Serbia and Croatia are Brazil-bound. France or Canada will get the only Olympic basketball spot left.On Saturday, Serbia emphatically claimed its first Olympic appearance as an independent country, crushing Puerto Rico 108-77 in the championship game of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament that Serbia hosted in Belgrade. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 26 points and eight assists, while tournament MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets added 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists.Part of an international basketball power in the former Yugoslavia, Serbia made the Olympics for the first time since it became an independent nation in 2006. It appeared two years earlier as Serbia and Montenegro.Serbia beat Puerto Rico by just six points earlier this week in group play but left no doubt this time. The Serbians raced to a 24-3 lead and were ahead 37-11 after one quarter. They extended their lead to 60-27 at halftime and shot 58.7 percent for the game.Croatia had a much tougher time, outlasting Italy 84-78 in overtime in Turin, Italy. Bojan Bogdanovic of the Brooklyn Nets scored 26 points, former Philadelphia 76ers lottery pick Dario Saric added 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Croatians qualified for the Olympics for the first time since 2008.After Croatias Olympic-clinching victory, Saric said he intends to join the Sixers this season.Im going back home and then to the USA for the 76ers, the 22-year-old wing said.The other final is Sunday in Manila, Philippines, where Canada gets a second shot to claim the Olympic berth that slipped away last year when it blew a late lead and was stunned by Venezuela in the semifinals of the FIBA Americas tournament.Cory Joseph of the Toronto Raptors scored 23 points and Tristan Thompson of the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers added 13 points and 10 rebounds Saturday in a 78-72 victory over New Zealand.France beat Turkey 75-63 in the other semifinal, getting 17 points from Thomas Heurtel.After Sundays final, there will be a draw to place the three champions in the Rio field. Two of them will end up in the same group as the two-time defending champion U.S.Along with the Americans, the other teams that have already qualified for the 12-team field are Spain, Lithuania, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, China, Australia and Nigeria.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Buffalo Sabres Gear . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Buffalo Sabres Pro Shop . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. https://www.cheapsabres.com/ . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Custom Buffalo Sabres Jerseys . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Sabres Jerseys China . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period.ANAHEIM, Calif. - Shortly after the Los Angeles Angels lost Howie Kendrick to a hyperextended knee, they lost yet another game to the Texas Rangers. At least it didnt happen on yet another late homer, which would have made an ugly day even more painful. Adrian Beltre homered, Martin Perez pitched into the seventh inning, and the Rangers beat the Angels 5-2 Monday night after losing All-Star outfielder Nelson Cruz to a 50-game suspension. Jurickson Profar had a run-scoring hit for the Rangers, who have won eight of 10 over Los Angeles this season, including three straight last week in Arlington on game-ending homers. The Rangers got a few key bits of luck in this series opener well before the final innings: Elvis Andrus got credit for a two-run triple in the fifth when Kendrick awkwardly bent his left leg while failing to catch Andrus popup to the outfield. Kendrick, one of the Angels best hitters this season, was trying to avoid sliding outfielder Colin Cowgill. The Angels dont know how long he might be out. "Hopefully itll only be a couple of days," Kendrick said. "Its the first time Ive ever hyperextended my knee, so its something that I wish wouldnt have happened. But me and Cowgill were both trying to make a play on the ball. I didnt even really see him at all, and the next thing I know, were running into each other." Perez (4-3) limited the Angels to four hits and two runs, striking out a career-best seven in his first victory in five starts. Mark Trumbo and Cowgill drove in runs for the Angels, who managed just five hits. "We had (Perez) on the ropes," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I mean, we squared some balls up with guys in scoring position and didnt have much to show for it. We didnt get that big hit the bases loaded, but the guys had great at-bats and hit the ball hard." Los Angeles loaded the bases in the seventh and eighth innings, but the Texas bullpen escaped the jams both times on well-hit flyouts to right field. Joe Nathan then pitched the ninth for his 33rd save. Jerome Williams (5-8) yielded six hits and five runs while pitching into the sixth inning of his ninth straight winless start for the Angels. Cruz might have been missed more in the field than at the plate in his first game out. David Murphy, usually a left fielder, took over in right field and misplayed two balls, although neither mistake seemed to be caused by the peculiarities of switching sides. "I didnt feel as commfortable as I felt in the past, or as comfortable as I feel in left," Murphy said.dddddddddddd "I think thats obvious. But I know I can play out there." Texas still got off to a solid start in its life without Cruz, the Rangers leader with 27 homers and 76 RBIs — including his homer in Sundays victory in Oakland. "Its disappointing," said second baseman Ian Kinsler. "But at the same time, we all love Nelson, and were going to support him through this, help him get through this. Hes serving the suspension like he should, and were going to help him go on with this." Trumbo doubled home Mike Trout with the Angels first run in the first inning when Murphy overran a catchable fly in the corner, allowing it to bounce next to him. Williams was largely in control until the fifth, when Texas scored a run on a wild pitch and loaded the bases with one out. Andrus two-out pop to shallow right field should have been caught, but Kendrick and Cowgill both converged on the ball — and Kendrick lost it from his glove when he stepped awkwardly with his left leg while trying to avoid the sliding Cowgill. Kendrick stayed down for a long moment before the Angels medical staff helped him off the field. "I was in a lot of pain at the time," Kendrick said. "Its really sore, but I can put a little bit of pressure on it, so thats always a good sign." The Rangers chased Williams in the sixth shortly after Beltres 24th homer. Profar put reliever Michael Kohns first pitch into left field for an RBI single and a 5-1 lead. Los Angeles chased Perez and loaded the bases in the seventh, but Jason Frasor limited the Angels to one run, retiring pinch-hitter Kole Calhoun on a liner to right. Neal Cotts escaped another bases-loaded jam in the eighth after Murphy dropped a sliding catch in right, getting J.B. Shuck to fly out to the warning track. NOTES: The Rangers recalled OFs Joey Butler and Engel Beltre from the minors before the game, filling Cruzs roster spot and designating INF Adam Rosales for assignment.... Trout reached base in his 36th consecutive game, tying Chili Davis record for Angels outfielders. Trout also drew a walk for the 10th consecutive game. He added his latest defensive highlight in the ninth, diving full-stretch to snag Engel Beltres drive. ... RHP Joe Blanton, banished to the Angels bullpen with a 2-13 record, retired all nine Rangers he faced in the final three innings. ' ' '