Slovenian national team 2011

[velik_m]

Primary selection announced today:

Guards: Jaka Lakovič (Barcelona), Goran Dragić (Houston Rockets), Zoran Dragić (Krka), Samo Udrih (Union Olimpija), Sašo Ožbolt (Union Olimpija), Jaka Blažič (Geoplin Slovan), Nebojša Joksimović (Igokea), Luka Lapornik (Zlatorog), Klemen Prepelič (Helios), Danijel Vujasinović (Zlatorog).

Wings: Boštjan Nachbar (Efes Pilsen), Domen Lorbek (San Sebastian), Miha Zupan (St. Petersburg), Goran Jagodnik (Union Olimpija), Edo Murić (Krka).

C/PF: Matjaž Smodiš (CSKA Moskva), Erazem Lorbek (Barcelona), Gašper Vidmar (Fenerbahče), Uroš Slokar (Manresa), Mirza Begić (Real Madrid).

We have a new coach: Božidar Maljković (first ever foreign coach)

Beno Udrih, Saša Vujačić and Primož Brezec refused participation this summer.

Other notable omissions: Sani Bečirović in Jaka Klobučar

[lefty]

Why?

[velik_m]

Why?

Why what?

[Ashy Larry]

when a shitty thread is created, always spice it up with a big ass .........


http://bp1.blogger.com/_knu4NXiLAHk/RxFVaTJRXHI/AAAAAAAAB4E/giqngPQ1-rQ/s1600/Big%2525252BWet%2525252BButts_Olivia%2525252BO%27L ovely%2525252B%252526%2525252BLuscious%2525252BLop ez_Your_Porn_Domain_YPD_RR.jpg

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I don't know how things work in Slovenia but where I come from if you saddle your kids with rhyming first names it means you secretly hate them. Poor Dragic boys.

And does that part near the end mean that Beno and The Machine won't be on the NL or they just aren't taking part in anything with them this summer? Because if they're out I might as well root for Slovenia to get a silver or something.

[velik_m]

I don't know how things work in Slovenia but where I come from if you saddle your kids with rhyming first names it means you secretly hate them. Poor Dragic boys.

And does that part near the end mean that Beno and The Machine won't be on the NL or they just aren't taking part in anything with them this summer? Because if they're out I might as well root for Slovenia to get a silver or something.

Zoran>Goran :downspin:

They are not playing this summer (EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania, also top teams will qualify for olympics next year), i doubt Vujačič will ever play for NT, Beno who knows, probably not as long as he's not guaranteed position in starting line-up.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Zoran>Goran :downspin:

They are not playing this summer (EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania, also top teams will qualify for olympics next year), i doubt Vujačič will ever play for NT, Beno who knows, probably not as long as he's not guaranteed position in starting line-up.

Good to see Beno's matured so much after his time with the Spurs.

[TE]

Very good team if Vidmar can play.

Good team that eventually gets shitted on with real competition (USA, Spain, Argentina)

[joshdaboss]

I give it a B+.

[DMC]

Primary selection announced today:

Guards: Jaka Lakovič (Barcelona), Goran Dragić (Houston Rockets), Zoran Dragić (Krka), Samo Udrih (Union Olimpija), Sašo Ožbolt (Union Olimpija), Jaka Blažič (Geoplin Slovan), Nebojša Joksimović (Igokea), Luka Lapornik (Zlatorog), Klemen Prepelič (Helios), Danijel Vujasinović (Zlatorog).

Wings: Boštjan Nachbar (Efes Pilsen), Domen Lorbek (San Sebastian), Miha Zupan (St. Petersburg), Goran Jagodnik (Union Olimpija), Edo Murić (Krka).

C/PF: Matjaž Smodiš (CSKA Moskva), Erazem Lorbek (Barcelona), Gašper Vidmar (Fenerbahče), Uroš Slokar (Manresa), Mirza Begić (Real Madrid).

We have a new coach: Božidar Maljković (first ever foreign coach)

Beno Udrih, Saša Vujačić and Primož Brezec refused participation this summer.

Other notable omissions: Sani Bečirović in Jaka Klobučar

How the hell do you omit Sani Bečirović? That guy is a legend and he changed his shift to nights just to make the games. Tough break.

[TD21-FTW]

Primary selection announced today:

Guards: Jaka Lakovič (Barcelona), Goran Dragić (Houston Rockets), Zoran Dragić (Krka), Samo Udrih (Union Olimpija), Sašo Ožbolt (Union Olimpija), Jaka Blažič (Geoplin Slovan), Nebojša Joksimović (Igokea), Luka Lapornik (Zlatorog), Klemen Prepelič (Helios), Danijel Vujasinović (Zlatorog).

Wings: Boštjan Nachbar (Efes Pilsen), Domen Lorbek (San Sebastian), Miha Zupan (St. Petersburg), Goran Jagodnik (Union Olimpija), Edo Murić (Krka).

C/PF: Matjaž Smodiš (CSKA Moskva), Erazem Lorbek (Barcelona), Gašper Vidmar (Fenerbahče), Uroš Slokar (Manresa), Mirza Begić (Real Madrid).

We have a new coach: Božidar Maljković (first ever foreign coach)

Beno Udrih, Saša Vujačić and Primož Brezec refused participation this summer.

Other notable omissions: Sani Bečirović in Jaka Klobučar

[TD21-FTW]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGL9QhhoW7k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoWW_E5BRBU


Lorbek>Gasoft

[dunkman]

What happened with Dragic and Rasho?

[Jodelo]

So...

(http://img221.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=264949153_nobody_cares_122_957lo.jpg )
(http://img221.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=264949153_nobody_cares_122_957lo.jpg )
http://img221.imagevenue.com/loc957/th_264949153_nobody_cares_122_957lo.jpg (http://img221.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=264949153_nobody_cares_122_957lo.jpg )

[velik_m]

Guards: Jaka Lakovič (Barcelona), Goran Dragić (Houston Rockets), Zoran Dragić (Krka), Sašo Ožbolt (Union Olimpija)

Wings: Boštjan Nachbar (Efes Pilsen), Miha Zupan (St. Petersburg), Edo Murić (Krka).

C/PF: Matjaž Smodiš (CSKA Moskva), Erazem Lorbek (Barcelona), Gašper Vidmar (Fenerbahče), Uroš Slokar (Manresa), Mirza Begić (Real Madrid).

Yeah, that would be my pick also, but lets wait and see...

[velik_m]

What happened with Dragic and Rasho?

Dragic is on the list. Rasho retired from NT.

[Ozzy]

Rasho also had a very nasty shoulder injury about two months ago and isn't healthy yet. Potentially, he could decide to end the career because of it, but he really can't complain since this was his first major injury.

And as velik_m said he has retired from the NT before that so he wouldn't be there anyway.

[TE]

You mean Greece. Greece is the team that causes them so many problems.

You're an idiot.


Although, I have to say, I like Greek food.

[angel_luv]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's this time of year again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoosh, Whoosh! :)

[angel_luv]

Please keep me posted on any news about Sho's shoulder.

[angel_luv]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbhzYMNUfDw&feature=player_embedded

[angel_luv]

^ Above is a fun get well video to Sho from his teammates. ^

This one has Sho making silly faces at the camera

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2P8EE54BLeE

[ploto]

His career is probably over. Olympiacos doctors looked at his injury and there is very little chance he could play again.


He went to Italy for the surgery.

[velik_m]

NbhzYMNUfDw

Nice find. Hope he gets healthy again.

[Kamnik]

How is with Smodiš's health?

I dream of a starting line up of Goran, Jaka, Nachbar, Erazem and Smodiš!

p.s.

Anyone else going to Lithuania?

[velik_m]

How is with Smodiš's health?

I dream of a starting line up of Goran, Jaka, Nachbar, Erazem and Smodiš!

p.s.

Anyone else going to Lithuania?

I don't know about the starting five, that would leave us with a weak second unit, but it would make a great finishing five :ihit (lots of three point shooters in there too!)

[Texas_Ranger]

ROFLMAO @ Samo Udrih. :lmao

and thank God there will be no Klobufuck.

[velik_m]

ROFLMAO @ Samo Udrih. :lmao

and thank God there will be no Klobufuck.

Klobucar played ok in slo finals, in any case way better than S. Udrih and he's younger too.

[Texas_Ranger]

Klobucar played ok in slo finals, in any case way better than S. Udrih and he's younger too.

True. Klobucar was pretty good in the finals. When he hit those 3 3pointers in a row I was really surprised, but some solid games don't make him a good choice for the NT. But yea he's better than S.Udrih.

[angel_luv]

Any news about the team?

[velik_m]

A quick update before preparations start:

D. Lorbek will not play because of injury, same for Vidmar. E. Lorbek also refused participation this summer.

It looks more and more that next summer will be free for national team duties for all slovenian players.

Also according to the news 14 players are to be selected for the tournament, so that leaves 3 to cut off (baring any more injuries).

[Kamnik]

Fuck Erazem! (rage)

I need time do digest...

[Kamnik]

Digested - Fuck you Erazem!

[velik_m]

http://www.kzs.si/uploads/pics/maljkovic_portret_2011.jpg

[Texas_Ranger]

Fuck you Erazem Lorbek and fuck his stupid ass father. Can't wait to see what will the fans do when he comes with Barcelona to Ljubljana for the game against Olimpija in Euroleague. Stupid motherfucking piece of shit.

Slovenian team could be the best team in Europe, but cause of some morons who don't want to play for the NT we can't even get a medal.

