The
FIBA EuroBasket 2013 will be the 38th edition of the EuroBasket
championship that is organized by FIBA Europe. It will take place from
4 September till 22 September 2013 in Slovenia. The number of
participating teams will be 24.
FIBA Eurobasket 2013 on Wikipedia check here.
Official FIBA Eurobasket 2013 website check here.
One
of the most prolific players in the history of European basketball
departs Slovenia on Monday with the medal he dreamed of all his life
and an individual award he deserved throughout his decorated career.
Tony Parker, France's leader over the past decade, was named as the
EuroBasket 2013 MVP following his team's victory over Lithuania in the
gold medal game on Sunday, a historical first title for the Gallic
nation. The 31-year-old point guard finished as the tournament's top
scorer with 19.7 points-per-game on an amazing 52.6% field goal
percentage and also dished out ...assists-per-night on average. Read
more here.
French claim maiden Gold
France
ascended to the top of Europe for the first time in their history by
beating Lithuania 80-66 to win the EuroBasket 2013 gold medal - their
first European title. Lithuania collected their second silver following
1995. Nicolas Batum was on a mission to make good his poor performance
in the semi-finals and led the French with 17 points, including three
three-pointers while also collecting six rebounds. With Lithuania
concentrating on bottling up Tony Parker - who had just 12 points on
six for 17 shooting with three assists and zero steals - Boris Diaw
played a great supporting role with 15 points, six rebounds and four
assists. And after 13 previous top four finishes all came up short, the
2011 finalists France finally claimed their worthy spot atop the
podium. Lithuania were hunting for title number four after 1937, 1939
and 2003. But in the end, the Baltic side had to make due with a second
silver following 1995. Read more here.
Spain leave Slovenia with Bronze
Two-time
European champions Spain pulled away from Croatia in the second half
and prevailed comfortably 92-66 in the battle for third place on the
podium at EuroBasket 2013. Sergio Llull came off the Spanish bench and
contributed solid perimeter defence, energy and speed in the open court
and above all sharp shooting from long-range, as he went 8-for-15 from
beyond the arc and collected a team-high 21 points. Spain scored 13
points in transition, 17 points off Croatian turnovers and 17
second-chance points. Croatia got just 16 points across all these
categories combined. Croatia took their second and last lead in the
game with 4:55 remaining to the half-time buzzer, but Spain poured in
20 quick points to grab a 47-36 lead at the interval, and never looked
back. Read more here.
Time for medals and closing ceremony at EuroBasket
2013 in Slovenia. After days of great competition, we will find out who
will be the new European Champions, sliver and bronze medalists.
Will
France and Tony Parker finally capture their first European title or
will Lithuania be celebrating their fourth EuroBasket crown ten years
after winning their last gold medal? The journey for these two teams
started back on 4 September as two of 24 teams dreaming of hoisting the
trophy into the skies over Ljubljana. Sunday's final at 9p.m. CET in
Stozice Arena is for all the glory. Should France win two years after
losing to Spain in the final, Les Bleus would become the first
first-time champion since Germany shocked the European basketball
landscape with their title in 1993. Read more here.
Bronze Medal game preview: Spain vs. Croatia
Two-time
European champions Spain and Croatia, a nation that has partially
scratched an 18-year itch at EuroBasket 2013, find themselves clashing
in the most particular game of the entire tournament on Sunday. It is,
as the cliché goes, the only game that no one wants to play in but
neither of the two teams that actually play it want to lose it.
Croatia's motivation to win this contest is rather evident; This proud
nation had not reached the semi-final stage since EuroBasket 1995 and
now have a shot at the bronze medal. In 1995, incidentally, Croatia
defeated Greece 73-68 to take the third spot on the podium. Read more here.
September 21, 2013 - Classification games for 5th to 8th place
Hosts end EuroBasket campaign on a high
EuroBasket
2013 hosts Slovenia overcame a slow start on Saturday and held off
Ukraine late to clinch a 69-63 victory and finish their home tournament
in fifth place. Goran Dragic provided the hosts with an inexhaustible
energy source and Ukraine with a constant headache. The Slovenian point
guard finished with a game-high 19 points and dished out four assists
along with seven rebounds. Ukraine only shot the ball at 32% from the
floor until the final quarter, and only 10 of their points came from
inside the paint during the first 30 minutes. Slovenia controlled the
glass and out-rebounded their guests 48 to 34, scoring 20 second-chance
points. Read more here.
Serbia claim last ticket to Spain
Serbia
finished their EuroBasket 2013 campaign on a high note by beating Italy
76-64 to capture seventh place in the tournament while also securing a
spot at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Serbian big man Nenad
Krstic proved too much inside as he picked up 17 points and four
rebounds. Serbia shot 50% from the field while holding Italy to just
35.7%. The Serbs also out-rebounded the Italians 42-26. Italy had
finally gotten the deficit to eight points at 62-54 when Nenad Krstic's
big basket was followed by back-to-back three-pointers by Nikola
Kalinic and Stefan Markovic to re-establish a 16-point lead - 70-54 -
with three minutes left. Read more here.
Day before big Final at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia,
it is time for classification games for 5th to 8th place in Ljubljana,
Slovenia. In first game at 17.30 CET, Serbia and Italy will fight for
7th place and last spot for FIBA World Cup 2014 in Spain. At 21.00 CET,
hosts Slovenia will face Ukraine for 5th position. No doubt that
Ukraine is the biggest surprise at this EuroBasket, and will be
interesting to see if they are able to defeat Slovenia in probably
crowded Stozice Arena in Ljubljana.
Serbia vs. Italy 76-64 - Stats
Slovenia vs. Ukraine 69-63 - Stats
September 20, 2013 - Semifinals
France break spell in epic Semi-Final
France
came back from 14 points down to finally defeat their nemesis, reigning
European champions Spain, 75-72 after overtime in a semi-final clash
for the ages in Ljubljana on Friday. Tony Parker was sublime all night
and France kept believing even after a disastrous first half. He
finished with a game-high 32 points and is now the second-leading
scorer in the history of EuroBasket. There was little to separate the
two giants on Friday, but France managed to get a slight edge on the
glass as they out-rebounded Spain 40 to 36 and also went 14-for-17 from
the free throw line, keeping their calm even in the overtime clutch.
Read more here.
Lithuania book spot in Final
Lithuania
are in the EuroBasket final for the fifth time - and first since the
2003 title - knocking off Croatia 77-62 and set up a date with either
Spain or France to decide ultimate EuroBasket 2013 glory. Croatia will
fight for their third bronze medal after 1993 and 1995. Jonas Maciulis
collected 23 points including four three-pointers as well as six
rebounds and provided some tough defence on Croatia's wing players.
Lithuania held Croatia to 35.4% shooting for the game including 15%
from long range while committing just 10 turnovers in the game. Croatia
went 1-for-15 from the field in the third quarter. Read more here.
Ukraine down Italy to make history
Ukraine
coped better with fatigue on Friday in Ljubljana to defeat Italy 66-58,
earn a place in the game for 5th place at EuroBasket 2013 and secure
their first ever participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Eugene
Jeter provided Ukraine with a pair of safe hands all night and finished
with a game-high 20 points and a team-high four assists. Italy
out-rebounded Ukraine 44 to 40 but as fatigue started to take its toll
in the second half, their field goal percentage dropped from 44% to 32%
at the final buzzer. Ukraine meanwhile shot poorly at the start but
finished on an excellent 46% from two-point range, scoring 22 points in
the paint to Italy's 10. Read more here.
Time for Semifinal action at EuroBasket 2013.
Yesterday, two more teams qualified for Semifinal action, Croatia and
Lithuania. They will join Spain and France in fight for medals. In
first game yesterday, Croatia wins over Ukraine 84-72, and saved some
energy for Semifinal. In second game yesterday, Lithuania wins over
Italy in great game.
Lithuania vs. Croatia preview
While winning Thursday at the
quarter-final stage meant a lot for both Lithuania and Croatia, both
teams will have a quick turnaround of emotions as they square off with
history at stake in their semi-final showdown on Friday. Jonas
Kazlauskas' Lithuanians have looked like a changed team since losing to
Bosnia & Herzegovina in the final game of the first group stage.
After nearly being eliminated because of the defeat, the players held a
meeting and determined they cannot continue to play like they had. Read
more here.
Spain vs. France preview
It's almost unavoidable, impossible to ignore, and
required viewing for any basketball fan: Red against Blue, Spain
against France, a modern European classic, tips off in Ljubljana on
Friday night. This time, unlike their last EuroBasket clash, in 2011,
the prize at stake is not the gold medal, but the ticket to the big
final. But the main premise remains the same and it consists of France,
one of the most talented teams on the planet, chasing this elusive win
in a knock-out game over the dominant, two-time defending European
champions Spain. Read more here.
Italy vs. Ukraine 58-66 - Stats
Lithuania vs. Croatia 77-62 - Stats
Spain vs. France 72-75 - Stats
September 19, 2013 - Quarter-Finals, Day 2
Lithuania march on in Ljubljana
Lithuania
also secured a spot in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the win
and automatic qualification to EuroBasket 2015 in Ukraine. Italy will
play Ukraine in the 5-8 Classification Round. Mantas Kalnietis
collected 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists while making
eight-of-12 shots from the field to spearhead the Lithuanians.
Lithuania shot 54.5% from the field while out-rebounding Italy 38-to-25
and holding the Italians to just 44.6% from the field. Trailing 58-57
going into the fourth quarter, Lithuania racheted up their defence in
holding Italy scoreless for 5:57 minutes and going on a 15-0 run to
take control of the game. Read more here.
Croatia back in semis after 18 years
A
big second quarter in their Thursday EuroBasket 2013 quarter-final
clash with Ukraine propelled Croatia to an 84-72 victory, which marks
the nation's first appearance in the top-four of the competition since
1995. Krunoslav Simon provided Croatia with the rare commodity that
Ukraine did not have in this quarter-final, namely reliable long-range
shooting. The combo guard drilled five of his first seven three-point
attempts and finished with a game-high 23 points, adding three assists.
Ukraine, the most trigger-happy side among all quarter-finalists, with
almost 25 three-point attempts-per-game, had a dreadful shooting night
on Thursday and went 3-for-22 from downtown. Read more here.
Hosts make quick turnaround for win
EuroBasket
2013 hosts Slovenia bounced back from their disappointing quarter-final
loss to France to ease past Serbia 92-74 and move into the fifth-place
game while also qualifying for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Additionally, the Slovenes now earn direct qualification to EuroBasket
2015 in Ukraine. Zoran Dragic stole the keys to the Slovenian motor
from his brother Goran and led the home side's attack with 23 points to
go along with nine rebounds and two steals. Serbia made just one field
goal in Slovenia's 28-4 run and the hosts held Serbia to just 37.5%
shooting for the game including just 2-for-18 (11.1%) from long range.
Slovenia hit 41.4% of their shots overall and 40.7% from beyond the
three-point stripe. Read more here.
