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Flying high with the backing of Angry Birds, Finland received a wild card for the World Cup of Basketball on Saturday in a decision criticized for being more about business than basketball. Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. The draw is Monday. Greece is ranked fifth in the world and the only team to beat the U.S. since Mike Krzyzewski became coach in 2005. Turkey is ranked seventh and was runner-up to the Americans in the 2010 world championship. Brazil, which will host the 2016 Olympics, is No. 10. Finland is only 39th, the only one of the 12 teams since 2006 to receive a wild card that wasnt in the top 24. But it had the support of Rovio, the Finnish company behind the popular Angry Birds games that had agreed to provide advertising if Finland was selected. "We are fully aware that despite our strong athletic results and fan support, we need to think creatively about how we can truly show our strength to FIBA and the basketball world," Antti Zitting, president of the Finnish Basketball Association said Thursday in a release announcing Rovios support. "As a small Northern country we cannot deliver the same type of TV audience as some other nations, but thanks to Angry Birds, we can offer an engagement platform that no other country can match." FIBA lists economic aspects among the criteria for wild cards, which became part of the organizations biggest tournament in 2006. Secretary general Patrick Baumann noted Finlands recent success on the court but also its potential off it in a statement about the decision, citing the Finns four victories over top-15 teams at the 2013 European championships and their strong fan support. "The Finns are enjoying massive support with their fans travelling in big numbers to their games," Baumann said. "The current growth of Finnish basketball is the result of a solid long-term strategy being executed by the Finnish Basketball Association and still has a lot of potential for development." Russia, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist , China, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Israel, Italy, Nigeria, Poland, Qatar and Venezuela were the other countries that had applied for wild cards. Italy and Germany had previously withdrawn their bids and China, which was considered a leading candidate to get one because of its population and passion for basketball, did Saturday morning. FIBA also announced it had lifted a ban on Senegal and would allow it to be in the tournament. Cheap Nike Air Max 97 . - Doug Kalitta led Top Fuel qualifying Friday in the NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway with a 3. Nike Air Max 97 Online .com) - The University of Montana named Bob Stitt as its new head football coach on Tuesday. https://www.fakeairmax97wholesale.com/. 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Amare Stoudemire had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony scored 21 and the New York Knicks won their eighth straight game, 93-92 over Philadelphia on Friday night, sending the Sixers to their 23rd straight loss.Tucson, AZ - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson brought McKale Center to life with a highlight reel jam early in the second half to jumpstart No. 2 Arizona after a lethargic start, and the Wildcats used a dominant final 10 minutes to run away from UC Irvine, 71-54. Hollis-Jefferson, widely considered the best sixth man in the nation and a first-round pick in next years NBA draft should be declare, injected some life into Arizona at the 14:57 mark of the second half. Trailing by three, Stanley Johnson drove baseline and dished to a cutting Hollis- Jefferson, who rose up and threw down a lefty slam over 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye. The Wildcats outscored Irvine 35-17 from there. Hollis-Jefferson scored a game-high 19 points, T.J. McConnell filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, nine rebounds and six steals and Johnson posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Arizona (3-0) trailed by 29-26 at halftime before outscoring the visiting Anteaters (2-1) by 20 in the second half. We were tested tonight in a really big way, said Arizona head coach Sean Miller. That is not a function of us not playing well, thats a function of the quality of UC Irvine. Luke Nelson and Traviss Souza scored 11 points apiece for Irvine, which came in with comfortable wins over Division III Chapman and Pacific out of the West Coast Conference.dddddddddddd Both teams had just five made field goals at the third media timeout, as a defensive battle early on saw Arizona lead 14-11. Ndiaye scored four early points on a pair of post moves. The rest of the half belonged to Irvine. Alex Young hit a runner and Souza followed with a triple. Young then hit from deep, and the visitors led 19-14. UA briefly went in front on Hollis-Jeffersons jumper, but Irvine led 29-26 at halftime. The Anteaters led by as many as six in the second half and five at 13:09 following Dominique Dunnings jumper. It wasnt until Hollis-Jefferson made four straight free throws that the Wildcats found themselves back in front. The foul shots came during a 15-0 run that, fittingly, Hollis-Jefferson capped with a jumper with just under five minutes to play. Irvine scored just eight points over the final 10:30 of the game. Game Notes Irvine has lost 10 straight against ranked opponents ... Brandon Ashley scored 11 for Arizona ... Arizonas bench outscored Irvines, 24-8 ... Ndiaye had nine points. ' ' '