[Kamnik]

Slovenian team could be the best team in Europe, but cause of some morons who don't want to play for the NT we can't even get a medal.

Agreed.

If people would check their ego's at the doors of the gym and fought with their heart we could have a dynasty.

Rotation of:
Lakovič/Udrih
Dragič/Vujačič
Nachbar/Jagodnik
Lorbek/....
Smodiš/...


And now Udrih and Vujačič are total primadonas and Lorbek family only has their own interest and $ in mind.

Shame.

[TheRealCB]

How do you think Greeks feel that Papaloukas and Diamantidis refuse to play every summer...........

Diamantidis and Papaloukas have played their hearts out for Greek NT for almost 10 years..We feel happy to have seen them play,and we thank them.

[angel_luv]

A quick update before preparations start:

D. Lorbek will not play because of injury, same for Vidmar. E. Lorbek also refused participation this summer.

It looks more and more that next summer will be free for national team duties for all slovenian players.

Also according to the news 14 players are to be selected for the tournament, so that leaves 3 to cut off (baring any more injuries).

That is disappointing and puts a lot of pressure on the existing squad, but I am confident the team will find a way to succeed, regardless of the obstacles. The faithful on the team are tenacious that way.

[DMC]

Can we talk about the Botswana National Team?

[velik_m]

Can we talk about the Botswana National Team?

Sure, but you have to start a seperate thread.

[Texas_Ranger]

So Lorbek now wants to play. LOL
I guess he was scared of the fans...pussy

[velik_m]

So Lorbek is playing, i guess being public enemy no.1 in Slovenia was too much for him.

Fuck Lorbek

[Bill_Brasky]

lol Lorbek got the Slovenians shook

[velik_m]

Joksimovič decided to drop out. WTF is wrong with our players?

[velik_m]

http://img.rtvslo.si/_up/upload/2011/07/19/64806938_rg1_5497.jpg
http://img.rtvslo.si/_up/upload/2011/07/19/64806953_rg1_5691.jpg
http://img.rtvslo.si/_up/upload/2011/07/19/64806942_rg1_5567.jpg
http://img.rtvslo.si/_up/upload/2011/07/19/64806941_rg1_5562.jpg
http://img.rtvslo.si/_up/upload/2011/07/19/64806982_rg1_5877.jpg

Pics from: http://www.rtvslo.si/sport/kosarka/foto-takih-pogojev-maljkovic-ni-imel-ne-v-barceloni-ne-v-madridu/262296

[Soul_Patch]

I think Beno is busy with his music career, hence not being on the national team.


D9mM61pYCQs

[velik_m]

Slovenia beat Poland 69:54 in our first prep game. G. Dragič was the top scorer for Slovenia with 18. Lorbek and Smodis did not play, likewise best Polish players were missing, so nothing much to take away from this game. They will play against Macedonia today @ 20:00 CET. It will be live on Slo2 and over internet (http://tvslo.si/predvajaj/v-zivo-tv-slovenija-2/tv.slo2/).

[velik_m]

Slovenia leads 40:39 at half. Lorbek with 8 points so far.

[velik_m]

Final score:
SLOVENIA - MACEDONIA 83:71 (26:16, 14:23, 24:18, 19:14)
Lorbek 20, Smodiš and Lakovič 13, Jagodnik 9, Slokar and Ožbolt 7, Z. Dragić 5, G. Dragić 3, Udrih, Nachbar and Begić po 2; Antić 24, Ilievski 13.

[GB20]

Final score:
SLOVENIA - MACEDONIA 83:71 (26:16, 14:23, 24:18, 19:14)
Lorbek 20, Smodiš and Lakovič 13, Jagodnik 9, Slokar and Ožbolt 7, Z. Dragić 5, G. Dragić 3, Udrih, Nachbar and Begić po 2; Antić 24, Ilievski 13.
what is the deal with Lorbek? is he coming over?

[Slo spurs fan]

Nice video of our team and players:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wre8yDdUBlY

[Slo spurs fan]

There are few highlights of Lorbek as well (from 4:18)

[Slo spurs fan]

Shit, no Boki Nachbar this time. :(

[velik_m]

Shit, no Boki Nachbar this time. :(

:depressed

[Texas_Ranger]

Shit, no Boki Nachbar this time. :(

:(:(:(

[angel_luv]

I am glad about the wins. :)

[velik_m]

I am glad about the wins. :)

I'd rather have Boki than this meaningless wins...

http://img.rtvslo.si/_up/upload/2011/07/27/64808531_rg1_5738.jpg

:depressed

[velik_m]

Slovenia beat Latvia:

SLOVENIA - LATVIA
73:63 (15:14, 23:10, 17:19, 18:20)
Ožbolt 16, Slokar 15, G. Dragić 11, Jagodnik 10, Lorbek 9, Udrih 8, Lapornik & Begić 2; Jeromanovs 17, Meiers & Bertans 8.

B2ZFo79Oxu4

We play Lithuania today @20:00 CET. It will be live over internet but don't know if it will be locked to Slovenian IPs only: http://tvslo.si/predvajaj/v-zivo-mmc-tv/tv.mmctv/

[velik_m]

Lithuania leads 20-17 after 1st.

[velik_m]

Lithuania up 38:35 at half.

Samo Udrih sucks. The Dragič brothers :tu

[velik_m]

Lithuania leads 57:51 after third, we have way to many turnovers, i think we're going to get steamrolled in the final quarter.

[velik_m]

well that was a surprise, Slovenia pulled off a 72-70 win.

[Kobayagi]

Another day, another win.

Slovenia - Montenegro 86:79

(Lorbek 14 pts, Dragic 12 pts; Pekovic 21 pts)

[angel_luv]

Go team! :)

[velik_m]

It was a long free throw procession. We really lack quality to be a threat for a medal position in Euro. Montenegro is a tough team, they will be a problem for every team out there.

[Kobayagi]

Slovenia lost to Croatia 60:65



also, Lakovic might miss the Euro championships due to back problems.

[DPG21920]

How is Bertans doing?

[velik_m]

Slovenia lost to Croatia 60:65



also, Lakovic might miss the Euro championships due to back problems.

:depressed

We suck, and injuries are robbing us of what little talent this team has. Also Udrih can't defend if his life depended on it.

[Pero]

:depressed

We suck, and injuries are robbing us of what little talent this team has. Also Udrih can't defend if his life depended on it.

That sucks... But maybe Beno will want to come back now that he has a better chance at being a starter. :lol

[sinok]

How is Bertans doing?
Bertans is Latvian, not sure the guys around this thread know much about him.
Furthermore, the Bertans that plays for the current Latvian NT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvia_national_basketball_team) is not Davis but Dairis, his older brother.

[DPG21920]

I see, thanks.

[Ed Lover]

I see, thanks.

C'mon son

I didn't know you were a filthy slovenian

[sendman]

C'mon son

I didn't know you were a filthy slovenian

Ughhh, another tough ghetto racist spreading his wisdom.

[Slo spurs fan]

Don't feed the throll.

[velik_m]

More bad news from slovenian camp: Zupan is out of championship with a back injury. We are now down to 13 players. The coach has to cut one more player before the tournament starts (baring any more injuries)

[pass1st]

You guys can still beat the Greeks though

[Slomo]

Rasho is travelling with the NT. Journalists speculating he's going to play.

Not sure if I believe it myself but that would be an interesting development.

[Kobayagi]

Olympiacos is supposedly going to sign Boki and Smodis.


Looks like those Greek media finally got it right.


Smodis signed with Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia) today.

[Kobayagi]

Olympiacos is supposedly going to sign Boki and Smodis.


Ivkovic did not want him. Too many injuries. Anyway, he is no longer a Euroleague level player because he cannot stay healthy.


So, two days ago they wanted him and only then they found out about all those injuries?


lol, make up your mind. :lol

[velik_m]

We lost to Spain 73:61 today. We play another game with Spain tomorrow and then final prep game at home against Lithuania on Wednesday. I expect both those matches to end in a loss too.

[velik_m]

Another day, another spanking by the spanish: we lost 79:57 this time.

[velik_m]

http://img.rtvslo.si/_up/upload/2011/08/21/64814433_spa-slo2.jpg

[velik_m]

Slovenia trashing Lithuania so far. 52-33 @half. Lithuanian defense was really poor, especially in the first quarter.

[velik_m]

Slovenia wins 80-66

[velik_m]

Final 12 for Eurobasket:

4 Slokar
5 Lakovič
6 Rupnik
7 Ožbolt
8 Smodiš
9 Udrih
10 Murić
11 G. Dragić
12 Jagodnik
13 Z. Dragić
14 Begić
15 Lorbek

[Venti Quattro]

Where's Sasha :cry :cry :cry

[sinok]

Well Sasha being Serbian (and a Montenegro native), he isn't quite eligible to play for the Slovenian NT.

(for the story he isn't part of the Serbian roster either)...

[Slo spurs fan]

Well Sasha being Serbian (and a Montenegro native), he isn't quite eligible to play for the Slovenian NT.

(for the story he isn't part of the Serbian roster either)...

LOL bullshit. He is Slovene. He is born here and he already played for our younger NTs.

[sinok]

My bad, my bad,

Picked the wrong one (Pavlovic)....
Lol me.

[Texas_Ranger]

Looks like best Slovene roster ever.

Also, Olympiacos supposedly is going to re-sign Rasho if he passes his physical.


To me it looks like shit... This year I'll be happy if we get in top 8.