After Day 1 of Quarter-Finals at EuroBasket 2013 in
Slovenia, we have first two semifinalists, Spain and France. In first
game yesterday, Spain demolished Serbia with result 90-60 as they
dominated in all segments of the game. Serbia had no chances at all,
especially as they looked pretty confused in this game. In second game
yesterday, France wins over Slovenia in interesting game and booked its
ticket for semifinals. Today, at 17.45 CET, Croatia will meet Ukraine
and at 21.00 CET, Lithuania will fight against Italy. In meantime,
yesterday's losers, Serbia and Slovenia, will play game for 5th to 8th
position.
Serbia vs. Slovenia 74-92 - Stats Croatia vs. Ukraine 84-72 - Stats
Lithuania vs. Italy 81-77 - Stats
September 18, 2013 - Quarter-Finals, Day 1
France break home town dreams
France
will have a chance for revenge of the EuroBasket 2011 final as they
knocked off hosts Slovenia 72-62 to reach the semi-finals of EuroBasket
2013 and a match-up against reigning champions Spain. France also
booked a spot in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the victory.
Tony Parker took France upon his back and would not let his team down
in scoring 27 points including eight-of-nine free throws. France made
17-of-23 free throws compared to just 10-of-12 for Slovenia while
out-rebounding the home side 46-to-39 and holding Slovenia to 24% from
three-point range in the game. Read more here.
Imperial Spain roll past Serbia
Reigning
champions Spain looked at their very best on Wednesday in Ljubljana as
they outclassed a youthful Serbia 90-60 to clinch the first semi-final
berth at EuroBasket 2013. Spain led 48-23 at half-time largely because
of Rodriguez's 14 points and three assists in the second quarter, but
Rudy Fernandez was the man to set the pace early on as he went
three-for-three from three-point range and scored 13 points in Spain's
sublime opening quarter - he finished with 19 points and four rebounds.
Spain were simply dominant across all statistical categories, but the
most telling figure of Serbia's woes was their 38% field goal
percentage, as they were denied open looks throughout the encounter.
Read more here.
Real action will start today at EuroBasket 2013 in
Slovenia as two quarter-finals games are scheduled for today. Fight for
medals, but also fight for 6 positions which will book tickets for FIBA
World Championship 2014 in Spain. First game today, at 17.30 CET, clash
between Serbia and Spain. It will be interesting if young players of
coach Dusan Ivkovic will be bale to surprise Spain. At 21.00 CET, hosts
Slovenia will meet France.
Serbia vs. Spain preview
The Serbia (5-3) vs. Spain (5-3) fixture tends to
become a modern EuroBasket classic, as the two nations clashed on three
occasions in the previous two editions of the tournament, including of
course the EuroBasket 2009 final in Poland. The Wednesday quarter-final
encounter however brings two novelties to the table, mainly of interest
to basketball aficionados and historians. Read more here.
Game between Serbia and Spain starta at 17.30 CET. Watch LIVE.
Slovenia vs. France preview
It's the hosts against one of the two big favorites
for a spot in the semi-finals - and an automatic berth at the 2014 FIBA
Basketball World Cup. Both teams have played a bit up and down thus far
in EuroBasket 2013, though the French have been more worrisome with
their roller-coaster ride - suffering losses to Germany, Lithuania and
Serbia. Read more here.
Game between Slovenia and France start at 21.00 CET. Watch LIVE.
Serbia vs. Spain 60-90 - Stats
Slovenia vs. France 62-72 - Stats
September 16, 2013 - Second Round, Day 6
Finland take sweet victory for the road
Finland
were sublime from long range and solid defensively on Monday to bid
farewell to EuroBasket 2013 by defeating hosts Slovenia 92-76, in the
Group F clash that concluded Second Round action. Mikko Koivisto's
shooting was as sharp as a knife during stretches, but big man Gerald
Lee was a real rock inside for the Finns on both ends of the floor and
finished with 17 points on seven-for-eight shooting from the floor,
adding six rebounds and two assists. Finland hit 12 of their first 23
three-point attempts (an amazing 52.2%) and by the time their accuracy
behind the three-point line started to drop somewhat, Slovenia were
already left with a mountain to climb and very little time. Read more here.
Italy fight back, stun Spain in overtime
Italy
abolished a 12-point early lead, trailed by as many as 15 points in the
fourth, but came back to force overtime and claim a famous 86-81 win
over Spain on Monday, securing third spot in Group F. Pietro Aradori
scored nine points in the final seven minutes of regulation to propel
the Italian comeback, but Gentile, the youngest player on the floor,
finished with a team-high 25 points on 11-for-11 free throw shooting.
They overshadowed Marc Gasol, who picked up an international
career-high and tournament-high 32 points and added 10 rebounds. Italy,
the smallest team in the tournament in terms of size, out-rebounded
Spain 48-38 and made up for their 17 turnovers by shooting 58.5% from
two-point range. Read more here.
Croatia prevail in Greek double overtime drama
Croatia
edged out Greece 92-88 after double overtime in a clash that featured
18 lead changes and saw the scores tied on 19 occasions, to clinch top
spot in Group F and terminate the Hellenic side's EuroBasket 2013
campaign in the process. Bogdanovic struggled to find open looks and
only had nine points during regulation, but drilled a triple 25 seconds
from the end of first overtime to tie the scores at 77, and collected
eight crucial points during the second extra period. Croatia were
guilty of committing 18 turnovers, 17 of those in regulation, but
out-rebounded Greece 54-to-42 and their excellent defence kept the
Greeks to just 35.1% shooting from the floor throughout the 50 minutes
of the encounter. Read more here.
Last day in Second Round at EuroBasket 2013 in
Slovenia. Today, we will find out another four teams that will compete
in Quarter-finals. So far, Serbia, Lithuania, France and Ukraine booked
its tickets for Quarter-finals.
Here is the schedule for Second Round, Day 6
Croatia vs. Greece 92-88 - Stats
Italy vs. Spain 86-81 - Stats
Finland vs. Slovenia 92-76 - Stats
September 15, 2013 - Second Round, Day 5
Serbia clinch Group E honours
Serbia
secured the top spot in Group E of EuroBasket 2013 after knocking off
France 77-65. Finishing behind Serbia were Lithuania in second spot in
the group, followed by France and Ukraine. Nenad Krstic collected 19
points as well as four rebounds and four assists for the winning Serbs.
Serbia shot 50% from the field while holding the number one offence in
the competition to 65 points and 38.7% shooting, allowing them to
survive making just 10-of-21 free throws (47.6%). France had reeled off
seven straight points to cut a 12-point Serbia lead to five at 50-45
when Nemanja Nedovic nailed the first of two three-pointers in the
final three minutes of the third quarter in helping push the lead back
to 60-51 after three periods. Read more here.
Lithuania stave off Ukraine
Lithuania
secured first place in Group E by knocking off Ukraine 70-63, who will
also be joining Lithuania in the quarter-finals despite the loss. Linas
Kleiza collected 15 points as well as five rebounds and two steals in
leading Lithuania's charge. Lithuania grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and
only turned over the ball nine times. Ukraine had fought back to within
64-63 with just more than a minute left when Linas Kleiza nailed a
three-pointer. Maxym Korniyenko and Sergii Gladyr both missed
three-point attempts and then Ukraine had a five second in-bounds
turnover with 25 seconds left. Read more here.
Belgium break Latvian hopes
Already-eliminated
Belgium picked up their first victory in the Second Round of Group E by
beating Latvia 60-56 and spoiling Latvia's chances of advancing to the
quarter-finals. "It's a very simple thing. It's one thing we want to
send to everyone in Europe. We give a lot of respect to Europe and
hopefully with this kind of win we can get some respect [back]," said
Belgium coach Eddy Casteels, whose team will finish fifth in Group E
with a 1-4 record. "We can be satisfied. We are proud to finish in the
top 12 and finish with a victory over Latvia," added Axel Hervelle.
Sacha Massot led Belgium with 14 points while also collecting four
rebounds and three blocks. Read more here.
It was another one great day at EuroBasket 2013 in
Slovenia. In first game yesterday, Croatia topped Italy in fantastic
second half. Spain expectedly demolished Finland, and in last game
yesterday, hosts Slovenia wins over Greece. Three more games in today's
programme. At 14.30 CET, Latvia will meet Belgium, at 17.45 CET,
Ukraine and Lithuania will play, and finally at 21.00 CET Game of the
day, Serbia vs. France.
Here is the schedule for Second Round, Day 5
Latvia vs. Belgium 56-60 - Stats
Ukraine vs. Lithuania 63-70 - Stats
Serbia vs. France 77-65 - Stats
September 14, 2013 - Second Round, Day 4
Dragic turns on Style, Slovenia advance
Goran
Dragic delivered on Saturday his best EuroBasket 2013 display so far,
collecting 28 points as hosts Slovenia held off Greece 73-65 to secure
a quarter-final berth. Greece claimed their second and last lead in the
game, 4-3, on Spanoulis' fourth point after approximately one minute of
action. The 31-year-old Greek star would go on to score only a further
three points in the entire first half. "We closed the paint and stopped
Spanoulis," Slovenia guard Domen Lorbek said after the game. "I think
[Nebojsa] Joksimovic did a great job on him, we managed to lower his
percentages and that was a key to the game, together with the
rebounds." Read more here.
Spain back on track with Finland win
Spain
recovered from their loss on the opening day of Group F action by
keeping a lid on gutsy Finland and picking up an 82-56 win, their first
in EuroBasket 2013 Second Round. Jose Calderon put on his shooting
guard hat once more in this tournament and provided Spain with a safe
scoring option from downtown, finishing with a game-high 23 points on a
brilliant five-for-seven from behind the arc whilst adding five
assists. The two teams committed an equal number of turnovers (12)
during the first 30 minutes but while Spain punished the Finns by
scoring 18 points from them, Finland only got six points. Spain also
dominated the boards and scored 20 second chance points compared to
Finland's four. Read more here.
Croatia in Quarters with total recall
Croatia
outscored Italy 26-9 in the third quarter to turn around the tables on
their Group F Saturday clash and then held out for a 76-68 win, their
sixth consecutive at EuroBasket 2013, which secures them a spot in the
quarter-finals. Italy's game plan to stretch the floor on offence and
collapse inside on defence worked wonders during the first quarter of
Saturday's early clash at Stozice Arena in Ljubljana. Croatia seemed
unable to hit any shot from any range, went 22% from the floor during
the first ten minutes and Luigi Datome sunk a triple at the end of
Italy's 24-second possession with 1:17 on the clock to give his team a
17-8 lead after the opening period. Read more here.
Day 3 is behind us, day full of interesting games.
In first game yesterday, Lithuania destroyed Belgium, If you ask me,
unexpectedly, Ukraine prepared surprise to Serbia and finally France
wins over Latvia in last game of yesterday's programme. Three games
today, action start at 14.30 CET with clash between Croatia and Italy.
At 17.45 CET, Spain will face Finland, and in last game today at 21.00
CET, game of the day, Greece against hosts Slovenia.
