead was slashed to 74-70.

Moments later, with his team trailing by seven, Gomes willed his way inside for a well-earned bucket. He missed an off-balance layup, but grabbed the rebound, put up another shot, missed it, jumped again, got the board and scored on a tip-in.

But Gasol wasn't finished. He muscled his way inside for a high-percentage shot, pushing the lead back to seven. Then it was nine. After an Olimpio Cipriano putback brought the underdogs back within seven, Gasol made a big statement.

He took Juan Carlos Navarro's high feed into the low post and scored an alley-oop with ease, giving Spain an 83-74 lead -- and a little breathing room -- at the 3:40 mark.

Gomes praised Gasol for living up to his world-class reputation.

"He's almost unstoppable down low," Gomes said. "His hook shot his great."