[Kobayagi]

Top 8 would be OK, top 6 would be more than OK. How many teams qualify for olympics qualifiers?

[xeromass]

Top6 I think.

[Pero]

Top 6 get in directly, I think.

[turkish spurs fan]

Jaka Lakovič will play for galatasaray next year(s). hi is not barca player.

[Pero]

Top 2 teams qualify to Olympics. 3-6 make it to next summer's qualification tournament. 7 and down are eliminated from Olympics.

So at minimum, you have to make it to the semifinals, or lose at the quarterfinals, but then win a game against one of the other quarterfinal losers.

Just to make it to the qualifying tournament next summer.

Ah. I thought they changed the system.

[velik_m]

We have a crappy team, but hoping for the best.

Lets get this party started! :ihit

[velik_m]

Awful start by our team. Ozbolt is lost out there, turnovers galore...

[velik_m]

17-13 after 1st. Our O looks bad.

[velik_m]

We shall die by the three. 29-25 @half

[TimmehC]

Can someone not behind a stupid firewall tell the rest of us how Lorbek is doing?

[velik_m]

Can someone not behind a stupid firewall tell the rest of us how Lorbek is doing?

12 pts (5/13 field goals), 8 rebounds so far

Live boxscore: http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/default.asp

[TimmehC]

12 pts (5/13 field goals), 8 rebounds so far

Live boxscore: http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/default.asp

Yeah, I tried loading the boxscore on the site a few times, but the stream is blocked. Thanks for the update. :tu

[velik_m]

47-40 after 3rd. 1/19 from 3pt line :bang

[Pero]

47-40 after 3rd. 1/19 from 3pt line :bang

Good sign. The 3pt shot can't be that bad every game. :lol

[velik_m]

Looks like we'll be starting with a loss.

[Pero]

Looks like we'll be starting with a loss.

Looks like not. :lol

[velik_m]

Slovenia edges Bulgaria 67-59, thanks to G. Dragic (13 pts, 6 rebs, 6asts) & Lorbek (18 pts, 9 rebs). Lakovic, Slokar and Z. Dragic somewhat ok, the rest of the team was garbage.

[velik_m]

Looks like not. :lol

The moment i make a correct sporting prediction the universe will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. :lol

[velik_m]

http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/files/%7B46267EC9-863C-43C1-B237-46D63A0E004F%7Dflexible.jpg

http://img.rtvslo.si/_up/upload/2011/08/08/64811289_img_4609.jpg

[velik_m]

Slovenia Pull Away From Bulgaria
31.08.2011

EUROBASKET 2011

Turning Point: With Slovenia down by one, Erazem Lorbek hit a lay-up and added a bonus from the foul line to put them up 61-59 inside the last two minutes of the game. From that point on, Slovenia didn't let go of the lead and finished the game with an 11-0 run.

Game Hero: EJ Rowland ended up on the losing side but his performance tonight - 20 points, nine rebounds and three steals - was the reason Bulgaria put up a great fight and almost stole a win from Slovenia.

Stats Don't Lie: Both teams suffered from a cold shooting hand behind the arc on the opening day. Bulgaria hit three times from long range out of 21 attempts while Slovenia needed 26 shots to collect three downtown bombs as well.

Slovenia collected their first win at EuroBasket 2011 with a 67-59 defeat of Bulgaria in Group D played in Klaipeda.

It was anything but easy for Slovenia who needed an 11-0 run in the closing minutes to stop Bulgaria from producing an upset.

Slovenia jumped to a 1-0 record in the group next to Georgia, while Bulgaria join Belgium with a 0-1 record.

Erazem Lorbek had 18 points and nine rebounds and his leadership down the stretch led Slovenia to victory.

Goran Dragic added 13 points, six assist and six rebounds and his brother Zoran finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

EJ Rowland was the top player for Bulgaria with 20 points, nine rebounds and three steals while Captain Filip Videnov added 14 points.

"It was tougher than expected," admitted Jaka Lakovic of Slovenia. "But the most important thing is that we won the game and started EuroBasket with a win."

Both teams had a bad shooting day from three-point territory, each hitting just three times from beyond the arc but they lacked in accuracy - Bulgaria shot 14% and Slovenia were no better at 12%.

Bulgaria came very close to shocking the spectators and used the support of the local fans to silence Slovenia with a 57-51 lead inside the last five minutes.

However, Lorbek and the Dragic brothers stepped up right on time to deliver the win.

Lorbek scored his first points late in the first quarter to make it 17-11 but Rowland kept his team close and already had 10 points in the second quarter.

Slovenia were up 23-18 but Deyan Ivanov and Filip Videnov cut the deficit to 29-25 at the half time break, and early in the third it was only just a one point game, 33-32.

That was when Slovenia made their first run.

The Dragic brothers and Lorbek created a 10-0 run and set the first double-digit lead of the night, 43-32, but after a lay-up by Goran Jagodnik things stopped to happen for Slovenia.

Rowland and Videnov led Bulgaria on a 2-13 run and after Matjaz Smodis fouled out with a technical foul and Bulgaria took a 51-57 lead it seemed like trouble.

"We didn't get nervous when Bulgaria took the lead, because we knew there's still time on the clock," said Lakovic after the game.

"We stayed together and played much better defense and that's what won the game for us."

Lorbek with a quick three pointer followed by the Zoran and Goran Dragic put Slovenia back in the game, before Lorbek added a bucket with a bonus from the line to put his team back on top, 61-59 and never looked back.

On Thursday, Slovenia will take on Ukraine while Bulgaria and Belgium will fight for the debut win.

Eurobasket2011.com (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/cid_4,w7QjPeH-M,ty138LH2l3.teamID_2154.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf 9le2.season_2011.roundID_7983.coid_V1-vka49HDU5una2vRxrK2.articleMode_on.html)

[Texas_Ranger]

This game was pathetic.. Ožbolt, Z. Dragič in starting 5... Even Slokar is not a starting material... A lot of this guys on the team would not even be in Lithuania if Udrih, Breza, Nachbar... would be here. Ožbolts is a fighter but he can't do shit... I can also go there and ''fight'' but if I'm not good I shouldn't play 30 minutes a game... Smodiš is Finished... S. Udrih is LMAO and our team is a fucking TO machine. When I see Goran handle the ball I've got a bad feeling. Lakovič also is not really a great playmaker..
Lets just hope our guys will play a lot better.

and stop shooting 3 pointer MORONS!!

[Pero]

This game was pathetic.. Ožbolt, Z. Dragič in starting 5... Even Slokar is not a starting material... A lot of this guys on the team would not even be in Lithuania if Udrih, Breza, Nachbar... would be here.
Well duh, of course some wouldn't be in Lithuania since you can only have 12 players. :lol



and stop shooting 3 pointer MORONS!!

They were shooting 3 pointers because Bulgaria left them open many times due to their defense. Unfortunately they didn't make many but the 3 they made = 9 points and we won just by 8. I'm sure their shot won't be this bad all the time. :lol

[velik_m]

Ukraine v Slovenia - Thursday at 21:00 (20:00 CET)

Slovenia will try to climb to 2-0 against Ukraine and they know it's not going to be easy.

After the difficult time Russia had on Day 1 it's clear beating Ukraine won't be an easy task for most teams in this championship.

The size and strength of the Ukrainian bigs can give a great headache also to Slovenia.

Yet Coach Bozidar Maljkovic knows very well another win will put his team in a great position and will increase the confidence before the difficult encounter with Georgia on Day 3.

If Erazem Lorbek gets help from Matjaz Smodis, Ukraine will have a tough time to maintain Slovenia in the paint, yet another good day by the guards of Slovenia could space the floor.

Group D Preview – Day 2 (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/cid_4,w7QjPeH-M,ty138LH2l3.pageID_TMxceqSxIGkQKxVLshFZ-3.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2011.roundI D_7526.coid_SN3fYUzAJrsmvwMyq0SCz0.articleMode_on. html)

[Pero]

I have to ask.......why the hell does Samo Udrih always make Slovenia's team? He was cut last season by Panellinios because he was not playing good enough in Greek League to stay on their roster.

Yet, he is always in Slovenia's national team........this is illogical.

It seems we don''t have anyone else that wants to play (Beno) or that coach would want to take (Sasha, Sani). :lol
He does have good games sometimes too though.

[Kobayagi]

He does have good games sometimes too though.

I try to watch as many games I can, but somehow I always seem to miss those.

[Pero]

I try to watch as many games I can, but somehow I always seem to miss those.
:lol

[velik_m]

Much better game so far. Slovenia up 41-20 @ half. Begič has been great, Ožbolt & S. Udrih are still useless.

[Kobayagi]

Smodiš is Finished...


Word :toast

[Kamnik]

I try to watch as many games I can, but somehow I always seem to miss those.

:lmao

But yeah... Udrih is useless; I would give all his minutes to Z.Dragič and Murič.

[Texas_Ranger]

fucking chokers... pathetic.. Goran Dragič is a TO machine.

[Kamnik]

Mirza balls of steel!

[Texas_Ranger]

Begič you were great!!
Murič great rebounding.
Lorbek I don't know why don't they pass you the ball.
Dragič brothers were shit, specially Goran that dumb fuck.
Lakovič sucked
Ožbolt..LMAO


Not happy.

[Pero]

19 TOs, yikes...

[velik_m]

Well that was terrible... :pctoss

[velik_m]

On a brighter note Croatia lost...

[Kamnik]

On a brighter note Croatia lost...

