SAITAMA -- Can Spain replace Pau Gasol's productivity?

News photoGreek team members celebrate after their 101-95 victory over the U.S. on Friday in the FIBA World Championship semifinal at Saitama Super Arena. Greece plays Spain in the title game on Sunday but the Spaniards will be missing Pau Gasol (inset photo) through injury after the star center was ruled out of the final because of a broken bone in his foot. AP PHOTO

That's the big question entering Sunday's FIBA World Championship title game against Greece.

X-rays reveal that Gasol, a center, sustained a fractured metatarsal in his left foot in the fourth quarter of Spain's 75-74 semifinal win Friday over Argentina. He will not play Sunday.

"I will try to do what I can for my colleagues but what really hurts is that I will not be physically on the court with them to do my part," Gasol told reporters Saturday.

"I am confident the rest of the team can go on to complete the job without me. If they go on to take gold I will not be able to contain myself."

If Gasol can't step onto the floor for the 7:30 p.m. game at Saitama Super Arena, Spain will need other players to fill a big void. His younger brother, Marc, a 213-cm, 21-year-old, has been his primary backup this tournament.

"We have to play against Greece on Sunday with or without him. But we're playing for him in the final because he's our best player," Spain point guard Jose Calderon told reporters after Friday's game.

Gasol, an All-Star center for the Memphis Grizzlies, has averaged 21.3 points per game in eight tournament games. His 75 rebounds account for 25.59 percent of Spain's boards. His 60 free-throw attempts are nearly double that of any other Spanish player. He has 19 of the team's 24 blocked shots. And when he gets double-teamed, his teammates -- notably Juan Carlos Navarro, Jorge Garbajosa and Rudy Fernandez, Spain's next three scorers at 13.8, 11.8 and 10.3 ppg, respectively -- put points on the board.

In other words, Gasol has a stake in everything Spain does successfully on the hardwood.

Greece enters this contest on an emotional high after shocking the star-studded United States 101-95 in Friday's first semifinal.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis called Panagiotis Yannakis, Greece's coach, to congratulate the team after the win.

For a young team, such adulation might be a distraction. But Yannakis said his veteran squad has remained focused throughout this tournament, especially on Friday.

"They came with a clear mind," Yannakis said after the Greeks' latest performance. "They gave the best of their talent. I think it was a great win for us, and I hope my players stay together after the win.

"I hope this win keeps us more together," he added.

Greece's recent success, which included the EuroBasket 2005 title, is directly linked to its team unity and every-player-does-his-part approach. (And it's been a constant reminder that playing for an NBA team isn't a prerequisite for success at the World Championship; none of the Greeks' 12 players spent the 2005-06 season in the NBA.)

Consider: Eight Greeks are averaging 7.6 or more points per game (combo guard Vasilis Spanoulis is No. 1 with 12.6). Seven are making 56 percent or more of their shots from 2-point range, and two others are not far behind: Spanoulis (49 percent) and center Lazaros Papadapoulos (46). As a team, Greece has made exactly half of its shots at the worlds.

Other numbers are equally impressive. Greece has scored 77 points off turnovers to its foes' 36, has 159 points in the paint while giving up 115, has made 20.3 free throws per game while allowing 10.8 and has been credited with 87 steals while foes have grabbed 42.

In addition, Greece's backcourt dynamos, Dimitrios Diamantidis and Theodoros Papaloukas, have demonstrated throughout this tournament they are among the world's top guards. This was evident in the win over the U.S. when Greece shot 71 percent from inside the 3-point arc. Simply put, Greece was consistently a step ahead of its defenders as the offense ran at full throttle.

One mathematical computation underscores this point. Diamantidis and Papaloukas have combined for 56 assists and 45 steals this tournament while making just 23 turnovers.

"We don't lose our concentration when teams try to force us into mistakes," Yannakis said.

Greece showed that it can seize control of a pressure-packed game as well, trailing 33-21 against Team USA in the second quarter. For the rest of the game, Greece was clearly the better team and had no qualms that it would do what it wanted in all facets of the game.

"I was confident in our team, confident that we can get back in the game," said veteran power forward Dimos Dikoudis, "and that we can get a lead of our own."

For Spain, which rides a 17-game winning streak into this contest, Greece's success -- even against the U.S. -- isn't a stunning development.

"We cannot choose (our opponent), so we have to be ready to play any team," Spain coach Pepu Hernandez said.

To capture the world title, Spain will need to beat the Greeks at their own game.

Which means?

Not letting Yannakis' players do this:

"My team, if you (have) watched us since the beginning of the tournament, we have a very nice concentration," the Greek boss said.

"I think our best point is we are thinking only for one ball (one possession at a time). We control it and play really good basketball."