Here is the schedule for Second Round, Day 4
Croatia vs. Italy 76-68 - Stats
Spain vs. Finland 82-56 - Stats
Greece vs. Slovenia 65-73 - Stats
September 13, 2013 - Second Round, Day 3
France hold off Latvia rally
France
booked a spot in the quarter-finals of EuroBasket 2013 by knocking off
Latvia to improve to 3-1 in the Second Round Group E. Alexis Ajinca was
too much for the Latvians to handle inside with 25 points, five
rebounds and three blocks. France shot 87.5% from the field for the
game while out-rebounding Latvia 35-23 and hitting 90.5% from the free
throw line. France had led by 22 points in the third quarter and
watched Latvia cut the gap to nine points when Latvia's Armands Skele
missed a layup which could have made it a seven-point game. In the run
back down court, the Latvia bench was hit with a technical foul and
Tony Parker's two free throws established a double-digit lead. Read
more here.
Ukraine back with a vengeance
Ukraine
kept alive their chances of reaching the quarter-finals of EuroBasket
2013 by handing Serbia their first loss in Second Round Group E with an
82-75 victory over the Serbs to improve to 2-2. Serbia drop to 3-1.
Even though Maxym Korniyenko did so much for Ukraine, the hero was Pooh
Jeter, who nailed a number of huge shots in scoring 20 points to go
with four assists. Ukraine shot 46.8% for the game from two-point range
and held Serbia to 42.9% from inside the three-point stripe. Ukraine
also only turned the ball over seven times. Serbia shot themselves in
the foot by making just 12 of 24 free throws (50%). Read more here.
Lithuania pick apart Belgium
All
12 players played their part for Lithuania as they rolled past Belgium
86-67 to put them on the doorstep of the EuroBasket 2013 quarter-finals
with a 3-1 record in Group E. Jonas Valanciunas was unstoppable in the
post for Lithuania in collecting 12 points, 10 rebounds in less than 13
minutes of action. Lithuania held Belgium to 39% shooting for the game
while out-rebounding them 43-30. They also showed their depth with all
12 players on their roster registering on the score-sheet. Belgium were
leading 12-11 with two minutes left in the first quarter when Lithuania
went on a 12-0 run over the next 4:44 minutes to take control of the
game. Read more here.
Yesterday, Croatia demolished Finland 88-63, Greece
in fantastic game surprised Spain 79-75, and finally, Slovenia topped
Italy 84-77. Three more games today, first at 14.30 CET Lithuania vs.
Belgium, at 17.45 CET Ukraine vs. Serbia and at 21.00 CET France vs.
Latvia.
Here is the schedule for Second Round, Day 3
Lithuania vs. Belgium 86-67 - Stats
Ukraine vs. Serbia 82-75 - Stats
France vs. Latvia 102-91 - Stats
September 12, 2013 - Second Round, Day 2
Slovenia end Italy's unbeaten run
EuroBasket
2013 hosts Slovenia held off Italy on Thursday to inflict upon the
Azzurri their first loss in the tournament, 84-77, in the opening game
for both teams in Second Round Group F. While Slovenia's win was
largely an outcome of their superiority in the paint, it was a winger,
Zoran Dragic, who provided much-needed energy sparks throughout the
night for his team, playing excellent defence and collecting a
game-high 11 rebounds to go with his 15 points. Italy were an almost
excellent 10-for-21 from three-point range, but Slovenia out-rebounded
them 45-to-28. Slovenia's 15 offensive rebounds produced 17
second-chance points and the hosts got 46 points from inside the paint.
Read more here.
Greek plan stuns Spain
Greece
have stayed alive and kicking in the battle for a spot in the
quarter-finals by clinching a hard-fought 79-75 victory over reigning
European champions Spain in their first game in Group F. Greece had to
come from behind in the second and fourth quarters and Vassilis
Spanoulis was the player to spearhead the charge both times. His impact
during those stretches fully made up for his discreet showing in the
first and third frames, as he finished the game with a team-high 20
points and added three assists and four rebounds. Read more here.
Dominant Croatia breeze past Finland
Croatia
closed down all lanes to their basket during long stretches, were
dominant on the glass for 40 minutes and subsequently picked up a
comfortable 88-63 win over Finland in the opening game of Group F on
Thursday. Croatia's aerial supremacy is largely down to Damir Markota,
who had nine rebounds in less than 10 minutes of play in the first half
and finished with a game-high 11 rebounds to go with his four points.
But Damjan Rudez came off the bench midway through the first quarter,
when Croatia, at that stage, had scored all eight of their points from
offensive rebounds, and hit two quick triples to provide the only thing
this excellent defensive side were missing, offensive fluidity. Read
more here.
Day 2 of Second Round at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia
will bring us three more great games. At 14.30 CET, Finland will meet
Croatia and it will be interesting to see if Finland is able to
continue with good games.
Here is the schedule for Second Round, Day 2
Finland vs. Croatia 63-88 - Stats
Greece vs. Spain 79-75 - Stats
Slovenia vs. Italy 84-77 - Stats
September 11, 2013 - Second Round, Day 1
Lithuania bring "A" game to Ljubljana
Lithuania
jumped into second place in Group E of the Second Round of EuroBasket
2013 by knocking off France 76-62. Linas Kleiza not only hit some big
shots in scoring 11 points with two three-pointers but the Lithuanian
star also added seven rebounds and three assists, finishing with a +/-
of +20. France came into the game as the competition's leading scorers
but were held to 62 points, well below their 80.6 points-per-game
average. Lithuania played superb perimeter defence, holding France to
just 23.8% shooting from three-point range. Read more here.
Serbia hold off determined Belgians
Serbia
took a big step to reaching the quarter-finals of EuroBasket 2013 with
a hard-fought 76-69 win over Belgium in Group E of the Second Round.
Nenad Krstic played a huge role in Serbia's win by collecting 17
points, two rebounds, five assists, two blocks and 10 fouls drawn.
Serbia out-rebounded Belgium 37-27and out-shoot them 50% to 42.6% from
the field. Belgium had gone on an 11-2 run to take a 51-48 lead late in
the third quarter before Serbia finally picked up their offence with a
13-1 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to seize back the
momentum of the contest. Read more here.
Latvia blast Ukraine
Latvia
continued their solid campaign at EuroBasket 2013 with an 85-51 victory
over Ukraine in their first game in Group E to improve their record to
1-2. Kristaps Janicenoks hit a triple right away in the first quarter
to set an example for the rest of the Latvian shooters as he drained
four triples on four attempts for 14 points in less than 22 minutes
playing time. Latvia made 15 of 29 three-pointers (51.7%) while also
holding Ukraine to 29.5% shooting from the field, including 3-of-16
from long range (18.8%). Latvia also out-rebounded Ukraine 40-34. Read
more here.
Here we are. After one day-off, it is time for the
next round at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia. After first round, 12 teams
qualified to second round and will continue competition. It was real
joy to watch games in first round, and hopefully we will enjoy in
second round as well.
Here is the schedule for Second Round, Day 1
Latvia vs. Ukraine 85-51 - Stats
Belgium vs. Serbia 69-76 - Stats
Lithuania vs. France 76-62 - Stats
September 9, 2013 - Day 6
Poland return home with a win
Poland finally showed
glimpses of their true potential on Sunday and short-circuited hosts
Slovenia to claim their first victory at EuroBasket 2013, 71-61, on the
final day of action in Group C. Kelati was simply unstoppable from the
perimeter, finishing with 21 points on 5-for-7 three-point shooting
while Slovenia had trouble handling the inside presence of the rock
solid Marcin Gortat, who collected a double-double of 19 points and 12
rebounds. Poland were smooth as silk on offence, dishing out a
collective 17 assists to Slovenia's eight, went 11-for-25 from beyond
the three-point arc and punished severely Slovenia's turnovers, scoring
16 points off of them. Read more here.
Russia leave Slovenia positively
Russia finished their
disappointing EuroBasket 2013 campaign with their first victory as they
beat Turkey 89-77 to finish Group D action in Koper with a 1-4 record.
Sergey Karasev collected 25 points and five rebounds to lead the
Russian attack. This was a tight showdown all-around, also stats-wise.
But Russia out-shot Turkey 51.6% to 48.3% from the field and 40% to
33.3% from long range. Russia also shared the ball better with 20
assists to 15 for Turkey. Read more here.
Montenegro claim consolation victory
Montenegro took out a
hard-fought 83-76 win against a cautious Serbia in Jesenice on Monday
night, their second win after three straight losses. In a true team
effort featuring nine guys to score five or more points, Montenegro's
game hero goes to Rice for his momentum shifting fourth quarter and
team-high 12 points. Montenegro took full advantage of the absence of
Nenad Krstic, dominating the points in the paint tally 52-38. Read more
here.
French rally leaves Lions mauled
France claimed first
place in Group A at EuroBasket 2013 after rallying from an improbable
15-point deficit in the third period to defeat Belgium 82-65 on Monday.
The Lions, who had earlier secured their place in the second round
along with the French and Ukraine, looked poised to steal a famous
victory in Ljubljana. But Tony Parker and Nando de Colo, teammates for
club and country, lifted Les Bleus out of the depth and they rolled
clear. Read more here.
Germany crush Israel hopes
Germany signed off at
EuroBasket 2013 in impressive style, defeating Israel 80-76 as both
teams exited the championship at the end of the First Round. The result
ensured that it will be Belgium who join France and Ukraine in
advancing from Group A with the Israelis denied the win which might
have kept their own hopes intact. In the first quarter, Israel shot a
creditable 8-of-15. In the second, 4-of-19. Germany were much more
physical in the paint and if they had executed this well in every game,
they would surely have gone to the Second Round. Read more here.
Croatia suffocate Czechs to qualify
Croatia produced a
powerful defensive display in the second half to defeat the Czech
Republic 70-53 on Monday, in the clash that determined the recipient of
the last ticket to the EuroBasket Second Round from Group C. With their
solid defensive plan producing results by the third quarter, Croatia
needed an offensive punch in the final period to kill off the game and
Dario Saric provided just that as he sunk two big triples and scored
eight of his 11 points in the clutch, also adding five rebounds. Both
sides were shooting on 42% from the floor at half-time, but Croatia's
field goal percentage surged to 48% by the end of the game, while the
Czechs dropped to 37% as they were denied their transition game. Read
more here.
Italy end First Round perfect
Italy finished off
First Round play at EuroBasket 2013 with a perfect 5-0 record in Group
D by knocking off Sweden 82-79 in Koper. Alessandro Gentile collected
19 points, five assists and three steals in leading Italy to the
victory. Italy shot 52.6% from the field including 63.3% from long
range while holding Sweden to 33.3% on three-pointers. Sweden were
leading 63-56 late in the third quarter when Italy went on a 14-0 run
spanning the final two periods to grab a 70-63 advantage. Read more here.
Lithuania lose, still advance
Bosnia
and Herzegovina showed big heart on Monday to come within a whisker of
achieving the unthinkable, but ultimately came up short, defeating
Lithuania 78-72, four points short of the magic margin of 10 required.
Linas Kleiza is one of the biggest names in a stacked Lithuanian line
up, showing why on Monday with his ice-cold demeanour at the death,
finishing with a tournament personal-best of 20 points. Had it been any
other game then this honour would be going to Mirza Teletovic who had
31 points and seven rebounds in a winning, albeit in vein, effort.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has limited depth, a key factor in them not
continuing their stay in Slovenia, with their bench only offering up
six points. Read more here.