Always a silver lining :lol

[ata]

Dear colleagues,

do you miss Memi, maybe Pipan and I don't even want to mention Zdovc

Have you ever seen that head coach let his assistent to draw last seconds action?Maljković is fucking impostor

[Pero]

Have you ever seen that head coach let his assistent to draw last seconds action?Maljković is fucking impostor

I think I did, in the NBA. As for Maljkovic, I'll reserve judgement till after the tournament.

[Kobayagi]

Me too. A W is still a W and that's all that matters right now.


Look on the bright side, at least the games are interesting to watch. :lol

[Texas_Ranger]

Dear colleagues,

do you miss Memi, maybe Pipan and I don't even want to mention Zdovc

Have you ever seen that head coach let his assistent to draw last seconds action?Maljković is fucking impostor

It's not Božo's fault that a lot of those guys play like shit... I don't think he said to Goran to turn tha ball over and over and run like a fucking idiot... The only think I don't like is that they don't pass the ball to Lorbek and they rather shoot the three.

[velik_m]

http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/files/%7B116AE33F-30D9-4289-95F1-D2A7A3426200%7Dflexible.jpg


Slovenia Sweat It Out Against Ukraine
01.09.2011

EUROBASKET 2011

Turning Point: Ukraine made a huge comeback in the closing quarter and had the momentum. But, as they were down by five points before the last minute, Oleksandr Kolchenko made a bad pass which Saso Ozbolt picked up and fed an assist to Zoran Dragic. From a possible one possession game it turned into a seven-point gap and Ukraine spent the last minute chasing after Slovenia instead of looking them in the eyes.

Game Hero: Mirza Begic stepped up for Slovenia with 14 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes. His presence under the boards combined with a couple of big plays, helped Slovenia eliminate the front line of Ukraine and hold the lead the entire game.

Stats Don't Lie: Slovenia turned the ball over 10 times in the first three quarters but had nine in the final quarter alone. That's what helped Ukraine come back to the game and almost force overtime, and almost cost Slovenia a game they should have easily won.

Slovenia almost dropped a win that was already resting in their palm but finished the encounter versus Ukraine with a 68-64 victory in Group D action at Klaipeda.

The win saw Slovenia move to 2-0 with Friday as a rest day while Ukraine fell to 0-2 and will need a quick recovery to make it to Vilnius.

Mirza Begic was the top scorer for Slovenia with 14 points and also grabbed seven rebounds while Erazem Lorbek added 12 points.

Stiven Burtt was the top scorer of Ukraine with 14 points and added five assists, while Kyrylo Fesenko collected 11 points including a couple of big dunks.

The game had two different faces.

In the first three quarters, Slovenia was the dominating force and they took over the game starting in the second period.

Lorbek and Begic scored inside while Matjaz Smodis helped with points facing the basket.

Ukraine had no answers to the aggressive Slovenian defense and fell behind by as many as 22 in the third quarter.

However, in the last 10 minutes something changed.

Ukraine got back on the floor with a different energy and tried to pressure the ball.

It worked as Slovenia - who had committed only 10 turnovers in the first 30 minutes - had nine more in the final frame alone.

Ukraine got within 60-57 with still 2:32 to play, but Slovenia then woke up right in time to avoid an upset.

Begic made a pair from the foul line and after a turnover by Oleksandr Kolchenko it was Slovenia's Zoran Dragic who pushed the lead up to seven, 65-58, with 41 seconds to play.

Ukraine continued the chase and was within two with four ticks on the clock but Saso Ozbolt connected a pair from the foul line and kept the win on Slovenia's side.

On Saturday, Slovenia will take on Georgia in a key game in the group while Ukraine will seek their first victory against Bulgaria.

www.eurobasket2011.com (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_AFC0m1ziGBgiQn3ShqWjW2.articleMode_on.html)

[ata]

It's not Božo's fault that a lot of those guys play like shit... I don't think he said to Goran to turn tha ball over and over and run like a fucking idiot... The only think I don't like is that they don't pass the ball to Lorbek and they rather shoot the three.

What is not Božo's fault?
That they can't play against zone defense? That they are allowed jacking threes? That there was no time-out in scoreless 14 minutes? That Begić was forgotten on the bench and went back only because Smodiš fouled out? That Sani was not even invited?

We are talking about fucking Bulgaria and Ukraine - teams we should cruise against. And if whole team plays bad - only fault ist on coach. Against Bulgaria Erazem and brother Dragić saved Božo's face, against Ukraina it was Begić.

C'monn Texas - you were full of bitching against Pipan and Bečirović in the past, even before first game in championship begun. Show some consistency.

[velik_m]

The problem with our offensive plan is we don't have an offensive plan. It's reliant on individual qualities of players, which for the most part just isn't there, and even if it is the zone defence puts an end to any individual heroism.

I didn't bitch about their play on the offensive end so far, because this is usually the easier part and i figured it's something they will work on in the final week of preparation. But in this first games on Euro they are just as clueless as they were in the first prep game. And this is completely coaches fault.

I wasn't too thrilled about Maljkovič and didn't like the way they got rid Bečirovič at all (i didn't think hid did a bad job). It looked more like a PR move than a hiring for basketball reasons.

In any case, if they continue like this than we will have next summer off and hopefully in search of a new coach.

[sendman]

OK people calm down.
So far so good. It's 3 weeks tournament. It would be stupid ti reach top form now and then fuck up again when it really matters.
If you want to break a zone, you have to hit those outside shots.
If some team shoots 3-pointers 3-26 in one game and 6-23 in other and still wins...I'll take it. But, they will have to start hitting better, so they open up a paint and make some room for big guys to operate. Our bigs are not some freaks of the nature like that Fesenko dude. They need more space to get their shots off, they don't have the athleticism to plow through people.
Maljkovic was horrendous yesterday, in the second half his timing was off, his substitute pattern was illogical and everything he tried went wrong. But that shit happens to everyone, even Pop and Phil J.
As he said after a game, against the zone we should play faster, but that doesn't mean stupid and out of control.

[ata]

Why do you insult Pop and Phil?

Remember Zdovc? He said, that 3s are NEVER 1st option against zone. With bigs Slovenia has, zone should be broken from inside.

[Texas_Ranger]

What is not Božo's fault?
That they can't play against zone defense? That they are allowed jacking threes? That there was no time-out in scoreless 14 minutes? That Begić was forgotten on the bench and went back only because Smodiš fouled out? That Sani was not even invited?

We are talking about fucking Bulgaria and Ukraine - teams we should cruise against. And if whole team plays bad - only fault ist on coach. Against Bulgaria Erazem and brother Dragić saved Božo's face, against Ukraina it was Begić.

C'monn Texas - you were full of bitching against Pipan and Bečirović in the past, even before first game in championship begun. Show some consistency.

Yea I know, but this year I don't got the same feeling about our chances of winning the medal, so I'm not so pumped up... I'm only angry cause there's no Bečirovič... Can't watch Ožbolt play 30 min... Still I think we'll get in the next round, but they better start making those threes... Can't wait to see the game against Russia.

[ata]

If we don't get in the next round, than better for Maljković to never show up in Slovenia again.

[Kobayagi]

I we don't get in the next round, than better for Maljković to never show up in Slovenia again.



What, you think they're going to lose to Belgium?

[ata]

It wouldn't be the first time

[Kobayagi]

If they hit more outside shots, they would win by 15+ points, but we would stil have two W's like we do now, so I really don't know why all the hate.

The shots will start falling eventually. In the previous championships, our FG% over first couple of games was well over 50%, best among all the teams, and we won the games easily and everyone was happy. I was worried, because I knew that sooner or later those same shots won't go in, because you cannot go through the 20-day tournament with that kind of shot percentage. In the end, it all evens out and all the teams have the same shot percentage, give or take a couple %.

Didn't you watch the Spurs season? Or last couple of them?

Unfortunately, I was right and the shots stopped falling in and they stopped winning when it mattered the most. I hope this doesn't happen this year, so I will take bad shot percentage and tight games any day if they still get the W.

It's harder to learn to play D and I believe we have a pretty decent D so far, but then again we haven't really played any of the good teams or any of the games that really matter, so I'm not gonna get too excited about that aspect of the game either. Like I'm not gonna be too disappointed with our shot selection (and execution).


The bottom line is: we have two wins, for christ's sake, it's not time to whine yet!

[ata]

Who is whining?

[velik_m]

The bottom line is: we have two wins, for christ's sake, it's not time to whine yet!

We're not whining we're just concerned. It's not a question of hitting the top form, it's a question of hitting any form right now. And in any case, i would rather not see the team hitting top form on the plane home.

I'm concerned mostly because i have really low expectations for this team, and they still haven't reached even those.

Anyway tomorrow is (probably) already the first game in a fight for quarter finals. We can't afford to lose it. Hopefully we beat Georgia, and Belgium is already out of the tourney by the time we play them, so we can rest our key players for Russia. :ihit

[Kobayagi]

Frankly, I don't think this team is good enough to go further than QF.


About tomorrow's game: personally, I'd pick Georgia with Pachulia, Shermadini, Ckitišvili, Boisa and Markoišvili to go further, but since they lack experience, Slovenia has a chance to get away with the W.

[velik_m]

Slovenia v Georgia - Saturday at 18:00 (17:00 CET)

The main event of the day is the biggest test for Georgia.

In their debut performance they surely gave the impression of a team that belongs in the next round, but they still need to show it when it's business time.

