FIBA 1206
Preview: Slovenia vs Serbia – EuroBasket 2017 final
After two and a half weeks of action it all comes down to this. One game to lift the Nikolai Semashko Trophy. Slovenia is looking to make history on multiple levels while Serbia is looking to go that one step further after losses in major finals in 2009, 2014, and 2016. 40 minutes will decide […]
Serbia’s ice man cometh
Bogdan Bogdanovic has not just been Serbia’s leader in EuroBasket 2017, he has been a model of calm when the game is on the line. In part two of our look ahead to Sunday’s final, Emmet Ryan looks at how Bogdan has grown over the past year and this tournament into a man who feels […]
Luka Doncic and a date with destiny
Slovenia pulled off the shock on the tournament on Thursday night when they tore Spain apart in the semi finals. In the first of our three part preview of Sunday’s EuroBasket 2017 final, Emmet Ryan looks at the coming out party for Luka Doncic in Istanbul In empty barns, When domes alight, No defence shall […]
Bogdanovic comes big to put Serbia in the final
It should never have been this close but Alexey Shved reminded every young player why they should practice their free throws. After a dominant first half, Serbia had to grind out victory over Russia to book their place in the final of EuroBasket 2017. Emmet Ryan writes that we saw the leadership of Bogdan Bogdanovic […]
Stuck behind the Iron Curtain, again
With the Azzurri having exited EuroBasket 2017 at the quarter final stage, Nicolò Origgi takes a look at the deeper issues that are limiting Italy’s progress and examines the benefits some nations with less fat to wade through have over the fallen powerhouse For the third time in a row, Italy has suffered a quarterfinal […]
Stunning Slovenia shock Spain to enter dreamland
Luka Doncic flirted with a triple double as Slovenia roared to their first every EuroBasket final, securing the nation’s first ever medal in the process. Emmet Ryan looks back on a night where every Slovenian on the floor did what was necessary to not only win but wreck Spain For Slovenia this was the biggest […]
Individual battles will define collective glory
Ahead of Serbia’s re-match with Russia, Emmet Ryan has selected three key battles that will decide who makes the semi-final. The group game won’t matter when a place in the final is at stake but there were lessons from that clash which could prove telling on Friday night The group phase game was an upset. […]
Serbia show no mercy in disposal of Italy
Italy came to Istanbul with a plan and their goal was to essentially kill basketball. Sasa Djordjevic was having none of it and neither for that matter were his bigs. Emmet Ryan on how Serbia put Italy to the sword in a clinical display that was their most accomplished of the tournament to date And […]
Alexey is Shved-ly as Russia top Greece
There were two questions going into this one. Which was the real Greece? The one in the group phase or the one that tore Lithuania apart. Also, how would Greece match up with Timofey Mozgov? We got the answer to that from the off with Georgios Papagiannis put on him right away. The latter approach […]
Doncic faces his greatest test
Ahead of Thursday’s semi final clash between Spain and Slovenia, one man is dominating the headlines. He’s a prospective first overall NBA draft pick next summer but right now Luka Doncic only cares about carrying his homeland to unthinkable glory. Emmet Ryan on the challenge ahead for Europe’s wunderkind One sequence. That’s all it took. […]
The Dragon breathes fire as Goran gets his medal shot
Finally this tournament gave us the classic we have been waiting for. The stars stepped up when it mattered. Slovenia and Latvia lobbed everything they had at each other in an offensive feast. Eventually Luka Doncic proved decisive but the story of this game, and Slovenia’s quest for a medal, belongs to Goran Dragic according […]
Sluggish Spain eventually sweep aside Germany
Sergio Scariolo had plenty to be annoyed about through the first 27 minutes, with only Pau Gasol showing up for Spain before Chacho and Marc finally got it together. This was far from vintage Spain but it was enough to take dwon Germany. Emmet Ryan says they will need to be a lot better next […]