One way traffic as Ukraine advance
Ukraine rolled into the
Second Round of EuroBasket, producing an emphatic performance when it
mattered most to defeat Great Britain 87-68 in Ljubljana on Monday.
Mike Fratello. The American tactician has taken a team of outsiders to
a result few outside of the immediate set up would have imagined
possible. He has built a team that believes in his systems exemplified
by eight players scoring eight or more points in the win. Ukraine were
monstrous in the paint, outscoring the Brits 40-16. Read more here.
Spain conclude First Round on high note
A
free-flowing Spain prevailed 83-59 over Georgia on the final day of
Group C action in Celje and will continue their EuroBasket 2013
campaign on a high note. Ricky Rubio played his most complete game in
Slovenia so far, always on the look out to initiate a play in
transition and even trusting his long-range shot more than usual. The
young Spanish point guard finished with 16 points, five rebounds and
three assists. Spain wasted very few opportunities to run in the open
floor, scoring 33 easy points on the fast-break. Georgia scored four
points in transition in the entire game, all in the final minute, and
had to fight for every basket in five-on-five play. Read more here.
Finland shock Greece
Finland will take a 1-1
record into the Second Round of EuroBasket 2013 after they beat Greece
86-77 to claim second place in Group D in Koper. Petteri Koponen
stepped up his game by scoring 29 points, including five triples on
5-for-7 shooting, while also collecting three assists. Finland shot
50.9% for the game and held Greece to 4-from-24 from long range. Read
more here.
Latvia sail into Second Round
A
76-66 win over F.Y.R of Macedonia on Monday in Jesenice propelled
Latvia into the Second Round of EuroBasket 2013, eliminating the F.Y.R
of Macedonia in the process. A near double-double from power forward
Kaspars Berzins carried Latvia to a commanding early lead. Berzins
scored at the ring, rebounded and hit an impressive three threes.
Latvia built a big first half lead by moving away from the three-point
focused offence that averaged 26.5 attempts over the first four games,
opting instead to attack at the ring as the first priority. They
attempted just five threes in the first half and took a 22-point in the
paint scoring advantage. Read more here.
Today is the last day of Round 1 at EuroBasket 2013
in SLovenia. After four played games at competition, only Italy is
still undefeated. Poland and Russia are still winless. It will be very
interesting today, to see who will qualify to next round and at same
time to see who will finish its competition and travel home.
Here is the schedule for Day 6
Great Britain vs. Ukraine 68-87 - Stats
Latva vs. F.Y.R. of Macedonia 76-66 - Stats
Georgia vs. Spain 59-83 - Stats
Greece vs. Finland 77-86 - Stats
Germany vs. Israel 80-76 - Stats
Lithuania vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 72-78 - Stats
Croatia vs. Czech Republic 70-53 - Stats
Italy vs. Sweden 82-79 - Stats
Belgium vs. France 65-82 - Stats
Montenegro vs. Serbia 83-76 - Stats
Slovenia vs. Poland 61-71 - Stats
Turkey vs. Russia 77-89 - Stats
September 8, 2013 - Day 5
Die-Hard Croatia down hosts in overtime derby
Croatia
overturned a 13-point third-quarter deficit and prevailed 76-74 in
overtime over their neighbours Slovenia, inflicting a first loss in
four games on the EuroBasket 2013 hosts. Although it's hard to argue
against Rudez's amazing impact in overtime and Bojan Bogdanovic's
game-high 24 points, Ante Tomic was a towering presence under the
basket and collected 15 good-as-gold rebounds. Slovenia were 2-for-14
from beyond the three-point arc during the final quarter and overtime
against Croatia's defence, shooting 27% in the entire 45 minutes of
play. Croatia had just two turnovers in regulation and would not have
come back from 13 points down in the third if they were not so careful
with the ball. Read more here.
Lithuania bump Montenegro out in overtime
Lithuania
claimed a third straight win in Group B, defeating Montenegro 77-70 in
overtime in Jesenice on Sunday to eliminate Montenegro from Second
Round contention. Ksistof Lavrinovic had appeared in just two games for
a total of two points heading into the Montenegro clash. After
receiving the start from coach Jonas Kazlauskas, he eclipsed that mark
in the first quarter alone before knocking down a number of huge fourth
quarter jump shots. He finished with 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting and
three-for-four from downtown. Sloppy passes accounted for many of
Montenegro's 14 turnovers, leading to 16 easy points for Lithunania.
Read more here.
Turkey win, but too late
Having already been
eliminated from the Second Round before the start of the game, Turkey
saved some face by beating Sweden 87-74 for their first victory in
Group D of EuroBasket 2013 in Koper. Kerem Gönlüm collected 19 points,
six rebounds and two assists in leading the Turkish effort. Turkey held
the Swedes to 26.3% from long range while hitting 45% of their threes.
The Turks moved the ball very good with 22 assists while also snatching
12 steals. Read more here.
Israel are staying alive
Israel secured their
first victory at EuroBasket 2013, defeating Belgium 87-69 in Ljubljana
to ensure they will go into the final day's play in the first round
with at least a slender hope of progressing from Group A. A torrid
third quarter spell tamed the Lions, who were out-scored 25-7 in a
high-octane stretch with Afik Nissim the ringmaster of their circus.
However both will have to re-group and re-focus for Monday with only
Germany already eliminated from contention among the six teams in the
pool. Read more here.
Parker propels France past Ukraine
Tony Parker's late show
broke Ukraine's resistance and propelled France to a 77-71 victory on
Sunday that puts them on the brink of qualifying for the Second Round
of EuroBasket 2013. In the first three quarters, Parker had 13 points
on 5-for-10 shooting. In the fourth, he had 15 points on 6-for-8. Et
voila. Parker was stellar, scoring a game-high 28 points, and most
critically pressing the ignition button to send Les Bleus out of reach.
Read more here.
Czechs outrun Georgia in survival race
The Czech Republic
established a frenetic pace on their Sunday clash with Georgia to win
95-79, keep intact their hopes for qualification from Group C and
eliminate the Georgians from contention in the process. Georgia were
facing on Sunday at Celje Arena a team that only converted 18.9% of
their shots from three-point range throughout their first three games
in a tournament, and starting off the game by defending in zone seems
like a very rational approach in such a case. But when Satoransky
beamed the ball down the court to Pavel Pumprla in the first Czech
fast-break of the night and the winger dunked to bring his team up 9-6
midway through the first quarter, it all started going wrong for
Georgia. Read more here.
Krstic leads Serbia over Latvia
Serbia
outlasted a second half push by Latvia to run out 80-71 winners for
their third win of the tournament in Jesenice on Sunday. Nenad Krstic's
13-point first quarter carried Serbia through the second and third
quarters when their offensive production dried up. He scored a number
of critical fourth quarter baskets and stole a pass in the post in the
final two minutes to ensure the win. He finished with a game-high 25
points alongside five rebounds. The Serbians offset everything Latvia
did by establishing their offence in the paint, outscoring Latvia 24-10
in the first half and 36-20 for the game. Read more here.
Italy make it four-from-four in Koper
Italy secured first
place in Group D of EuroBasket 2013 by knocking off Greece 81-72 in a
battle of the previously undefeated teams in Koper. Marco Belinelli was
Italy's man for all occasions in collecting 23 points, seven rebounds,
three assists and three steals. Italy took care of the ball and
committed just five turnovers in the game to win despite being
out-rebounded 33-24. Read more here.
Finland get up in second overtime
Finland booked a spot
in the second round of a EuroBasket for the second time in history by
knocking off Russia 86-83 in double overtime to improve to 3-1 in Group
D in Koper. Finland's Hanno Möttölä scored 12 points including two free
throws with 3.5 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and a big
triple in the second extra session. Finland held Russia to 17% shooting
from long range while also grabbing 19 offensive rebounds. The Finns
won despite shooting 30% from the field. Read more here.
Two in a row for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia
and Herzegovina kept their Second Round hopes well and truly alive with
a 62-54 win over F.Y.R of Macedonia in Jesenice on Sunday. Nihad
Djedovic was huge in the second half, scoring 12 of his 20 points after
the major break to lead Bosnia and Herzegovina to an inspiring win.
Bosnia and Herzegovina committed seven more turnovers than their
opponents, leading to 14 easy points for F.Y.R of Macedonia, but their
five from seven start to begin the last quarter was all they needed for
the win. Read more here.
Great Britain on verge of second round
Joe Prunty has taken
Great Britain to the edge of one the biggest achievements in the Isle's
basketball history, following their 81-74 victory over Germany on
Sunday afternoon. Lawrence ended with a game-high 23 points, but his
performance was trumped by the all-round showing of Myles Hesson who
finished with 21 points and 11 boards - seven of them on the offensive
glass. Germany failed to respect the ball, giving up 15 turnovers which
translated into 19 British points. Meanwhile, the Brits only gave up
six points due to poor ball handling. Read more here.
Merciless Spain pile on Polish misery
Spain
put one foot in the EuroBasket 2013 Second Round on Sunday on the back
of an unforgiving 89-53 display against Poland, the second-biggest
margin ever in clashes between these two big European nations. Poland
have not enjoyed medal success at EuroBasket since 1967, but reigning
EuroBasket champions Spain have always considered the Polish national
team as a competitive rival who asks tough questions of them. Such was
not the case on Sunday afternoon at Celje Arena though, as Spain picked
up their third win in Group C over the disappointed by their early exit
from the Eurobasket Poles. Read more here.
After three played games so far at EuroBasket 2013
in Slovenia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Greece and Italy are still undefeated.
Israel, Poland, Russia and Turkey still have no idea what win means,
they are still winless. If you see that Ukraine is undefeated, and
Israel, Russia, Turkey winless, it is obvious that this Championship
already brought so many surprises. It is expected that there will be
more surprises and good and interesting games as well, as we approach
to second stage of competition.
Here is the schedule for Day 5
Great Britain vs. Germany 81-74 - Stats
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. F.Y.R. of Macedonia 62-54 - Stats
Poland vs. Spain 53-89 - Stats
Finland vs. Russia 86-83 - Stats
Ukraine vs. France 71-77 - Stats
Serbia vs. Latvia 80-71 - Stats
CzechRepublic vs. Georgia 95-79 - Stats
Greece vs. Italy 72-81 - Stats
Israel vs. Belgium 87-69 - Stats
Lithuania vs. Montenegro 77-70 - Stats
Slovenia vs. Croatia 74-76 - Stats
Sweden vs. Turkey 74-87 - Stats
September 7, 2013 - Day 4
Slovenia grind out Third victory
In one of the most
engaging games ever to only feature a single lead change, EuroBasket
hosts Slovenia denied a gutsy Georgia 72-68 on Saturday and maintained
their perfect record in Group C. Domen Lorbek was the instigator of the
Slovenian second-quarter burst with 10 points on three-for-three
shooting from behind the arc, and came back in the clutch to secure the
win with some late heroics. He finished with a team-high 18 points on
five-for-nine shooting from the floor. Slovenia hit six three-pointers
in a row during that crucial seven-minute stretch in the second
quarter, seeng their overall field goal percentage sky-rocketing from
38% to 50%. Read more here.