They came close against Russia, and now Slovenia is the next big step.

With a win, Georgia will move very close to the next round and will also send out a clear message they can complete with any team here.

Slovenia have not impressed so far, but still have two wins.

A loss against Georgia could complicate their plans considering they still need to face Russia on the last day.

Yet a win will push them to a 3-0 record and secure their spot in the next round.

http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_5tF,ERaxId-9fVdp-YkmI2.articleMode_on.html

[Texas_Ranger]

When I see our lineup I get sick... This team really is shit.

[TDMVPDPOY]

is sanikidz on the georgia team playin now against slovenia?

[Texas_Ranger]

yes, he was pretty good in the first half.

[Texas_Ranger]

oh and Pachulia is a great flopper

[velik_m]

I only watched from the end of 2nd quarter, it looks like i missed the worst parts :). I thought our team played well. I'm happy we got an important win. Georgia is a good team, they lack some good guards though.

Also our fans who made the trip have been stellar so far in this championship. :tu

[sendman]

Just taking care of business like they supposed to.

[TDMVPDPOY]

End score?

[velik_m]

End score?

SLOVENIA - GEORGIA
87:75 (15:25, 25:15, 19:18, 28:17)

Lakovič 22 Pačulia 22
Ožbolt 21 Markoišvili 16
Z. Dragić 15 Sanikidze 10
Lorbek 12 Gamkrelidze 6
Jagodnik 10 Haynes 6
Smodiš 3 Šengelia 6
G. Dragić 2 Cincadze 5
Begić 2 V. Boisa 3
Ckitišvili 1

2pts: 11/30; 21/37
3pts: 15/35; 7/16
Fts: 20/24; 12/20
Rebounds: 29; 38

[velik_m]

http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/files/%7B7D2241D8-C52C-4D04-AE5C-A08BEA94CB63%7Dbig_v.jpg

Slovenia's Shooting Touch Delivers Win

Turning Point: With 3:18 left to play, Jaka Lakovic went for his famous off-dribble lefty three-point shot to push the margin up to 73-65. Instead of standing neck-to-neck with Georgia in the closing minutes Slovenia had a safety net that made the difference.

Game Heroes: With Goran Dragic scoring just two points on 13% shooting from the floor, Slovenia needed someone to step up and Lakovic together with Saso Ozbolt were the men with the plan. Lakovic had 22 points on five three-pointers and seven free-throws. He also handed out four assists. Ozbolt had 21 points including four long bombs and also accounted for four steals in the win.

Stats Don't Lie: Slovenia's defense was tough as ever and forced Georgia into 21 turnovers. The Slovenians themselves only turned the ball over seven times.

Slovenia remain perfect for one more day after an 87-75 victory over Georgia in Group D at Klaipeda on Saturday evening.

With this win, Slovenia jump to a 3-0 record on top of the group while Georgia drop to 1-2 tied with Bulgaria and Ukraine.

Not many marked this game as one to follow but it was one of the best EuroBasket 2011 has seen so far with great intensity for 40 minutes.

The 12-point final margin doesn't tell the story of the game as Georgia held a double-digit lead themselves and put up a great fight.

Jaka Lakovic was the top scorer with 22 points, with all of his field goals - made and attempted - came from beyond the arc, as he hit five of nine three-pointers (56% accuracy).

Saso Ozbolt stepped up with his best performance of the tournament, hitting four long bombs of his own as part of 21-point effort to go with four steals.

Zoran Dragic added 15 points, Erazem Lorbek had a dozen and Goran Jagodnik chipped in with 10.

For Georgia, Zaza Pachulia bounced back from sub-par performances with 22 points, while Manuchar Markoishvili finished with 16 and Viktor Sanikidze with 10.

"We took a lot of three-pointers because they played zone defense and it proved a good tactic because our shots went in and made our life easier," Lakovic sad after the game.

Slovenia hit 15 of 35 three-point attempts for 43%, four more made shots than they had inside the arc.

Georgia had the better start and, with a great blitz on defense, managed to open a 10-point gap at the end of the first quarter once Marquez Haynes scored from the arc to make it 25-15.

The gap grew to 13 points before Slovenia used their three-point proficiency to rally all the way back and tie the game at 40 at the break.

They connected on 11 shots from beyond the arc in the first half alone.

The close game continued for 17 more minutes before Lakovic hit another big three-pointer that pushed the lead to eight, 73-65, and forced Georgia to spend the closing minutes chasing Slovenia.

On Sunday, Slovenia will take on Belgium while Georgia have a tough and very important battle against Ukraine.

www.eurobasket2011.com (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/default.asp?cid={13FE876A-D668-47E5-BFDF-C043215442BF}&compID={D166E39E-2323-4863-B229-76357A926FA2}&season=2011&roundID=7526&gameID=7983-D-9-3)

[velik_m]

Slovenia v Belgium - Sunday at 21:00 (20:00 CET)

Prior to this EuroBasket, Belgium's last appearance in the tournament dated back to 1993 and it was also the last time they won a game.

The opponent they beat back then? Slovenia.

Yet it seems like Sunday's game will be anything but easy for Belgium to get their first win.

Slovenia's win over Georgia gave them great momentum as they qualified for the next round.

Dropping a game against the winless Belgium could put a stop to that momentum, yet this will be no walk in the park.

Belgium put up a fight for three quarters against Russia and nearly beat Bulgaria on Thursday.

Thomas van den Spiegel and Ilunga Mbenga will try to limit Slovenia's frontline and keep Belgium in the game long enough to possibly re-create the win from 18 years ago.

Group D Preview - Day 5 (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_xjf7SzWVHbQcIoetR4MNJ2.articleMode_on.html)

[Kobayagi]

I remember the game 18 years ago. Wow, I'm old, that's depressing :(

[velik_m]

I remember the game 18 years ago. Wow, I'm old, that's depressing :(

I tried to suppress the memory, i don't think i will ever be able to. It was the start of a long series of disappointments from our national team :depressed

[Texas_Ranger]

Wow!! We defeated Beligum!! YEA BABY!!!

I expect a 25 point loss agains Russia... I really hope I'm wrong.

[velik_m]

Slovenia Made To Sweat By Belgium
04.09.2011

EUROBASKET 2011 (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_jdarGaXqI8kPfag8MHCYc0.articleMode_on.html)

Turning Point: Thomas van den Spiegel had a great game and was the reason Belgium almost stunned Slovenia, but his turnover inside the last minute with his team down by five made the difference between just a three-point game and the seven-point difference that ensued after Zoran Dragic converted the turnover into a basket at the other end.

Game Hero: Goran Dragic scored 18 points and got five steals but more important was his clutch performance. He scored eight points in the closing five minutes.

Stats Don't Lie: Slovenia shot 57% inside the arc and pulled down 14 offensive rebounds against only six for Belgium.

It was anything but easy yet Slovenia is still perfect in Group D following a 70-61 victory over Belgium at Klaipeda on Sunday night.

Goran Dragic was the top scorer of Slovenia with 18 points, no less than eight of them coming in the last five minutes.

Mirza Begic had a good night inside with 14 points and five rebounds.

Thomas Van Den Spiegel collected 16 points and seven rebounds for Belgium in a big game, and was seconded by another veteran Marcus Faison who scored 13.

"We knew that we're going to fight until the end as long as we have a chance to qualify, and that's what we brought to the floor tonight," said Van Den Spiegel.

The nine-point gap was created only in the last seconds of the game.

Before that, Belgium was on the edge of a big upset, but gave in to Slovenia's experience.

Slovenia scored the first points of the game, but saw Belgium answer with 10 points in a row to take their biggest lead of the night.

Yet, quickly the players of Coach Bozidar Maljkovic came back and, by the end of the first quarter, were within one, 15-14.

The close game continued in the second quarter and the teams went into the halftime break with Belgium up 30-29.

However, in the third quarter, Goran and Zoran Dragic took over to put their team up 50-43 lead after 29 minutes.

Van Den Spiegel and Faison showed off their offensive arsenal to bring Belgium back to life.

A three-pointer by Christophe Beghin made it 62-61 with 2:15 to play.

However, once again, Goran Dragic stepped up and made sure his team take the floor on the last day still without a single loss.

On Monday, Slovenia face Russia with the winner taking top honours in the group, while loser finishes second.

Belgium will face Ukraine in the last game to get their first win in a game that won't influence the future of these two teams.
http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/files/%7B46267EC9-863C-43C1-B237-46D63A0E004F%7Dbig_v.jpg

[Venti Quattro]

It's interesting how much more formal and technical FIBA articles are compared to NBA articles. It's like when you read NBA articles, it's expected that you already understand the game.

[velik_m]

Game Of The Day: Russia v Slovenia
05.09.2011

EUROBASKET 2011
(http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_X7TCmMPQINk6wUaboUTg-3.articleMode_on.html)

Russia v Slovenia - Monday at 18:00 (17:00 CET)

Russia and Slovenia will take the floor for a winner-takes-all battle.

Both teams go into their last Group D game with matching 4-0 records, but both had to work hard to get there.

Slovenia didn't run over any opponent and in most games entered the last minutes still with a big question mark.

Russia managed to win an easy game only against Belgium, and had to play down to the wire in the other three contests.

Before mentioning the players involved, one look must be taken at the coaches.

Bozidar Maljkovic on Slovenia's bench will take on David Blatt on Russia's bench.

Two great basketball minds and European basketball legends will turn this game into one of the more interesting tactical wars EuroBasket has to offer.

