INDIANAPOLIS -- Argentina didn't spend much time celebrating its historic win over the United States. What happens after the 78-67 victory over Brazil on Thursday night is a whole other matter.

One day after shocking the basketball world, Argentina advanced to the semifinals of the World Championships for the first time in 52 years.

The Argentine team appeared sluggish at the start of the game against Brazil that began less than 24 hours after the 87-80 victory over the United States to close the second round.

It was the first time a U.S. team using NBA players lost in international competition, snapping a 58-game winning streak.

"Not much, not much,'' Argentina's Emanuel Genobili said of the celebration after the win over the United States. "We tried to go to bed early because we knew today was going to be a tough game. At times like this, when you play nine games in 11 days, you don't really have a chance to celebrate a lot. We'll celebrate tonight.''

Argentina (7-0) doesn't have to play again until Saturday's semifinals when it faces Germany, which beat Spain 70-62.

"The celebration was basically on the bus from the arena to the hotel,'' Argentina coach Ruben Magnano said. "We met with the team right away to get ready for Brazil. We knew we had to validate last night's win with one today and now we're in the final four.''

The only other time Argentina reached the semifinals was the inaugural tournament in 1950, an event played in Buenos Aires. Argentina had played in eight World Championships since, never finishing better than sixth.

Ginobili, who has signed with the San Antonio Spurs, and Fabricio Oberto each had 19 points for Argentina.

Vanderlei Mazzuchini had 20 points for Brazil (4-3).

Unlike Wednesday's dominating win over the United States when Argentina led by 20 points in the first half, it didn't shake Brazil until the third quarter.

Brazil, which lost its third straight game, took a 39-36 lead with 6:11 left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Guilherme Giovannoni.

Alejandro Montecchia hit a 3-pointer 25 seconds later that started Argentina's 13-0 run. When Luis Scola scored down low with 2:23 left in the quarter to cap the run and make it 46-39, it was apparent any celebration cobwebs from the night before were gone and Argentina was on its way to the semifinals.

Argentina never let Brazil stage any kind of run in the in the fourth quarter as a group of about 100 fans danced and waved flags in the RCA Dome, although it was nowhere the party that went on in the stands the night before in Conseco Fieldhouse.

"We knew we needed to win this game because of all the work we had done,'' Montecchia said. "Tonight we have more time to celebrate.''

Germany 70, Spain 62
Dirk Nowitzki has Germany believing it can win a gold medal.

Nowitzki carried Germany into the semifinals of the World Championships, scoring 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter of a 70-62 victory over Spain on Thursday.

Germany, which had never finished higher than 12th in two other championships appearances, will play Argentina on Saturday.

It's a rematch from Tuesday's second-round game when Argentina held Germany to a single basket for more than 14 minutes in the first half of an 86-77 victory. Argentina is the only undefeated team in the championships.

"They're the best team in the world right now,'' Nowitzki said. "They're playing unbelievable basketball. ... But we showed we can hang with them. We can beat them.''

The Dallas Mavericks star put Germany ahead for good midway through the fourth with a drive down the lane.

Nowitzki, averaging 23.8 points, was one of three German starters playing the final two minutes with four fouls. The fifth one never came, even when a defender flopped on the court trying to draw one. It didn't work and Nowitzki made the basket.

Nowitzki's performance was no surprise to teammate Stefano Garris.

"It's always possible with a guy like that on our side,'' Garris said. "He came back in the last quarter and showed what kind of player he is. We can go pretty far when he plays like that.''

Marko Pesic scored 14 points and Ademola Okulaja added 11 for Germany (5-2). Juan Carlos Navarro led Spain (5-2) with 21 points and Pau Gasol, the NBA's rookie of the year last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, had 14.

Free-throw shooting might have cost Spain, which went 19-for-28 from the line. Spain trailed by four when Gasol missed two free throws with just over three minutes left. Germany led by three with 50 seconds left, but Navarro missed the back end of a 1-and-1.

"In the last moments, our free throws were terrible,'' said Spain coach Javier Imbroda. "In a close game, small things are really important. In this game, it was the free throws.''