Greece surge into second round
Greece confirmed a spot
in the Second Round of EuroBasket 2013 with a strong 84-61 victory over
Turkey to remain perfect at 3-0 in Group D in Koper despite missing one
of their best players in Vassilis Spanoulis. Yannis Bourousis was
unstoppable in hitting 8-of-10 shots and scoring a game-high 21 points
along with four rebounds. Greece shot 61.5% from the field including a
tremendous 66.7% from three-point range whilst also having 21 assists.
In the mean time, Turkey was held to 42.9% from the game, buoyed by a
poor 0-for-9 shooting night for Hidayet Turkoglu. Read more here.
Croatia survive scare, knock out Poles
Croatia
let slip a 20-point lead over Poland on Saturday but managed to hold on
for a 74-70 victory that keeps them in contention for a top-three
finish in Group C and eliminates the Polish team from the race.
There were long spells in the encounter at Celje Arena, such as the
opening seven minutes, as well as the first stretch of the third
quarter, that Croatia looked the best they have looked so far at
EuroBasket 2013. With three minutes remaining to the first buzzer, the
Croats, almost on demonic form, had jumped ahead 24-4. Poland, missing
in action during that spell, showed signs of life when Michal Ignerski
came off the bench and helped them start the long process of clawing
their way back into the game. Read more here.
Italy dominance continues
Italy took a huge step
to reaching the second round of EuroBasket 2013 with an impressive
62-44 victory over the previously undefeated Finland to improve to 3-0
in Group D in Koper. The Italians won with truly a team effort but
Nicolo Melli came up huge in the decisive surge in finishing with six
points, six rebounds and a block. Italy's defence held Finland to just
27.3% shooting from the field and11.5% from three-point range. The
Finns had shot 36% and 38% from long distance in their first two
victories. Read more here.
Spanish armada back on course
Spain
only gave up 9.75 points per quarter to the Czech Republic on Saturday
to clinch a 60-39 victory and steer their EuroBasket Group C campaign
back on the winning track. The reigning European champions bounced back
on Saturday at Celje Arena from their Day 2 loss to EuroBasket 2013
hosts Slovenia, but also enlightened further those embroiled in the
debate over the true identity signs of this new-look Spain. Yes, the
defending champions can play fast, but up to a point. Read more here.
Taylor gives Sweden famous win
Sweden
knocked off Russia 81-62 to collect their first victory in Group D in
Koper to stay in the running for the Second Round at EuroBasket 2013.
The win was Sweden's second in EuroBasket history, following their
triumph over Russia 100-92 in 1993. "This one game matched what we had
in our history. With one more victory in our final two games, we can
double that total. But I think the guys have the mindset to win both,
which I wouldn't mind," said Sweden coach Brad Dean. "We are learning
as we go. We made adjustments, players made adjustments. Jeff (Taylor)
and Jonas (Jerebko) played well but played within the team." Read more here.
Ukraine is still undefeated after three days of
competition and it is the biggest surprise of EuroBasket 2013 in
Slovenia so far. Bosnia and Herzegovina reached first win, as they wins
over Montenegro 76-70. F.Y.R. of Macedonia also reached their first win
as they topped Serbia 89-75 in great game.
Here is the schedule for Day 4
Spain vs. Czech Republic 60-39 - Stats
Russia vs. Sweden 62-81 - Stats
Croatia vs. Poland 74-70 - Stats
Italy vs. Finland 62-44 - Stats
Georgia vs. Slovenia 68-72 - Stats
Turkey vs. Greece 61-84 - Stats
September 6, 2013 - Day 3
F.Y.R of Macedonia claim statement win
F.Y.R of Macedonia kept their
Second Round hopes alive by defeating the previously unbeaten Serbia
89-75 on Friday night in Jesenice. Bo McCalebb scored a game-high 27
points, but the tireless hustle of 36-year-old Gechevski in F.Y.R of
Macedonia's match-winning first half deserves an honourable mention.
The veteran contributed nine points and nine rebounds whilst also
playing tough, gritty defence. F.Y.R of Macedonia's win was
characterised by effort and energy- their much smaller front court
still managed out-rebound Serbia 48-36. Read more here.
France hit their straps, Israel suffer
France provided one
highlight after another on Friday as they swept past Israel 82-63 in
Ljubljana with an emphatic, and sometimes, exhilarating display. Alexis
Ajinca had a game-high 13 points but such was the dominance of Les
Bleus that coach Vincent Collet was handed the luxury of giving his
entire roster a workout, preparation perhaps for when they might be
called upon during what he hopes will be a concerted push for this
title. In command from the opening minutes, a three-pointer from Tony
Parker gave his side a 38-29 lead at half-time and it was duly extended
to as much as 22 in the third period amid a flurry of dunks and fast
breaks. Read more here.
Lions too tough to tame
Belgium have made it two wins in
two days in Ljubljana, knocking over Great Britain 76-61 to improve
their chances of making a trip to the Second Round. 34-year-old Moors
has been there before and used his old head to guide the Belgians out
of a tight situation, with his seven points in the final five taking
his tally to 11. Great Britain were 21-for-31 from the foul line and
although Belgium were 14-for-21, they came up clutch in the final
minute. Read more here.
Lithuania end Latvian streak
Lithuania prevailed in
the battle of the Baltics, defeating their persistent northern
neighbours 67-59 on Friday night. Valanciunas and Donatas Motiejunas
share honours for their interior work on both sides of the court. The
duo combined for 20 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks while anchoring
an unmoveable front line. Lithuania dominated the interior to the tune
of 34 more points in the paint and a 48-26 rebounding advantage. Read
more here.
Sergii Glad-yr as Ukraine stay perfect
Ukraine moved to the
brink of securing a spot in the second round of EuroBasket by grinding
out an 88-83 victory over Germany on Friday which maintained their
perfect start in Group A. Sergii Gladyr was instrumental as Mike
Fratello's side held off a frenetic fourth quarter rally which saw
their rivals storm back from trailing by as much as 16 late in the
third with an 18-4 run. But the German challenge ran out of steam and
with a 1-2 record, they will now have to fight to progress. Ukraine,
however, are buoyant. "We just believed in each other," said point
guard Pooh Jeter. Read more here.
Bosnia and Herzegovina get first win
Bosnia and Herzegovina collected an inspiring first
win of EuroBasket 2013 by beating Montenegro 76-70, fighting back from
a 10-point three-quarter time deficit. Mirza Teletovic receives the
majority of defensive attention for Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it
was Gordic that stepped up in the second half to score all of his
17 points after halftime, including some fearless drives to the basket
and three triples. Bosnia and Herzegovina needed something special to
steal the win. Six of seven made baskets to begin the last quarter got
the job done. Read more here.
After Day 2 at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia, 7
National teams continued winning streak and have 2-0 record, Ukraine,
Serbia, Latvia, Slovenia, Greece, Finland and Italy. On the other side,
there are 7 winless National teams, Israel, F.Y.R. of Macedonia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Sweden.
Here is the schedule for Day 3
Germany vs. Ukraine 83-88 - Stats
Montenegro vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 70-76 - Stats
Belgium vs. Great Britain 76-71 - Stats
Latvia vs. Lithuania 59-67 - Stats
France vs. Israel 82-63 - Stats
Macedonia vs. Serbia 89-75 - Stats
September 5, 2013 - Day 2
Hosts finish strong to bring down Spain
Slovenia outscored
reigning EuroBasket champions Spain 11-1 in the final three minutes to
prevail 78-69 and remain the only unbeaten team after the conclusion of
Day 2 action in Group C in Celje. Goran Dragic top-scored for Slovenia
with 18 points, adding six rebounds and a game-high seven assists, but
it was some big shots from his brother Zoran and Edo Muric late in the
third quarter that allowed the hosts to pull even and turn the game
into a too tough-to-call clash. In a game that featured 16 lead
changes, 14 of them in the final 15 minutes, Spain were dominant on the
glass, having out-rebounded the hosts 30-15 by the mid-point of the
third quarter. Read more here.
Greece march on in Koper
Greece
used a 24-5 spurt spanning the second and third quarters and held on
for an 80-71 victory over Russia to remain perfect atop EuroBasket
2013's Group D in Koper, dropping Russia to 0-2. With leader Vassilis
Spanoulis unable to play most of the second half, Loukas Mavrokefalidis
scored some big points in finishing with 10 points and six rebounds for
Greece. Greece nearly wasted a 22-point fourth quarter lead but were
able to out-rebound Russia 32-24 and snatch 10 steals compared to six
for Russia. Read more here.
French backlash buries Great Britain
Great Britain's dream
day one victory seemed a world away as France woke up from their slow
start to inflict an 88-65 defeat at EuroBasket 2013 in Ljubljana on
Thursday. Tony Parker stepped up and led by example, shooting 70% from
two-point range for 16 points to go with five assists - although the
stats don't show how his passing and penetration tore Great Britain
apart time and again. France made 56% of their field goal attempts
compared to Great Britain's 39%. This was down to France's ability to
get easy looks while their opponents were forced to take tough shots.
Read more here.
Lions roar as Belgium off the mark
Belgium claimed a 77-73
overtime victory over Germany to add another touch of intrigue to Group
A on the second day of action in Ljubljana. Sacha Massot had 15 points
and eight rebounds for the Lions but there were countless others who
stepped up. Sam van Rossom providing leadership. Guy Muya's defence.
Then Roel Moors, who sunk the clinching two free throws at the very
end. "We played very solid team defence tonight and that allowed us to
win the game," said Muya. "On offence, we shared the ball, we had 21
assists. And we played as one on defence and offence." Read more here.
Italy do it again
Italy confirmed their
opening win over Russia was no joke in knocking off Turkey 90-75 to
remain perfect at 2-0 in Group D in Koper. Sure, Aradori torched Turkey
in the third, but it was Marco Belinelli who gave the Turks trouble all
night with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Italy were unstoppable from long
range all game, hitting 11 of 19 triples. The Italians also committed
only four turnovers in the game while Turkey did not help their cause
by making just 16-of-28 free throws (57.7%). Read more here.
Barton triple knocks down Poland
Lubos Barton hit two
three-pointers in the final minute, the second from the corner with
four seconds on the clock, to gift the Czech Republic a 69-68 win over
Poland, their first success at EuroBasket in 14 years. While it's hard
to look past the fantastic impact of the veteran Barton in the clutch,
Jan Vesely was immense for the winners, spearheading their come-back in
the second quarter and collecting a double-double of 23 points and 14
rebounds. The Czechs stole nine balls and Poland committed 16
turnovers, of which the winners scored 17 points (eight in the crucial
second quarter). Read more here.