Don't expect high numbers and great execution.

Both teams take pride first and foremost in their defense and to score against them is one of the most frustrating experiences a player can have these days.

Erazem Lorbek on one side and Andrei Kirilenko on the other will set the tone, but the power of both sides lies in other values.

Slovenia take pride in their guards - the Dragic brothers and Jaka Lakovic form a trio of experience players that have been around.

For Russia, the backcourt leaders are Vitaliy Fridzon - who is shooting 66.7% from beyond the arc - and the crafty Alexey Shved.

However, they are both young and inexperienced in such big stage.

This will be a tough and aggressive battle for 40 minutes, and one thing is for sure - the winner will earn that win with a hard-nosed job.

Head-to-Head: These two have met only four times in the past and the last time was many moons ago, back in 2002 during the Qualifying Round. The record stands at three wins for Russia and one for Slovenia, but they took the last one. In EuroBasket games, not counting qualifying rounds, Russia won both games and both wins were by a double-digit margin.

Last Time Out: Slovenia had to sweat it out for 40 minutes to beat Belgium 70-61, while Russia had more trouble than planned against Bulgaria but took an 89-77 win.

Key Match-Up: The obvious key match-up is between the two star power-forwards - Lorbek and Kirilenko - but pay attention to the two giants. Timofey Mozgov of Russia and Mirza Begic of Slovenia are big towers in the paint. Each had good and bad games here, but the one who steps up on Monday can make it very difficult on the other side to score around the rim.

Key Stat: Russia and Slovenia are ranked second and third in fewest points allowed in the tournament. Russia allow only 27.5% shooting from three-point land while Slovenia limit their opponent by holding them to the fewest attempts from long range than any other team. The numbers from beyond the arc could be the decisive ones in this great battle.

X-Factor: Goran Dragic of Slovenia had two decent performances and two good ones. Without him in good shape against Russia, it will be very difficult for Slovenia to win. So far in the competition he has hit just one three pointer out of 14 attempts. If he finds his stroke, it could add great value for Slovenia.

Sounding Off: "In theory it's just one game for the first place in the group, but actually both teams will carry this result to the next round so if you win it's actually more than one win. We know it, and Russia knows that too so it's going to be a huge battle" - Uros Slokar of Slovenia knows math.

[angel_luv]

Hey all!

Sorry I've been such a slacker in the thread.
Life got crazy on me, but even so I've been rooting for Slovenia.

Looks like they're doing great! How thrilling! :)

[velik_m]

Kirilenko: "Defense Is Our Trademark"
05.09.2011

EUROBASKET 2011 (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_G1NV5opWHLI4vm0jisJLM3.articleMode_on.html)

By Yarone Arbel

The curtain will come down on the Preliminary Round on Monday evening, and Group D has saved the best for last - a game for the first place between two big teams as Russia and Slovenia.

The next round is already around the corner and both teams know the result of the game will be carried intor Round 2 in Vilnius, which makes it even more important than just taking top honours in Group D.

For Andrei Kirilenko every game matters and he knows why.

The EuroBasket 2007 gold medalist and MVP didn't participate in the 2009 campaign so his winning streak in EuroBasket goes far back to an 81-69 defeat to Spain in the Qualifying Round four years ago.

Since then, he has won eight games in a row at EuroBasket and that's not a common thing considering the heavy load on players and the tough opponent in such competition.

With averages of 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 steals through the first four games, Kirilenko is once again the main player on Russia's squad and the guy to stop.

So Russia is 4-0 but three of those wins were earned with sweat and went down to the wire, even against teams that on paper aren't considered in the same class as Russia.

"I'm not sure what we do to win these games in the stretch," said Kirilenko.

"There are a lot of good teams here and it's not easy to win by a large margin these days in European basketball because the level improved so much.

"Maybe we have some players with more experience that know what to do with the ball in the closing minutes and that's what helps us to win."

Trying to compare between the experiences of the golden team and the current one is a bit too far-fetched for Kirilenko who prefers to give each of the squads the credit they deserve.

"There are some differences between this team and the one from 2007," Kirilenko offered.

"First of all the 2007 won gold and this team still didn't do anything.

"The one from 2007 had a lot of veterans on it that felt like it's their last chance to do something big and fought really hard for it.

"The one from this year has a lot of young players that are still developing and gaining experience, but they are still great players who want to learn and become better.

"EuroBasket is really a great field for them to do that because the level is very high and it's very demanding also in the national level."

Targeting the title again might be a bit too early, but for a team that won only four years ago, Russia can't settle for less than a good performance again.

"We're a defensive oriented team and it's our business card," he explained.

"If we want to win games here that's what we need to do, and that's the only way we could beat Slovenia and roll on from there.

"They are a very good team with a lot of strong players here but we have our hopes.

"We want to make it to the title game again, but if that doesn't work out the minimum is to get a ticket to the Olympics Qualifying games.

"But we don't think about that yet. We take it game by game and that's the only way to make these things happen."

The first step towards achieveing those targets starts with taking care of Slovenia on Monday.

[velik_m]

Looks like they're doing great! How thrilling! :)

Great is not the word i would use, ok would be better.

[Texas_Ranger]

Our old coach Pipan just showed how bad of a coach he really is... Reall happy that I don't need to watch him on our bench anymore.

[Kobayagi]

Shit, so close and Turkey would be out.


I bet we get Turkey in QF, Pipan fucking us over even when not on our bench.

[velik_m]

Good start.

[ploto]

Whatever you're doing-- keep doing it!!

[velik_m]

Did we even score since they put up the zone D?

[velik_m]

Damn, i don't know what about this game makes me so nervous...

[velik_m]

40-34 @ half. Good defense so far, they hit some though shots. If we can keep this level of defense throughout the game we have a chance.

[ploto]

Good defense. I should be thrilled being up by 6 at half, but I can not help but think the lead should be larger.

[velik_m]

Poor rebounding. I don't think we win this one.

[ploto]

Grab a rebound!!!

[ploto]

Dragic (?) drawing the charge!

[ploto]

:bang:bang

[velik_m]

we fucked up

[xeromass]

Crap. Won't end well.

[velik_m]

And that all she wrote... the only lead of the game for Russia too, i'm heart broken

[xeromass]

LoL Russians got their first lead in game 0.2s before end. Priceless clutching.

[velik_m]

I really thought that last russian should would go out...:depressed

[ploto]

:depressed:depressed

[velik_m]

Good fight by our team though :tu

[Kobayagi]

4 wins and 1 loss in the last second. I'll take that :tu

At least we've run out of luck early this time, so it won't happen later in the tournament. It's better to lose now. Losing like this will make them stronger.

[Texas_Ranger]

Lakovič and Ožbol shoud go fuck themselfs...stupid fucks.

[ata]

Isn't Božo suposed to be gread strategist?

[ata]

Lakovič and Ožbol shoud go fuck themselfs...stupid fucks.

Hey Texas - why hate on players. Isn't the greatest strategist off all time and beyond responsible for overplaying Jale&Oži. If we don't have offensive sheme, well, what else you can expect as threes.
Russia played small ball and we didn't attack under the rim, Begić was sitting on the bench. Jale&Oži tried ther best - Božo let them try.

Don't me even start how well could Erazem&Goran have played pick'n'roll...

[velik_m]

Monya Gives Russia Group D title
05.09.2011

EUROBASKET 2011 (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_2ZagelCFH0IK3qMoABYK02.articleMode_on.html)

Turning Point: Sergey Monya made a tough jumper from just inside the arc with a hand in his face with 0.2 seconds on the game clock to give Russia a 65-64 win.

Game Hero: Monya didn't make a single field goal in six attempts before the deciding shot that gave Russia the top spot in Group D.

Stats Don't Lie: There was only one lead change in the entire game and that was when Monya sank that game-winning shot.

A huge shot by Sergey Monya with 0.2 seconds left to play gave Russia a 65-64 win over Slovenia and the top spot in Group D at Klaipeda on Monday evening.

Russia finished the Preliminary Round with a perfect 5-0 record and won the group title.

Slovenia dropped their first game in the championship just before the buzzer to finish the group with a 4-1 record in the second place.

Andrey Vorontsevich was on fire and finished with 18 points on 57% shooting, while Viktor Khryapa added 10 points.

Andrei Kirilenko had eight points for Russia but shot just 30% from the floor and spent most of the closing minutes on the bench, from where he saw his team-mates bring the game to last seconds decision.

Monya made just one shot the entire game, the go-ahead basket right before the final buzzer. The value of those points was heavier than others.

Erazem Lorbek had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists and was Slovenia's only player to score in double-digits.

For 39 minutes, 59 seconds and eight tenth of a second there was one leader in the game - Slovenia.

Nevertheless Russia were always close behind, most times by no less than three points, but could never convert.

That changed when Monya hit the clutch shot that pushed the Russian fans to the roof.

A great atmosphere, that made the contest feel like the EuroBasket Final, created the best surroundings for a great game.

Lorbek gave Slovenia a 64-61 lead with 2:11 to play, but Vorontsevich answered quickly to make it a one-point game again.

A great steal by Russia saw Khryapa with a chance to put his team on top for the first time, but on the way to the basket he met Goran Dragic and committed an offensive foul that was also his fifth.

Slovenia missed a pair from the free-throw line and then turned the ball over, but Russia failed to score and Slovenia had the ball with 37 seconds to play.

Jaka Lakovic took a shot right before the shot clock expired, but it rimmed out and Russia had the last chance.

