A resilient Spanish team, led by NBA star Pau Gasol and 2002 Washington Wizards draft choice Juan Carlos Navarro, put defending champion Serbia and Montenegro on the brink of elimination in the European basketball championships today with a 75-67 defeat.

Only a year ago, Serbia and Montenegro -- then known as Yugoslavia -- was the newly crowned world champion after a stirring run in Indianapolis. The winner of three of the last four Euro championships, it has lost two of three games in this tournament and must defeat a solid Turkish team Monday night in an elimination game or head back to Belgrade an embarrassed bunch as the eight quarterfinalists vie for a spot in the Sept. 14 championship game.

Gasol, of the Memphis Grizzlies, finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Navarro, a star with European club champion Barcelona, scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half.