Serbia sink Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
held on to withstand a late Bosnia and Herzegovina run for a 77-67 win,
the nation's second straight at EuroBasket 2013. Serbia could afford to
rest big man Nenad Kristic for extended stretches thanks to the fine
play of Stefan Markovic. The big point guard collected 15 points, seven
rebounds, three assists and three steals in the 10-point win. Serbia
finished with 42 points in the paint and shot 70% inside the
three-point line for the first three quarters, a number Bosnia and
Herzegovina could not compete with while also amassing 16 turnovers.
Read more here.
Ukraine surprise again
Ukraine continue to
defy at EuroBasket 2013, claiming a 74-67 victory over Israel to go 2-0
in Group A. Sergei Gladyr kept coming up with huge scores and big
rebounds at critical plays, especially in the fourth when he hit seven
of his game-high 17 points. In a game where momentum swung like a
pendulum, a late decisive 9-3 burst finally broke Israel's resistance
and saw Ukraine to safety. Read more here.
Latvia steal win in final minute
Latvia won a second
straight game to begin their EuroBasket 2013 campaign, with Kristaps
Janicenoks sinking a clutch three at the death to hand his team the
73-72 win over Montenegro. Rolands Freimanis was again Latvia's star,
combining an ability to score inside while dropping a couple of outside
baskets for 12 points. Latvia were beaten on the offensive boards for
long stretches, but their accuracy inside the arc (51%) was more than
enough to make up for it. Read more here.
Croatia edge out Georgia in thriller
Ante
Tomic made a lay-up nine seconds from the final buzzer and George
Tsintsadze misfired on the last shot for Croatia to earn a hard-earned
77-76 victory over Georgia on Day 2 of Group C action in Celje.
Although Dario Saric might look back at this game as his rite of
passage into the senior level, Dontaye Draper was the key player for
Croatia in the clutch. The small point guard scored 10 of his 16 points
in the final frame, while also dishing out the crucial assist to Tomic
for the game-winner. Georgia protected the ball a little bit better,
but Croatia hit 54.4% from the floor, including an excellent 11-of-22
from beyond the arc. Read more here.
Finland stay perfect in Koper
Finland took a huge step to reaching the second round of EuroBasket
2013 with a convincing 81-60 victory over Sweden to improve to 2-0 in
Group D in Koper. Even though six players scored at least eight points
for Finland, Gerald Lee stood out with 14 points and five rebounds.
Sweden made just one of 13 shots in the second quarter and committed
seven turnovers in scoring just four points in the period. Finland also
out-rebounded Sweden 39-36 while also shooting 48.3% from the field.
Read more here.
After super interesting Day 1 at EuroBasket 2013 in
Slovenia, it is time for new excitements as Day 2 is right here. 12 new
games, 12 great Match-ups, another reason to stay with us and follow
latest informations from EuroBasket 2013.
Here is the schedule for Day 2
Ukraine vs. Israel 74-67 - Stats
Montenegro vs. Latvia 73-72 - Stats Croatia vs. Georgia 77-76 - Stats
Finland vs. Sweden 81-60 - Stats
Germany vs. Belgium 73-77 - Stats
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Serbia 67-77 - Stats
Poland vs. Czech Republic 68-69 - Stats
Italy vs. Turkey 90-75 - Stats
Great Britain vs. France 65-88 - Stats
Lithuania vs. F.Y.R. of Macedonia 75-67 - Stats
Slovenia vs. Spain 78-69 - Stats
Greece vs. Russia 80-71 - Stats
September 4, 2013 - Day 1
Serbia survive Lithuanian scare
Serbia
responded to a ferocious second half comeback to ease to a 63-56
win over Lithuania in the EuroBasket Group B opener for both sides.
Young shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic opened up Serbia's account with
a three, but the first half of the quarter belonged to veteran center
Nenad Krstic. The pivot scored at will inside, even dazzling at times
with an array of pretty post moves. Jonas Valanciunas and Jonas
Maciulis provided a couple of scoring options for a stagnant Lithuanian
offence, however Serbia's dominance in the paint- 13-6 rebounding
advantage and scoring 12 points inside - resulted in a 10-point quarter
time lead. Read more here.
Staiger dagger pierces French defences
In a day where form and
favoritism counted for little in Group A, Germany provided the ultimate
surprise by picking off France 80-74 in Ljubljana. It was
well-deserved. Their shooting and their execution was exemplary. The
initial showing of the 2011 runners-up was anything but, with Lucca
Staiger, who had 14 points, sealing victory with consecutive threes in
the closing minutes. More than anything, it was a validation for a new
generation who refused to be intimidated by the A-List on the opposing
team. Read more here.
Italy put injury woes aside, win opener
Italy
went through plenty of injury turmoil in the build-up to EuroBasket
2013 but coach Simone Pianigiani’s men came up with a strong opening
game in Group D with a 76-69 win over Russia in front of approximately
2,000 Italian fans in Koper. The combination of Luigi Datome and Marco
Belinelli was too much for Russia with Datome scoring 25 points and
grabbing eight rebounds and Belinelli adding 16 points and five
assists. Pietro Aradori had 13 points and Marco Cusin collected six
points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Read more here.
Slovenia
survive Czech scare in premiere
EuroBasket 2013 hosts Slovenia led for almost
the entire game but only prevailed 62-60 over the Czech Republic after
a tense finale in the opening game of the two teams in Group C action
in Celje. No one will be more relieved for Slovenia's win than Bostjan
Nachbar, who used all his experience to grab two crucial defensive
rebounds in the final 17 seconds, but was duly fouled and only
converted one of his four free-throws. Both sides shot the ball poorly,
Slovenia even more so than the Czech Republic (34% to 39% from the
floor), and the two teams balanced each other out across statistical
categories - the balance could have shifted in either direction and it
came down to the penultimate play. Read more here.
Montenegro clinch dramatic win
Montenegro opened their
EuroBasket campaign with a thrilling 81-80 win over F.Y.R of Macedonia
in an intense Group B encounter. Neither side paid much attention to
defence in the early stages of the game with players strolling to the
basket with ease. Bo McCalebb's fancy handles and outside touch
resulted in seven quick points, but it was Suad Sehovic scoring seven
of Montenegro's first eight points, highlighted by a vicious dunk in
transition, that proved to be the highlight of the quarter. Read more here.
Resurgent Ukraine sink Belgians
Pooh Jeter's
three-point play in the dying seconds sealed a dramatic 58-57 win for
Ukraine over Belgium in their opening Group A game in Ljubljana.
Trailing by as much as 13, the persistence of Mike Fratello's side paid
off as they denied the Lions what would have been a momentous result.
With Christophe Beghin contributing a team-high 14 points, they looked
poised for the upset but at the very end, it slipped away as their
attempt to get off a final shot failed. Read more here.
Spain raise a wall in front of Croatia
The new-look Spain ended emphatically the debate about
their true potential on Wednesday in Celje by making Croatia sweat for
every single point and kick-starting their EuroBasket 2013 campaign
with a 68-40 triumph. Marc Gasol collected a double-double and Rudy
Fernandez was excellent on both ends of the floor for the winners, but
José Calderón put on the hat of the floor general at the point guard
position and the shooter at the "2" spot, successfully filling in for
Juan Carlo Navarro, up to a point. Croatia finished on 25% shooting
from the floor but even before the catastrophic final quarter, when
they only scored three points, they had converted only 30% of their
shots. Read more here.
Greece get off on right foot
After watching Finland
upset Turkey in the Group D opener, Greece took care of business
against Sweden with a comfortable 79-51 victory in Koper. Yannis
Bourousis not only tallied 12 points, six rebounds and a blocked shot,
but he also scored eight points in the early going of the second
quarter to help Greece take control of the contest. Greece shot 57.4%
for the game from the field and out-rebounded Sweden 41-19. Sweden was
held to just 36% from the field and low post players Jonas Jerebko and
Joakim Kjellbom combined for four of Sweden's seven assists. Read more here.
Great Britain deny Israel in overtime
Great Britain have
begun EuroBasket 2013 with a confidence-boosting win, taking down
Israel 75-71 in overtime. Kyle Johnson had 10 points in the first
quarter as Britain took an early lead, but saved the best until last,
scoring five in the 8-0 spurt with which Joe Prunty's men finished the
game to take the win. There would have been no overtime, and no British
victory, if Israel had made their free throws. They missed four in the
final minute of regulation, and shot just 17-of-32 (53.1%) from the
line, compared with Britain's 26-of-35 (74.3%). Read more here.
Finland off to glorious start
Spurned on by about 800 boistrous Finnish
fans, Finland pulled off one of biggest wins in the team's history,
defeating Turkey 61-55 to begin their EuroBasket 2013 Group D campaign.
Petteri Koponen was all over the place for Finland with 12 points
including two three-pointers as well as nine rebounds, three assists
and two steals. Finland's tough defence kept Turkey to 31.7% shooting
from the field, including 18.2% from three-point range. In comparison
Suomi drained 11-of-31 from long range to continually build their lead.
Read more here.
Georgia shut down Poland in opener
A defensively rock-solid Georgia came up with
a masterful second-quarter performance to stun Poland 84-67 in the game
that raised the curtain on EuroBasket 2013 First Round Group C action
on Wednesday. Viktor Sanikhidze was inspirational against the famed
Polish frontcourt on both ends of the floor and paved the way for
Georgia's fantastic first half with 11 points on 4-for-5 from the
floor. Poland scored their first three-pointer in the fourth quarter,
after having missed their first ten attempts and after the game had
already slipped from their hands. Read more here.
Latvia shock in EuroBasket opener
An inspired Latvian performance in the opening
EuroBasket Group B game in Jesenice surprised Bosnia and Herzegovina
86-75 on Wednesday afternoon. Rolands Freimanis dominated the second
quarter, scoring 16 points on eight-for-nine shooting to help Latvia
build a lead they would not again surrender. 20 Latvian assists to just
four from their opponents played a role, however Bosnia and
Herzegovina's willingness to settle for the outside jumper in the first
half cost them dearly. Their 1-for-10 shooting from downtown
(two-for-15 overall) only assisted Latvia's inspired first half effort.
Read more here.
Opening day of EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia, day that
most of Basketball fans around the World were looking for is here.
Teams are ready, and waiting to start competition. Atmosphere in
Slovenia is great, everything is in Basketball mood, and those who
couldn't manage to be here will regret.
Here is the
schedule for Day 1
Israel
vs. Great Britain 71-75 - Stats Latvia
vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 86-75 - Stats Georgia
vs. Poland 84-67 - Stats Turkey
vs. Finland 55-61 - Stats Belgium
vs. Ukraine 57-58 - Stats F.Y.R.
of Macedonia vs. Montenegro 80-81 - Stats Spain
vs. Croatia 68-40 - Stats Sweden vs. Greece
51-79 - Stats France
vs. Germany 74-80 - Stats Serbia
vs. Lithuania 63-56 - Stats Czech
Republic vs. Slovenia 60-62 - Stats Russia
vs. Italy 69-76 - Stats
September 4, 2013 - EuroBasket 2013
opens with a bang
With Ljubljana's famous castle illuminated by
fireworks, and expectant crowds gathered in the city's Kongresni
Square, EuroBasket 2013 was officially launched on Tuesday evening to
signal the start of a 19-day jamboree in the picturesque Balkan nation.
