Spain defeated Greece 80-72 on Saturday in the first elimination round of the World Championships.

Juan Carlos Navarro scored 22 points to lead Spain.

The Spaniards made 8 of 18 3-pointers and used a 13-3 run in the fourth quarter to ensure the victory.

"It was very a tough game for us," guard Ricky Rubio said.

"Obviously it was not easy. We have faced some similar problems before with teams like Lithuania because they play very physically and tough."