Team Lithuania 170
Eurobasket 2011: Scenarios for round three
With one game left to play for the teams of Group E and two for Group F in the 2011 FIBA EuroBasket tournament, BallinEurope takes a brief look at some of the mathematical possibilities for advancement into the knockout stage. Group E • France and Spain have clinched the top two spots in the group; […]
EuroBasket power rankings, post round one edition
The 2011 FIBA EuroBasket tournament gets things started again today, after the 12 advancing teams get in a couple days’ worth of hard-earned rest. With the dust now settled, BallinEurope takes a look at how the dozen sides look going into the second round of play (numbers in parentheses represent each team’s win-loss record brought […]
Live blogging EuroBasket 2011: Lithuania vs. Spain
Surely this game needs no introduction: It’s the defending European champions against the red-hot, lightning-quick Lithuanians. Lithuania is a player down, but there’s still that 13th man of the crowd and the straight-up willpower of the home team backs by 16,000 volts of tradition, neither of which should be underestimated. Get ready for a wild […]
Sergio Scariolo: Team Spain “still getting better” (Is this trash talk?)
More than one follower of this year’s EuroBasket tournament – BallinEurope included – has noted the, let’s say, less than challenging schedule given to a few of the competition’s powerhouses. Spain, France and possibly Russia (depending on how one feels about Georgia) have faced grievously overmatched competition in the first three games. The timetable has […]
Eurobasket 2011: News, notes and clips going into day five
After a bit of a free day (not 100%, though, BiE can assure you) for BallinEurope, we get back in the game – so to speak – with a few notes, links and of course YouTubes for your perusal before FIBA EuroBasket games tip off today. • BiE’s games of the day? Today, Spain-Lithuania; tomorrow, […]
Live blogging EuroBasket 2011: Turkey vs. Lithuania (a.k.a. the big match)
Not only does the first-round EuroBasket match between Turkey and Lithuania represent the first serious test for this potential championship teams, it also has more long-range ramifications than perhaps any game thus far played. Since win-loss records against advancing teams are held into the next round of pool play, the result of this game will […]
*The* question: Why is Lithuania so passionate about basketball?
It’s a question for the ages and one that BallinEurope has wondered about in contemplation for years. Last night’s post-game press conference following the Lithuania-Poland EuroBasket match saw an answer delivered, summing things up rather succinctly and satisfyingly. With Team Lithuania head coach Kestutis Kemzura and BiE fave Martynas “Air” Pocius before the assembled media, […]
Live blogging Eurobasket 2011: Lithuania vs. Poland
All right, the home team hits the court again tonight in Panevezys, presumably in hopes of improving on a somewhat inconsistent opening game against Great Britain; with Spain and Turkey performing as expected to go 2-0, Team Lithuania will need a W to keep up. Note for the game: Marijonas Petravicius will not be playing […]
Reflections after EuroBasket day one
Though only one day of the 2011FIBA EuroBasket tournament is in the books, it’s never too early to make some kneejerk reactions, right? While a few suspenseful games played out last night, most prognosticators were certainly able to score a 12-0 record in picking winners in first-day games. (BallinEurope went 11-1, but that’s only due […]
Live blogging Eurobasket 2011: Great Britain vs. Lithuania
So, what to look for in this game? BallinEurope sat in one some of the Great Britain practice session today and must say the team looked pretty loose, but will imperviousness to pressure be enough? After all, the specter of the missing Ben Gordon (and, as Ogo Adegboye pointed out to BiE yesterday, Pops Mensah-Bonsu) […]
Eurobasket opener bullets: Pnini vs. Dirk, Spain's competition, Kanter's rust, more
Hours remain until Eurobasket 2011 tips off here in Lithuania. As a warmup this morning, BallinEurope brings a roundup of some chatter from around the world regarding the big tournament; in ESPN TrueHoop tradition, we’ll bring it bullet-style. • Poor Israel, one of the more unheralded teams in the tournament … not only are they […]
Eurobasket 2011: A brief roundup
On the eve of Eurobasket 2011 (finally), BallinEurope’s man in the U.K., Sam Chadwick, makes his own version of BiE’s patented Fearless Predictions™ with his own brief take on the tournament contender’s chances. And if you don’t think these prognostications are indeed fearless, just scroll down to the bottom to see who he’s got taking […]