With representatives of all 24 participating countries, as well as
leading figures in European basketball, media and officials from the
four host cities of Koper, Jesenice, Celje and the Slovene capital
itself, a lavish ceremony, and a concert, showcased the host nation
which has spent the past three years preparing for the arrival of this
tournament. Read more here.
September 3, 2013 - Getting ready
for EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia
Little
more than 24 hours before EuroBasket 2013 tip-off. Basketball fans
around Europe are excited and looking forward to start. Expected to be
one of the most interesting EuroBaskets despite numerous injury
problems and cancellations.
24 teams, divided in four EuroBasket groups will fight for medals. Who
will win gold, silver and bronze it is pretty hard to predict. Several
National teams are ready for the highest goals at this tournament.
Some National teams came with young teams, hoping to gain necessary
experience for some of upocoming EuroBaskets.
Do not miss action, Watch ALL GAMES LIVE and enjoy in top European
Basketball. You can find more about final squads,
cancellations, injurues, here.
Group
A
Group
B
Group
C
Group
D
Ukraine
Great Britain
France
Germany
Israel
Belgium
Bosnia
& Herzegovina
Lithuania
F.Y.R. of Macedonia
Montenegro
Serbia
Latvia
One
of the most prolific players in the history of European basketball
departs Slovenia on Monday with the medal he dreamed of all his life
and an individual award he deserved throughout his decorated career.
Tony Parker, France's leader over the past decade, was named as the
EuroBasket 2013 MVP following his team's victory over Lithuania in the
gold medal game on Sunday, a historical first title for the Gallic
nation. The 31-year-old point guard finished as the tournament's top
scorer with 19.7 points-per-game on an amazing 52.6% field goal
percentage and also dished out ...assists-per-night on average. Read
more 
France
ascended to the top of Europe for the first time in their history by
beating Lithuania 80-66 to win the EuroBasket 2013 gold medal - their
first European title. Lithuania collected their second silver following
1995. Nicolas Batum was on a mission to make good his poor performance
in the semi-finals and led the French with 17 points, including three
three-pointers while also collecting six rebounds. With Lithuania
concentrating on bottling up Tony Parker - who had just 12 points on
six for 17 shooting with three assists and zero steals - Boris Diaw
played a great supporting role with 15 points, six rebounds and four
assists. And after 13 previous top four finishes all came up short, the
2011 finalists France finally claimed their worthy spot atop the
podium. Lithuania were hunting for title number four after 1937, 1939
and 2003. But in the end, the Baltic side had to make due with a second
silver following 1995. Read more 
Two-time
European champions Spain pulled away from Croatia in the second half
and prevailed comfortably 92-66 in the battle for third place on the
podium at EuroBasket 2013. Sergio Llull came off the Spanish bench and
contributed solid perimeter defence, energy and speed in the open court
and above all sharp shooting from long-range, as he went 8-for-15 from
beyond the arc and collected a team-high 21 points. Spain scored 13
points in transition, 17 points off Croatian turnovers and 17
second-chance points. Croatia got just 16 points across all these
categories combined. Croatia took their second and last lead in the
game with 4:55 remaining to the half-time buzzer, but Spain poured in
20 quick points to grab a 47-36 lead at the interval, and never looked
back. Read more 
Will
France and Tony Parker finally capture their first European title or
will Lithuania be celebrating their fourth EuroBasket crown ten years
after winning their last gold medal? The journey for these two teams
started back on 4 September as two of 24 teams dreaming of hoisting the
trophy into the skies over Ljubljana. Sunday's final at 9p.m. CET in
Stozice Arena is for all the glory. Should France win two years after
losing to Spain in the final, Les Bleus would become the first
first-time champion since Germany shocked the European basketball
landscape with their title in 1993. Read more 
Two-time
European champions Spain and Croatia, a nation that has partially
scratched an 18-year itch at EuroBasket 2013, find themselves clashing
in the most particular game of the entire tournament on Sunday. It is,
as the cliché goes, the only game that no one wants to play in but
neither of the two teams that actually play it want to lose it.
Croatia's motivation to win this contest is rather evident; This proud
nation had not reached the semi-final stage since EuroBasket 1995 and
now have a shot at the bronze medal. In 1995, incidentally, Croatia
defeated Greece 73-68 to take the third spot on the podium. Read more 
EuroBasket
2013 hosts Slovenia overcame a slow start on Saturday and held off
Ukraine late to clinch a 69-63 victory and finish their home tournament
in fifth place. Goran Dragic provided the hosts with an inexhaustible
energy source and Ukraine with a constant headache. The Slovenian point
guard finished with a game-high 19 points and dished out four assists
along with seven rebounds. Ukraine only shot the ball at 32% from the
floor until the final quarter, and only 10 of their points came from
inside the paint during the first 30 minutes. Slovenia controlled the
glass and out-rebounded their guests 48 to 34, scoring 20 second-chance
points. Read more 
Serbia
finished their EuroBasket 2013 campaign on a high note by beating Italy
76-64 to capture seventh place in the tournament while also securing a
spot at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Serbian big man Nenad
Krstic proved too much inside as he picked up 17 points and four
rebounds. Serbia shot 50% from the field while holding Italy to just
35.7%. The Serbs also out-rebounded the Italians 42-26. Italy had
finally gotten the deficit to eight points at 62-54 when Nenad Krstic's
big basket was followed by back-to-back three-pointers by Nikola
Kalinic and Stefan Markovic to re-establish a 16-point lead - 70-54 -
with three minutes left. Read more 
Lithuania
are in the EuroBasket final for the fifth time - and first since the
2003 title - knocking off Croatia 77-62 and set up a date with either
Spain or France to decide ultimate EuroBasket 2013 glory. Croatia will
fight for their third bronze medal after 1993 and 1995. Jonas Maciulis
collected 23 points including four three-pointers as well as six
rebounds and provided some tough defence on Croatia's wing players.
Lithuania held Croatia to 35.4% shooting for the game including 15%
from long range while committing just 10 turnovers in the game. Croatia
went 1-for-15 from the field in the third quarter. Read more 
Ukraine
coped better with fatigue on Friday in Ljubljana to defeat Italy 66-58,
earn a place in the game for 5th place at EuroBasket 2013 and secure
their first ever participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Eugene
Jeter provided Ukraine with a pair of safe hands all night and finished
with a game-high 20 points and a team-high four assists. Italy
out-rebounded Ukraine 44 to 40 but as fatigue started to take its toll
in the second half, their field goal percentage dropped from 44% to 32%
at the final buzzer. Ukraine meanwhile shot poorly at the start but
finished on an excellent 46% from two-point range, scoring 22 points in
the paint to Italy's 10. Read more 
Lithuania
also secured a spot in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the win
and automatic qualification to EuroBasket 2015 in Ukraine. Italy will
play Ukraine in the 5-8 Classification Round. Mantas Kalnietis
collected 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists while making
eight-of-12 shots from the field to spearhead the Lithuanians.
Lithuania shot 54.5% from the field while out-rebounding Italy 38-to-25
and holding the Italians to just 44.6% from the field. Trailing 58-57
going into the fourth quarter, Lithuania racheted up their defence in
holding Italy scoreless for 5:57 minutes and going on a 15-0 run to
take control of the game. Read more 
A
big second quarter in their Thursday EuroBasket 2013 quarter-final
clash with Ukraine propelled Croatia to an 84-72 victory, which marks
the nation's first appearance in the top-four of the competition since
1995. Krunoslav Simon provided Croatia with the rare commodity that
Ukraine did not have in this quarter-final, namely reliable long-range
shooting. The combo guard drilled five of his first seven three-point
attempts and finished with a game-high 23 points, adding three assists.
Ukraine, the most trigger-happy side among all quarter-finalists, with
almost 25 three-point attempts-per-game, had a dreadful shooting night
on Thursday and went 3-for-22 from downtown. Read more 
EuroBasket
2013 hosts Slovenia bounced back from their disappointing quarter-final
loss to France to ease past Serbia 92-74 and move into the fifth-place
game while also qualifying for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Additionally, the Slovenes now earn direct qualification to EuroBasket
2015 in Ukraine. Zoran Dragic stole the keys to the Slovenian motor
from his brother Goran and led the home side's attack with 23 points to
go along with nine rebounds and two steals. Serbia made just one field
goal in Slovenia's 28-4 run and the hosts held Serbia to just 37.5%
shooting for the game including just 2-for-18 (11.1%) from long range.
Slovenia hit 41.4% of their shots overall and 40.7% from beyond the
three-point stripe. Read more 
Reigning
champions Spain looked at their very best on Wednesday in Ljubljana as
they outclassed a youthful Serbia 90-60 to clinch the first semi-final
berth at EuroBasket 2013. Spain led 48-23 at half-time largely because
of Rodriguez's 14 points and three assists in the second quarter, but
Rudy Fernandez was the man to set the pace early on as he went
three-for-three from three-point range and scored 13 points in Spain's
sublime opening quarter - he finished with 19 points and four rebounds.
Spain were simply dominant across all statistical categories, but the
most telling figure of Serbia's woes was their 38% field goal
percentage, as they were denied open looks throughout the encounter.
Read more 
Finland
were sublime from long range and solid defensively on Monday to bid
farewell to EuroBasket 2013 by defeating hosts Slovenia 92-76, in the
Group F clash that concluded Second Round action. Mikko Koivisto's
shooting was as sharp as a knife during stretches, but big man Gerald
Lee was a real rock inside for the Finns on both ends of the floor and
finished with 17 points on seven-for-eight shooting from the floor,
adding six rebounds and two assists. Finland hit 12 of their first 23
three-point attempts (an amazing 52.2%) and by the time their accuracy
behind the three-point line started to drop somewhat, Slovenia were
already left with a mountain to climb and very little time. Read more 
Italy
abolished a 12-point early lead, trailed by as many as 15 points in the
fourth, but came back to force overtime and claim a famous 86-81 win
over Spain on Monday, securing third spot in Group F. Pietro Aradori
scored nine points in the final seven minutes of regulation to propel
the Italian comeback, but Gentile, the youngest player on the floor,
finished with a team-high 25 points on 11-for-11 free throw shooting.