Spain used a 15-2 run to take a 52-46 lead in the third quarter. Ignacio Rodriguez hit a go-ahead 3-pointer, and Navarro capped the run with two free throws. Germany scored only six points on three field goals in the third.

Gasol said the rally sapped Spain of the energy needed to sustain it in the fourth quarter.

A 3 by Navarro pushed Spain's lead to 55-49 in the fourth, but that was its last point until Gasol made a free throw late in the game.

"It is a sad day for us,'' Imbroda said. "We received much pain in our soul.''

Neither team fared well from 3-point range, with Spain going 7-for-29 and Germany 3-for-13.

Spain will play Brazil on Friday. The best Spain can finish is fifth.

New Zealand 65, Puerto Rico 63
The New Zealand players can dance after games, too.

Phil Jones scored 21 points and Pero Cameron added 16 including the final eight for New Zealand as the nation reached its first World Championships semifinals Thursday night with a 65-63 victory over Puerto Rico.

Afterward, the players, who perform a tribal dance before each game, ran into the stands, huddled at midcourt and then hopped around the RCA Dome floor to celebrate their nation's biggest basketball victory.

"It's going to have a significant impact on the world basketball scene,'' coach Tab Baldwin said. "It's going to be gigantic.''

New Zealand actually won two battles Thursday night -- the game and a measure of respect for a nation of about 4 million, which has never been considered a basketball power.

Now, New Zealand (4-3) can change that image.

On Saturday, it meets defending world champion Yugoslavia, which beat the United States 81-78, knocking the Americans out of medal contention. The winner plays for the gold medal.

"If anyone had said at the beginning of this tournament that we'd have made it to the final four and the U.S. wouldn't, you'd have thought they were crazy,'' said guard Mark Dickel, who played college basketball at Nevada-Las Vegas and had eight assists Thursday.

For Puerto Rico it was yet another close call in a tournament filled with them.

The Puerto Ricans are now 5-2, but five of their games have been decided by four or fewer points. Puerto Rico is 3-2 in those games but none was as heartbreaking as Thursday's loss, which knocked them out of medal contention. Puerto Rico has never won a medal in the tournament and now must play the United States on Friday.

"We respect New Zealand, they're a good team, but this is a tough loss because we don't have a team in the semis since 1990,'' assistant coach Manuel Cintron said. "We had a good shot.''

New Zealand and Cameron took that away, though.

While New Zealand led most of the contest and fended off charge after charge, Puerto Rico took a 58-57 lead with 3:50 to go when Jose Ortiz made 1 of 2 free throws.

Cameron answered with a 3-pointer and after Antonio Latimer tied the game with a putback, Cameron hit another 3 with 1:09 left to again give New Zealand the lead.

Elias Ayuso, who finished with 24 points, tied the score with his seventh 3-pointer of the night.

But with time running out, New Zealand knew who would get the ball -- Cameron.

"He takes all the shots at the end of games,'' Dickel said. "I'm just trying to get his guy to be silly enough to help. I don't know how many times he's hit a big shot, in fact I can't remember him missing.''

Cameron didn't this time, either. He took a short pass in the lane and laid it in with 23.4 seconds left to give New Zealand a 65-63 lead.

Puerto Rico called timeout to set up a play, and had one chance -- when Latimer got the ball on the baseline. But his shot was partially blocked by Ed Book and New Zealand began to celebrate.

"This leaves you speechless and overwhelmed. We're in the top four in the world,'' said forward Kirk Penney, who plays for the University of Wisconsin. "It's incredible what this means to the country and basketball in New Zealand. It's going to take a while to sink in.''

Following the game and the first celebration, the players watched the conclusion of the United States game along with a couple of hundred fans. When it ended, a huge roar went up from the crowd and another party ensued.

Players were so excited, they went back into the stands and dances started all over again.

"We're in the semis and now anything can happen. Once again we're going to play our biggest game ever,'' Cameron said. "This is our biggest showcase. This is huge, so huge.''