Jeff Taylor has been covering European basketball since 1997, when he first worked on the television program SLAM. He has been a basketball writer and broadcaster since that time, traveling the continent and covering the game in depth for FIBA Europe since its launch in 2003.

A sense of perspective is needed here.

Germany needed a wild card to play at the World Championship and three of their four games have been oh so close.

The coach of the Germans, Dirk Bauermann, knew there wasn't much margin for error going into a very balanced Group A and he was proved right.

Remembering that Germany had the number one team in the FIBA World Rankings, Argentina, on the ropes in their opener - the game was tied at 74-74 with 1:51 to go before the South Americans scored the last four points of the game - it's going to be a tough few days for Bauermann's players as they consider what might have been after their last game against Jordan on Thursday.

It's going to hurt the Germans knowing that a team they beat in double overtime, Serbia, destroyed Angola 94-54 in their first game of the tournament.

That's because that same Angola team beat Germany on Wednesday in overtime, 92-88.

Germany wanted more.

The reality is, they got what they deserved and most importantly, they got what they needed.

The young German team gained experience that is going to help them immensely next year in Lithuania.

"We have a very young team," Bauermann said. "We have developed our game a lot in this tournament. We will be more prepared for 2011 in Lithuania."

Philipp Schwethelm, the 21-year-old Eisbären Bremerhaven guard/forward, is among those to log important minutes in a major international tournament.

Schwethelm played a tournament-high 23 minutes on Wednesday and took advantage by making three of his four shots from long range and scoring 12 points.

"Everybody has developed their game and had an excellent experience," he said.

Germany will attempt to go out on a high when they take on Jordan in Kayseri.

The other nine European teams taking part will advance to the knockout stages and that includes Lithuania, another side that needed a wild card.

The players from the Baltics, having endured a summer of frustration in 2009, are now officially the 'Comeback Kids'.

Lithuania trailed by 17 to Canada in the second half but won 70-68, and they trailed Spain by 18 in the third quarter but prevailed 76-63.

On Wednesday night against France, Kestutis Kemzura's side trailed 29-14 midway through the second quarter but won at a canter, 69-55.

What all opponents will know about Lithuania, and that includes Lebanon on Thursday and most likely Puerto Rico in the Eight-Finals, is that when Kemzura's team trails by double-digits - they've got you right where they want you!

The Lithuanians, perhaps more than any other side going into this tournament, had a mountain of negativity to overcome.

Big-name players like Ramunas Siskauskas didn't want to play while others were injured.

Last summer's failure in Poland - just one win against Bulgaria - was a like a ball-and-chain that Lithuania's players, and Kemzura - who wasn't even the coach of that team - had to drag everywhere.

In truth, Lithuania still haven't gotten over the trauma of the EuroBasket.

That's why guard Mantas Kalnietis and his teammates are refusing to get carried away by their unbeaten start.

"We are on top in the group but if we think about the whole tournament, it is not that important," he said.

Kemzura was a little more upbeat about the 69-55 success against previously unbeaten France.

"It was an important step for our future in the tournament," he said.

As for big games on Thursday, Serbia face Argentina in a battle for first place in Group A.

Argentina are without key men but have managed to win all four of their games while Serbia are 3-1.

The winner will face the loser of Group B's important game on Thursday between Brazil and Croatia.

Those two sides each have wins against Tunisia and Iran but have yet to beat what most observers would call a ‘quality opponent' after losses to the United States and Slovenia.

In Group C, Turkey clinched first place on Wednesday with a 79-77 win over Puerto Rico.

The all-European game on Thursday in that pool is between Greece and Russia, with the winners taking second place.

One has to wonder if either side will want to face Spain in the Eight-Finals, though, because that will happen if in Group D, Sergio Scariolo's side defeats Canada and France beat New Zealand.

Should Spain, France and New Zealand each finish with 3-2 records, Spain could end up in second place on goal differential.

The loser of Greece v Russia will come in third and take on France or Spain in the next round.