So the game is about to start and the journalists are leaving the media room – I shoud get going to. But let me tell you real quick about the rules:
This is kind of confusing to me now since they removed all the lines from last night but the offical sheet still says “NBA/Euroleague hybrid rules. It is for sure the timing will be 4 -12 minute periods. For the three point line is says: ” 22′ baseline and 23’9 arc (NBA distance)” and we also got 6 mandatory TV timeouts.
8:55pm game over – Toronto won 93-87 against a team from Rome that could have done much more if they where able to control the game as well as the paint which might be a problem for them with the good centers in Europe. Ukic will be a very good addition and be more than the role player which he has been in Spain the last two years.
8:45pm So that was it for Andrea in Rome – he got fouled out with 6 at 4:02. The referee is calling a lot of offensive fouls on both teams which helped the Raptors a little bit more – they are up 87-80.
8:33pm Now Virtus really wants to win this game and plays some hard defensive showing the Raptors that they are really not afraid and don’t have any respect for the NBA team. Sam Mitchell doesn’t like that and worries about his players – at least the Raptors mascot tries to take the heat out of the game and does some really funny things on the court during a timeout
8:20pm end of the third quarter and we still got a close game 66-69 Toronto. Even if Virtus shoud be able to win this game you should not forget that the Raptors are using this game clrearly to try a few things. On the oder hand – Virtus is really not the top Eruopean team playing good basketball against the Eastern Conference team from Canada.
8:15pm Now I wonder why Allan Ray for Virtus Roma is playing so much better than in the first Italian league game. On reason might be – he knows American basketball and it is more his game than what he faces during Serie A games. Another guy who is much better recently: Erazem Lorbek – He is much more confident and really looks like he wants to play.
8:04pm We still got a pretty game going on here with 5:28 to in the third quarter and Virtus up 60-58. We still have not seen Nesterovic, Jackson, Baston, Martin and Moon. As I told you in the beginning Roma is playing with just one American in this game – the other two – Hawkins, Erik Daniels are out – one with a broken hand and the other one because of canabis problems – The team is not sure to reactivate him when he is allowed to play again – as an insider for Italian basketball just told me.
7:26pm Allan Ray looks like he is doing a much better job today and is passing the ball very well 39-40 after a Bargnani three
7:15pm we are still in the second quarter with 7:20 to go and 26-27 Raptors. Jon Stefansson from Iceland and a guy who already played for a few NBA teams and all over Europe is doing a good job driving to the basket and playing good defense. By the way I really did like “Lucky, the Celtics mascot but why is he still here? Same for the Celtics dancers!
6:58pm I was just checking out the VIPs courtside and guess who is here today – No, no Spike Lee today but we got the boss himself in the house – NBA commissioner David Stern – he wasn’t there at the game last night – at least not that I know of. End of first quarter – 19-23 Toronto – thanks to Kirs Humphries how is working hard.
6:54pm timeout Raptors – Bargnani is having a rough night so far – not making his frew throws and missing his open shots while Gabini is giving him a hard time on the defensive end, too. 15-15 with 2:33 to go.
6:45pm 12-11 Roma – Now if you watch the game right now on TV you might realize why Europeans like”their style” -isn’t that passing beautiful? I know – the Celtics did a pretty good job last night, too – but remember this is a mid-size Euroleague teama and not the Boston Celtics! Also the Palalottomatica filled up now – pretty much the same as last night.
6:38pm Roko Ukic pushes the game pretty well and isn’t scared of driving to the basket while Allan Ray already got half of the points he had in his last Italian league game: 3 points.. I want everybody to check out Christian Drejer and Kris Humphries – don’t thy look like twins?
6:35 pm Sam Mitchell prefers to sit down today, I guess it was hard to sant the whole game last night? We also got two NBA refs in Euroleague dresses and Chris Bosh with the first point of the game – 0:1
6.34pm half empty gym just saw the jump ball here in Rome for the last game
Leave a Reply