MADRID (Reuters):

The Spanish media was awash with what might have been yesterday, a day after Russia won a dramatic European basketball championship final 60-59 against the hosts and favourites Spain to take the gold medal.

Pepu Hernandez's side had led for most of the game but Russia slowly ground them down and Spain's nerves got to them.

With two seconds remaining, guard Jon Robert Holden's two-point jump shot bobbled in to give Russia a slender lead.

The world champions sought out NBA star Pau Gasol for a last-ditch effort to win the game but his looping shot bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

The front page of sports daily Marca had a picture of Gasol lying on his back on the court with his head in his hands, under the headline: "They lost (by a point in the last second) but won (a place in every Spaniard's heart)."

Daily Sport's headline was "Silver Tears", while AS said: "Gasol failed, Kirilenko shone."

Memphis Grizzlies centre Gasol told reporters: "We are sad at the moment but I'm sure we'll be proud tomorrow. I saw that last shot going in, perhaps with two seconds I should have got a little closer to the basket, but it ended like that."

Gasol finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds, but also missed five of eight foul shots in the fourth quarter.

Russia's Andrei Kirilenko was voted the tournament MVP and finished the final with 17 points and five rebounds. He averaged 18 points and 8.6 rebounds a game.

"Hopefully this will be the first of many titles. Spain are a great team, but we just played really well," Kirilenko said. "We made Spain nervous and we played as a team. I might be the MVP but it's been a team effort all the way."

Russia coach David Blatt also focused on the team ethic as being key, and congratulated Kirilenko for his award. But the American-Israeli who masterminded Russia's victory had his own ideas for the top player award.

"Andrei is the most spectacular, but probably our best player has been Victor Khryapa. He might have been the secret to our success," Blatt said.

The Chicago Bulls forward averaged 7.8 rebounds and just over three assists a game.

While Spain's basketball team drowned their sorrows, the country at least had the consolation of having won the European volleyball title a few hours earlier in Moscow.

They came from behind to beat heavy favourites Russia 3-2 and claim Spain's first volleyball medal of any colour in European competition.