They overshadowed Marc Gasol, who picked up an international
career-high and tournament-high 32 points and added 10 rebounds. Italy,
the smallest team in the tournament in terms of size, out-rebounded
Spain 48-38 and made up for their 17 turnovers by shooting 58.5% from
two-point range. Read more 
Croatia
edged out Greece 92-88 after double overtime in a clash that featured
18 lead changes and saw the scores tied on 19 occasions, to clinch top
spot in Group F and terminate the Hellenic side's EuroBasket 2013
campaign in the process. Bogdanovic struggled to find open looks and
only had nine points during regulation, but drilled a triple 25 seconds
from the end of first overtime to tie the scores at 77, and collected
eight crucial points during the second extra period. Croatia were
guilty of committing 18 turnovers, 17 of those in regulation, but
out-rebounded Greece 54-to-42 and their excellent defence kept the
Greeks to just 35.1% shooting from the floor throughout the 50 minutes
of the encounter. Read more 
Lithuania
secured first place in Group E by knocking off Ukraine 70-63, who will
also be joining Lithuania in the quarter-finals despite the loss. Linas
Kleiza collected 15 points as well as five rebounds and two steals in
leading Lithuania's charge. Lithuania grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and
only turned over the ball nine times. Ukraine had fought back to within
64-63 with just more than a minute left when Linas Kleiza nailed a
three-pointer. Maxym Korniyenko and Sergii Gladyr both missed
three-point attempts and then Ukraine had a five second in-bounds
turnover with 25 seconds left. Read more 
Already-eliminated
Belgium picked up their first victory in the Second Round of Group E by
beating Latvia 60-56 and spoiling Latvia's chances of advancing to the
quarter-finals. "It's a very simple thing. It's one thing we want to
send to everyone in Europe. We give a lot of respect to Europe and
hopefully with this kind of win we can get some respect [back]," said
Belgium coach Eddy Casteels, whose team will finish fifth in Group E
with a 1-4 record. "We can be satisfied. We are proud to finish in the
top 12 and finish with a victory over Latvia," added Axel Hervelle.
Sacha Massot led Belgium with 14 points while also collecting four
rebounds and three blocks. Read more 
Spain
recovered from their loss on the opening day of Group F action by
keeping a lid on gutsy Finland and picking up an 82-56 win, their first
in EuroBasket 2013 Second Round. Jose Calderon put on his shooting
guard hat once more in this tournament and provided Spain with a safe
scoring option from downtown, finishing with a game-high 23 points on a
brilliant five-for-seven from behind the arc whilst adding five
assists. The two teams committed an equal number of turnovers (12)
during the first 30 minutes but while Spain punished the Finns by
scoring 18 points from them, Finland only got six points. Spain also
dominated the boards and scored 20 second chance points compared to
Finland's four. Read more 
France
booked a spot in the quarter-finals of EuroBasket 2013 by knocking off
Latvia to improve to 3-1 in the Second Round Group E. Alexis Ajinca was
too much for the Latvians to handle inside with 25 points, five
rebounds and three blocks. France shot 87.5% from the field for the
game while out-rebounding Latvia 35-23 and hitting 90.5% from the free
throw line. France had led by 22 points in the third quarter and
watched Latvia cut the gap to nine points when Latvia's Armands Skele
missed a layup which could have made it a seven-point game. In the run
back down court, the Latvia bench was hit with a technical foul and
Tony Parker's two free throws established a double-digit lead. Read
more 
All
12 players played their part for Lithuania as they rolled past Belgium
86-67 to put them on the doorstep of the EuroBasket 2013 quarter-finals
with a 3-1 record in Group E. Jonas Valanciunas was unstoppable in the
post for Lithuania in collecting 12 points, 10 rebounds in less than 13
minutes of action. Lithuania held Belgium to 39% shooting for the game
while out-rebounding them 43-30. They also showed their depth with all
12 players on their roster registering on the score-sheet. Belgium were
leading 12-11 with two minutes left in the first quarter when Lithuania
went on a 12-0 run over the next 4:44 minutes to take control of the
game. Read more 
Greece
have stayed alive and kicking in the battle for a spot in the
quarter-finals by clinching a hard-fought 79-75 victory over reigning
European champions Spain in their first game in Group F. Greece had to
come from behind in the second and fourth quarters and Vassilis
Spanoulis was the player to spearhead the charge both times. His impact
during those stretches fully made up for his discreet showing in the
first and third frames, as he finished the game with a team-high 20
points and added three assists and four rebounds. Read more 
Latvia
continued their solid campaign at EuroBasket 2013 with an 85-51 victory
over Ukraine in their first game in Group E to improve their record to
1-2. Kristaps Janicenoks hit a triple right away in the first quarter
to set an example for the rest of the Latvian shooters as he drained
four triples on four attempts for 14 points in less than 22 minutes
playing time. Latvia made 15 of 29 three-pointers (51.7%) while also
holding Ukraine to 29.5% shooting from the field, including 3-of-16
from long range (18.8%). Latvia also out-rebounded Ukraine 40-34. Read
more 
Bosnia
and Herzegovina showed big heart on Monday to come within a whisker of
achieving the unthinkable, but ultimately came up short, defeating
Lithuania 78-72, four points short of the magic margin of 10 required.
Linas Kleiza is one of the biggest names in a stacked Lithuanian line
up, showing why on Monday with his ice-cold demeanour at the death,
finishing with a tournament personal-best of 20 points. Had it been any
other game then this honour would be going to Mirza Teletovic who had
31 points and seven rebounds in a winning, albeit in vein, effort.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has limited depth, a key factor in them not
continuing their stay in Slovenia, with their bench only offering up
six points. Read more 
A
free-flowing Spain prevailed 83-59 over Georgia on the final day of
Group C action in Celje and will continue their EuroBasket 2013
campaign on a high note. Ricky Rubio played his most complete game in
Slovenia so far, always on the look out to initiate a play in
transition and even trusting his long-range shot more than usual. The
young Spanish point guard finished with 16 points, five rebounds and
three assists. Spain wasted very few opportunities to run in the open
floor, scoring 33 easy points on the fast-break. Georgia scored four
points in transition in the entire game, all in the final minute, and
had to fight for every basket in five-on-five play. Read more 
A
76-66 win over F.Y.R of Macedonia on Monday in Jesenice propelled
Latvia into the Second Round of EuroBasket 2013, eliminating the F.Y.R
of Macedonia in the process. A near double-double from power forward
Kaspars Berzins carried Latvia to a commanding early lead. Berzins
scored at the ring, rebounded and hit an impressive three threes.
Latvia built a big first half lead by moving away from the three-point
focused offence that averaged 26.5 attempts over the first four games,
opting instead to attack at the ring as the first priority. They
attempted just five threes in the first half and took a 22-point in the
paint scoring advantage. Read more 
Lithuania
claimed a third straight win in Group B, defeating Montenegro 77-70 in
overtime in Jesenice on Sunday to eliminate Montenegro from Second
Round contention. Ksistof Lavrinovic had appeared in just two games for
a total of two points heading into the Montenegro clash. After
receiving the start from coach Jonas Kazlauskas, he eclipsed that mark
in the first quarter alone before knocking down a number of huge fourth
quarter jump shots. He finished with 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting and
three-for-four from downtown. Sloppy passes accounted for many of
Montenegro's 14 turnovers, leading to 16 easy points for Lithunania.
Read more 
Spain
put one foot in the EuroBasket 2013 Second Round on Sunday on the back
of an unforgiving 89-53 display against Poland, the second-biggest
margin ever in clashes between these two big European nations. Poland
have not enjoyed medal success at EuroBasket since 1967, but reigning
EuroBasket champions Spain have always considered the Polish national
team as a competitive rival who asks tough questions of them. Such was
not the case on Sunday afternoon at Celje Arena though, as Spain picked
up their third win in Group C over the disappointed by their early exit
from the Eurobasket Poles. Read more 
In one of the most
engaging games ever to only feature a single lead change, EuroBasket
hosts Slovenia denied a gutsy Georgia 72-68 on Saturday and maintained
their perfect record in Group C. Domen Lorbek was the instigator of the
Slovenian second-quarter burst with 10 points on three-for-three
shooting from behind the arc, and came back in the clutch to secure the
win with some late heroics. He finished with a team-high 18 points on
five-for-nine shooting from the floor. Slovenia hit six three-pointers
in a row during that crucial seven-minute stretch in the second
quarter, seeng their overall field goal percentage sky-rocketing from
38% to 50%. Read more 
Spain
only gave up 9.75 points per quarter to the Czech Republic on Saturday
to clinch a 60-39 victory and steer their EuroBasket Group C campaign
back on the winning track. The reigning European champions bounced back
on Saturday at Celje Arena from their Day 2 loss to EuroBasket 2013
hosts Slovenia, but also enlightened further those embroiled in the
debate over the true identity signs of this new-look Spain. Yes, the
defending champions can play fast, but up to a point. Read more 
Sweden
knocked off Russia 81-62 to collect their first victory in Group D in
Koper to stay in the running for the Second Round at EuroBasket 2013.
The win was Sweden's second in EuroBasket history, following their
triumph over Russia 100-92 in 1993. "This one game matched what we had
in our history. With one more victory in our final two games, we can
double that total. But I think the guys have the mindset to win both,
which I wouldn't mind," said Sweden coach Brad Dean. "We are learning
as we go. We made adjustments, players made adjustments. Jeff (Taylor)
and Jonas (Jerebko) played well but played within the team." Read more 
Serbia
held on to withstand a late Bosnia and Herzegovina run for a 77-67 win,
the nation's second straight at EuroBasket 2013. Serbia could afford to
rest big man Nenad Kristic for extended stretches thanks to the fine
play of Stefan Markovic. The big point guard collected 15 points, seven
rebounds, three assists and three steals in the 10-point win. Serbia
finished with 42 points in the paint and shot 70% inside the
three-point line for the first three quarters, a number Bosnia and
Herzegovina could not compete with while also amassing 16 turnovers.
Read more 
Ante
Tomic made a lay-up nine seconds from the final buzzer and George
Tsintsadze misfired on the last shot for Croatia to earn a hard-earned
77-76 victory over Georgia on Day 2 of Group C action in Celje.
Although Dario Saric might look back at this game as his rite of
passage into the senior level, Dontaye Draper was the key player for
Croatia in the clutch. The small point guard scored 10 of his 16 points
in the final frame, while also dishing out the crucial assist to Tomic
for the game-winner. Georgia protected the ball a little bit better,
but Croatia hit 54.4% from the floor, including an excellent 11-of-22
from beyond the arc. Read more 
Italy
went through plenty of injury turmoil in the build-up to EuroBasket
2013 but coach Simone Pianigiani’s men came up with a strong opening
game in Group D with a 76-69 win over Russia in front of approximately
2,000 Italian fans in Koper. The combination of Luigi Datome and Marco
Belinelli was too much for Russia with Datome scoring 25 points and
grabbing eight rebounds and Belinelli adding 16 points and five
assists. Pietro Aradori had 13 points and Marco Cusin collected six
points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Read more 
Spurned on by about 800 boistrous Finnish
fans, Finland pulled off one of biggest wins in the team's history,
defeating Turkey 61-55 to begin their EuroBasket 2013 Group D campaign.
Petteri Koponen was all over the place for Finland with 12 points
including two three-pointers as well as nine rebounds, three assists
and two steals. Finland's tough defence kept Turkey to 31.7% shooting
from the field, including 18.2% from three-point range. In comparison
Suomi drained 11-of-31 from long range to continually build their lead.
Read more 
A defensively rock-solid Georgia came up with
a masterful second-quarter performance to stun Poland 84-67 in the game
that raised the curtain on EuroBasket 2013 First Round Group C action
on Wednesday. Viktor Sanikhidze was inspirational against the famed
Polish frontcourt on both ends of the floor and paved the way for
Georgia's fantastic first half with 11 points on 4-for-5 from the
floor. Poland scored their first three-pointer in the fourth quarter,
after having missed their first ten attempts and after the game had
already slipped from their hands. Read more 