Coach David Blatt called a timeout with seven seconds on the game clock and it led to Monya's game-winning shot that will give Russia a big advantage in the next round.

[Texas_Ranger]

Isn't Božo suposed to be gread strategist?

I still think Božo is at least 3X smarter than Pipan or Mehmed...
And it's not coach's fault that Sasa Ozbolt can't see how much time there is on the clock and that he can't play basketball... Lakovič istn't even a true playmaker cause he can't handle the ball, but Dragič is also not so good, so I don't eve know who should have the ball in crunch time... I do agree that they should play Begič more cause they should know by now that their 3pt shooting is shit... I don't know if any coach could help this team. Slovenia was always a great choking team and today I wasn't surprised that they lost. They had 10 chances to put the Russians away, but they just can't handle the pressure.

Now they should defeat Macedonia, BIH or Finland and even Greece... And please don't say that Macedonia is now a great team cause they defeated Greece, we're still talking about MACEDONIA. No disrespect but if they lose they should go kill themselfs.

And then in te QF I expect a gangrape on our team by Spain, France, Serbia, Lithuania, Tukrey or Germay... The best we could get would be the Lithuanins but I think we should need tobe first now in this new group and I just can't see that.

But I already said that I don't expect a great result from this team, so I'm really not so pumped up as before.

[Texas_Ranger]

oh and congrats to Lakovič for being the best scorer in the history of Slovenian NT.

at least he always plays. Respect to that.

[velik_m]

Group F:


1. F.Y.R. of Macedonia 2/0 4
2. Russia 2/0 4
3. Slovenia 1/1 3
4. Greece 1/1 3
5. Georgia 0/2 2
6. Finland 0/2 2

[ploto]

at least he always plays. Respect to that.

:tu

[angel_luv]

Oh Boo! :(
I am going to go back to staying out of the thread. Our results were better that way!

[ata]

I still think Božo is at least 3X smarter than Pipan or Mehmed...
And it's not coach's fault that Sasa Ozbolt can't see how much time there is on the clock and that he can't play basketball... Lakovič istn't even a true playmaker cause he can't handle the ball, but Dragič is also not so good, so I don't eve know who should have the ball in crunch time... I do agree that they should play Begič more cause they should know by now that their 3pt shooting is shit... I don't know if any coach could help this team. Slovenia was always a great choking team and today I wasn't surprised that they lost. They had 10 chances to put the Russians away, but they just can't handle the pressure.
....

I haven't noticed that he is 3 times better. For now he is leading the team as average as anybody else.
Maljković is playing Ožbolt. It is his responibility that Ožbolt was replaced so late in 4th quarter. Ožbolt was playing hard last night, he was just replaced to late. Same with Lakovič. Lakovič should get few minutes on the bench at beginning of 4Q, to be rest at the end.
And yes, when Russia played small ball, Begić should be in the game.

Those are all coaches decisions, I haven't seen any game changing decisions from Maljković yet! He is payed very well and he hasn't delivered nothing.

[Mehmed Bečirovič]

I haven't noticed that he is 3 times better. For now he is leading the team as average as anybody else.
Maljković is playing Ožbolt. It is his responibility that Ožbolt was replaced so late in 4th quarter. Ožbolt was playing hard last night, he was just replaced to late. Same with Lakovič. Lakovič should get few minutes on the bench at beginning of 4Q, to be rest at the end.
And yes, when Russia played small ball, Begić should be in the game.

Those are all coaches decisions, I haven't seen any game changing decisions from Maljković yet! He is payed very well and he hasn't delivered nothing.


I agree. Božo hasn't impressed me at all yet. He's just sitting there on the bench. Time passed by him IMO.
The best thing of this tournament for me is Begič. He's consistent and isn't afraid to play under the rim at his C position. He can block a shot too!

[sendman]

I agree. Božo hasn't impressed me at all yet. He's just sitting there on the bench. Time passed by him IMO.
The best thing of this tournament for me is Begič. He's consistent and isn't afraid to play under the rim at his C position. He can block a shot too!
You don't have to jump up and down like a monkey to be a good coach. But I agree that Maljković has had a few "brain farts" during this tournament.

[ata]

Begič is very positive surprise for me also. Same for Zoran, I haven't expected game with so much confidence from him.

[VuK]

You don't have to jump up and down like a monkey to be a good coach. But I agree that Maljković has had a few "brain farts" during this tournament.


Shut up you fucking ...!

:nope

[VuK]

All basketball fans can contact me via my email [email protected]

[sendman]

All basketball fans can contact me via my email [email protected]
Yeah, let this well of knowledge into your life.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSF19IhZz0jRXXChMyZsqRyfkIMbVMR5 GikimKq70Cg64El4ipbxg
:lmao:lmao:lmao

[velik_m]

Macedonia beats Georgia 65-63 in the first game of this group. Georgia played without Pachulia.

[velik_m]

Slovenia vs. Greece Preview
08.09.2011

EUROBASKET 2011 (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_JguLoTZ7IgwoFZoepQN7z0.articleMode_on.html)

Preview by Yarone Arbel

Group F - Thursday at 21:00 (20:00 CET)

The main game on the opening day in Group E features two powerhouses of European basketball, in Greece and Slovenia.

Slovenia missed the top spot in Group D to Russia and as a result arrived to Vilnius with a 1-1 record.

Greece was shocked by F.Y.R. of Macedonia by 14 points and carry that loss with them to stand on 1-1 as well.

This means the winner of the game will take not only have a one win advantage, with only two games to play, but also hold a better position in case of a tie-breaker will be needed.

With the intimidating teams arriving to the Quarter-Finals from the parallel group, this game can prove to be a "make or break" affair.

While nobody on the Greek team but Antonios Fotsis was born before 1983, in Slovenia we see no less than five players, all of them playing massive minutes, which are already 30 or older.

The two-day gap gave the older squad of Slovenia time to rest their bodies but in such an intense defensive battle fatigue could become a factor as well.

This is expected to be one of the most intense games in this round, mostly due to the close history these two teams share, as mentioned below.

With the pressure that comes with the importance of the game, the slow pace of both teams, the very hard defense on each side and the close history don't be surprised to see this game decided in the last seconds as well.

Head-to-Head: These two played each other five teams already with Slovenia winning the first three games; Greece were on top in the last two. Yet the most important games of the five were the last two in the previous two EuroBaskets. In 2007, Greece won the Quarter-Final battle 63-62 after one of the biggest comebacks in EuroBasket history from 49-61 with 2:40 to play. Two years ago the two sides played for the bronze medal and once again Greece won by a single point, 63-62 this time.

Last Time Out: Slovenia led for 39:59.8 minutes against Russia but lost right with the buzzer and missed the top spot in Group D. Greece eliminated Croatia with a 74-69 victory to finish second in Group C.

Key Match-Up: Greece's Antonios Fotsis and Slovenia's Erazem Lorbek are two major forces in today's European basketball. Their top performance in EuroBasket 2011 for their national teams is another proof for that, if anyone needed that. Lorbek averaged so far 12.6 points and 5.6 rebounds while Fotsis is almost identical with 13 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Key Stat: Both teams are ranked in the lower third of the 24 teams on offense, and are only second and third to Russia in the Points Allowed category. Defensive figures will decide this encounter.

X-Factor: Kostas Vasileiadis of Greece is one of the best three point shooters in Europe. He was just one out of 13 in the first three Preliminary Round games but in the last two hit three in each game with good accuracy. If he continues this way against Slovenia, Greece will earn nine or even more points from long distance and in a game that is expected to be so defense-oriented it can make a huge difference.

Sounding Off: "We can get a lot from the first game against Greece and we have to take it as one of the finals, however we cannot be obsessed with that. This is a long tournament, a lot of games are played and at the end the champion will be the team which will be physically and psychologically the best. Greece is a great squad, although they don't have the best players with them and they play great defense. They don't allow big number of points so I think they will play very controlled." -Slovenia's Jaka Lakovic.

[Kobayagi]

Bukefal, congrats for advancing to QF.

[velik_m]

Russia beat Finland 79:60.

[velik_m]

Poor defense so far. Lorbek has been useless out there

[Pero]

We're pathetic.

[velik_m]

We're getting schooled by the greeks.

I like how our coach just watched greeks build that lead without calling timeout, making a sub or call for a change in our defense. I'm sure it's all part of a master plan.

[ForeignFan]

44-37 for Greece at this point - not over yet

[velik_m]

Slovenia 46-44 after 3rd. Greeks confused by the zone D.

[Pero]

Slovenia leads 46-44 at the end of 3rd quarter.

[Pero]

Damn, it seems like Smodis is just a faint shadow of his former self.

[Pero]

There is something seriously wrong with this Slovenian team. They should be able to beat this Greek team by 15 points.
Why? It's not a very good team.

[Pero]

Congrats Greece, you deserved this one.

[velik_m]

So we now need to fight for that 4th spot in qf, the way we play it's going to be though even against Macedonia and Finland

[Pero]

BTW, did Boris just say that Goran Fucking Dragič is a great free throw shooter? :lol

[velik_m]

Also: Begič is our best player - which is just sad.

[Pero]

Greece not being the best they can be doesn't turn our team into a good one.

[pass1st]

Guys couldn't beat the Greek-American team?

