Features 539
Titanfall: Why the NBA’s biggest stars failed at EuroBasket
With the big three of EuroBasket 2022 not even making it to the medal round, Emmet Ryan breaks down how changing cultures in basketball have been behind the shocking exists of Antetkounmpo, Doncic, Jokic, and more There’s a poster just inside the media entrance of the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The main promo for EuroBasket and similar […]
Triple double from Ponitka fires Poland past Slovenia
Poland recovered from an epic collapse thanks to the heroics of Mateusz Ponitka and AJ Slaughter to stun Luka Doncic and defending champions Slovenia and reach the semi finals in historic fashion. Slovenia started this game with the bold strategy of opting not to play any D. It made things rather entertaining but was visibly […]
France escape in OT again
France survived a storming second half to secure their place in the semi-finals as they won their second overtime game in as many outings to outlast Italy. It was a more subdued Gianmarco Pozzecco to start proceedings between Italy and France. There was a mild discussion with a ref and a big sigh after a […]
The Susijengi story has only just begun
Finland’s exit from EuroBasket 2022 on Tuesday was the end of an era for two stalwarts but, Emmet Ryan writes, the beginning of a bright new future for hoops in Suomi. There was a different flavour to the disappointment that Finnish fans felt on Tuesday, a taste that they weren’t used to but one that […]
Germany demolish Greece in Berlin
Greece had so much going for them. A 60 point first half outing, something no team had ever managed to do and gone on to lose. An enormous travelling support in the stands. Oh, and a two time NBA MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. None of it mattered as a barrage of three from a fired […]
You can never count out Sergio Scariolo
Finland set all kinds of first half records against Spain but if you’re going to beat Sergio Scariolo, you need to outsmart him for the full 40. Emmet Ryan watched another brilliant sideline performance from the Spain coach as his side reached the semi-finals for the 11th straight time For Finland it was the biggest […]
The dream isn’t done
Finland have been nearly men of European basketball for decades. Now that they’ve made the breakthrough, they can’t let the emotion of the moment distract them against Spain, writes Emmet Ryan. As is the norm at EuroBasket, I posted some videos after Finland’s remarkable victory over Croatia to make the quarter finals of EuroBasket for […]
Giannis finds a way
Giannis Antetkounmpo showed his grit as he fought through incessant D from a battling Czech Republic side to finally guide Greece to the quarter finals At halftime every Greek journalist was either dead silent or nervously muttering. Everyone knew this wouldn’t be a pushover but the same group that had been chatty throughout the group […]
Anatomy of a collapse
Somehow Serbia managed to waste every positive contribution by two time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to fall to a stunning upset at the hands of Italy in the round of 16 at EuroBasket With 6.19 left on the clock, Nikola Jokic sat by the scorer’s table waiting to come in as his Serbia side trailed […]
Slaughter and Ponitka send Poland to first EuroBasket quarter final since 1997
A pair of tremendous outings from Mateusz Ponitka and AJ Slaughter sent Poland to the quarter finals of EuroBasket for the first time since 1997 as they overcame a brave outing from Issuf Sanon and Ukraine. Ukraine had a problem and it hailed from Louisville, Kentucky. AJ Slaughter, Poland’s naturalised player, was off to an […]
Scariolo pulls off a masterstroke
In arguably his best single game performance as a head coach, Sergio Scariolo overcame the odds and showed that, with him on the bench, it’s a fool that counts Spain out as his side overcame Lithuania in an overtime thriller. It has been a long time since Lithuania beat Spain in a game that really […]
Maodo Lo shows his value even when the stat sheet doesn’t
As Germany made surprisingly hard work of an unimpressive Montenegro team to punch their ticket to the quarter final, Emmet Ryan was mesmerised by one man who often goes unnoticed. Maodo Lo might well be the key to any success Germany hopes to have at this tournament. Maodo Lo is not Germany’s most famous player, […]