[Texas_Ranger]

It's a great think that the Bosnian is the best Slovenian player. Z. Dragič also good, Lorbek solid... Others should never play basketball anymore. G. Dragič is a LMAO and Lakovič's one pathetic PG. Slokar should work on a farm and Edo Murič should give up on basketball. Jagodnik is too fucking old, Samo Udrih HAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHA, Smodiš is finished, Ožbolt, oh man... I know that Rupnik is just 18 years old but that kid will never be our savior or something, you can see that he just isn't that special. Fuck our coach, fuck you Beno and other quitters. Our basketball future looks like shit and that is just how we looked today. I know I said I don't expect great things with this roster, but Greece is even shittier. I just hope no one will expect a medal from this team. I would be really happy if Finland and Macedonia crush us, cause we better not face Spain or France, those teams from the other group would fucking rape us bad.

Good night. :D

[Venti Quattro]

Rubio sucksPERIOD

[Slo spurs fan]

Congrats Manu_Forever. Our team is just not... a team. And how was I wrong about Maljkovič. It is really a sad day for me.

[Texas_Ranger]

Goran Dragic did really play like crap in that game. I mean impossibly bad. It was worse than watching Rubio. Honestly, I like Goran's brother a lot more.

Goran Dragič looked like crap the whole tournament. His brother plays 100X times better.

[ata]

There is something seriously wrong with this Slovenian team. They should be able to beat this Greek team by 15 points.

Yes it is. Coach!

[Pero]

Yes it is. Coach!

Perhaps it's true, but it also seems to me that people had/have unreasonably high expectations for this team. Everybody dreaming some nonsense about a medal, when top 8 is probably the most they can do. Anything more would be a pleasant surprise.

[InK]

Perhaps it's true, but it also seems to me that people had/have unreasonably high expectations for this team. Everybody dreaming some nonsense about a medal, when top 8 is probably the most they can do. Anything more would be a pleasant surprise.


A lot of us just want to see them playing decent basketball, thats about it.

And there is little to be happy about, only to bright spots are Zoran and Begič. Everyone else seems to have either regressed or is over the hill.

Lakovič apperently cant pass the ball and he is a PG, and with his shooting beeing off the whole tournament, it just creates a great reliable feeling at start of each offensive possesion. G.Dragič is playing completely out of control and frantic and cant buy a midrange-longrange bucket to save his life. And Ožbolt got injured one to many times, thinks he is better then he is, shooting 3s everytime he gets the ball, running down the clock by dribbling and making bad passes and TO as time expires. Udrih is as bad as expected

This right here is our main issue, weak backcourt (at least judging from the play this last week). Lorbek, Begic, Smodis and Slokar are playing fine.

[Kobayagi]

Hate to admit it, but the fake greek's got a point.

[Pero]

...This right here is our main issue, weak backcourt (at least judging from the play this last week). Lorbek, Begic, Smodis and Slokar are playing fine.
I don't think Smodis is playing fine but agree on the rest.



And that the 3 point line will be left open all the time.

I guess in teams like the Suns and Rockets he did not need to develop a good 3 point shot because they just ran up and down the court the whole game with easy offense and never played defense.

The thing is he's been missing wide open 3 point shots too. He had a great 3 point shot in his second season with the Suns but then regressed. Perhaps it was a fluke.
As for defense, yeah, I think he was a way better defender before he went to the NBA.

[Kobayagi]

The saddest thing is that we don't really miss all those players that are not playing this time. We don't miss Nachbar, because Zoran is playing great. With Nachbar we would be a little better on offense, but we would be a lot weaker on defense. We don't miss Brezec because Begić is doing helluva job at center. The only one we miss, is Beno, but if you add Beno to this team....well, let's just say that one player doesn't really make it all different. If that player's name is James or Durant, yes, but not Beno Udrih. :depressed

[velik_m]

The saddest thing is that we don't really miss all those players that are not playing this time. We don't miss Nachbar, because Zoran is playing great. With Nachbar we would be a little better on offense, but we would be a lot weaker on defense. We don't miss Brezec because Begić is doing helluva job at center. The only one we miss, is Beno, but if you add Beno to this team....well, let's just say that one player doesn't really make it all different. If that player's name is James or Durant, yes, but not Beno Udrih. :depressed

Sani would be great too, especially in this long slow attack type we're playing. Plus he's good at being pg, and we could use someone to be able to bring the ball up safely.

[velik_m]

I Feel Slovenia… In Vilnius
09.09.2011

I Feel Slovenia - the only country that includes the word ‘love' within its name.

That was the theme of the presentation the host country of EuroBasket 2013 delivered on Friday to the media covering the EuroBasket in Lithuania.

"I don't remember any press conference of the Slovenian Prime Minister to have so many people as there are here today," Darijan Kosir, Slovenian Government Director of Communications said jokingly upon seeing that media representatives from all over Europe had inundated a central hotel in downtown Vilnius to attend.

More + video for angel (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_7kZAte0dIowgkPcA6ZX-U0.articleMode_on.html)

[velik_m]

F.Y.R of Macedonia vs. Slovenia Preview
10.09.2011

EUROBASKET 2011 (http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/coid_JH,k8HQ4H-knEccMJEp7b3.articleMode_on.html)

Preview by Yarone Arbel

GROUP F - SATURDAY AT 18:00 (17:00 CET)

If someone told you before the EuroBasket tipped off that Slovenia and F.Y.R. of Macedonia will meet in the Second Round, that would have made good sense.

If that same person had told you the first team will hold a 3-0 record, have the quarter-final ticket in their pocket and arrive to the game with a five-game winning streak while the other with a 1-2 record, two losses in a row and still in hope to make the next round, that might have made sense too.

Yet if you were told the first team was F.Y.R. of Macedonia and the second Slovenia, chances are you would have trouble believing it.

Slovenia will host EuroBasket 2013, which is the big target for success of course, but their level of expectation is still high already now.

The disappointment in Slovenia's camp after the loss to Greece matches these hopes, and the fact it was a close game down the stretch isn't a comfort.

For this reason the importance of the Saturday game becomes so big.

Slovenia needs this win not only to be back on the winning track after back-to-back losses and earn the ticket to Kaunas, but also to regain confidence and good momentum.

The two teams met already during the preparations for the EuroBasket, with F.Y.R. of Macedonia missing both Bo McCalebb and Todor Gecevski, and Slovenia won after a hard battle.

F.Y.R. of Macedonia punched their ticket to a historical quarter-finals with the close win over Georgia.

Coach Dokuzovski mentioned after the game how difficult it was for his team to play as the favourites with the pressure on their back.

Against another traditional powerhouse, with the ticket to the next phase secured and no Independence Day celebrations, F.Y.R. of Macedonia will once again enjoy a day on the floor with less pressure.

Luckily for them if pressure still bothers them, or any other problem surfaces, they still have Mr. McCalebb.

Head-to-Head: The two teams have met four times in the past, all in qualification to the EuroBasket. F.Y.R. of Macedonia won the first encounter but saw Slovenia better them in the following three, including a 103-82 win in the last game more than 10 years ago.

Last Time Out: Slovenia almost upset Greece but lost 69-60 and fell to a 1-2 record. F.Y.R. of Macedonia edged Georgia 65-63 thanks to a clutch lay-up by Bo McCalebb.

Key Match-Up: Goran Dragic and Bo McCalebb are two of the top point guards in this championship. Dragic is tall and athletic. McCalebb is small and quick. The first tallied so far 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists but once his three-point shot will go in, he can kill any team. Bo stands on 21.7 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals.

Key Stat: Slovenia hit six out of 25 attempts from the arc against Greece, including an awful shooting performance in the first half. To beat F.Y.R. of Macedonia they will have to do better than that.

X-Factor: Can Mirza Begic repeat his performance against Greece? The giant Slovenian had a great night with eight points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. So far in the EuroBasket after every good game came a drop. Slovenia will need him to keep his level up against the opposing big guys.

Sounding Off: "F.Y.R. of Macedonia is not worst than Greece. They have experienced players, which are smart and they have McCalebb. I expect a really tough match. We can't shoot so bad from the free throw line and we must pass the ball much quicker than we did against Greece," says Slovenia Head Coach Bozidar Maljkovic.

[velik_m]

Finland beat Georgia 87-73. That means game with Finland will be do or die for us. Historically do or die games with inferior opponents always resulted in a loss for our team.

[velik_m]

Slovenia starts off with a crappy D. WTF was Jagodnik doing in starting 5 and what is Samo doing on the floor.

[velik_m]

More suckage in the second quarter. Macedonia leads 39-31 @half. Our coach is an idiot.

[Pero]

This is just sad.

[Pero]

How many times this tournament did Dragic put his head down ran into a crowd and lost the ball?

[Pero]

Damn, I didn't have high expectations, kind of understand losing against Greece, but this is really pathetic.

[Pero]

Jagodnik thinks he's Robert Horry or what?

[Pero]

Macedonia up by 17.

[Pero]

ROFL 3 on 1 and we don't score. Incredible.

[Pero]

God damn it Jagodnik what the fuck?!?! Stop shooting the ball every time you get it damn it.

[Texas_Ranger]

Fuck this shit....

GO FINLAND GO!!!

[pass1st]

Macedonia vs Spain

I'd watch that

[velik_m]

We suck.

I almost want to root for Finland to end this misery.

[velik_m]

Macedonia vs Spain

I'd watch that

Macedonia will play Lithuania.

[Pero]

We suck.

I almost want to root for Finland to end this misery.

Wouldn't it be awesome if we end up fourth and beat France or Spain in the quarter-finals though? :lol

[pass1st]

Macedonia will play Lithuania.

Might beat them, anything can happen. The Greek-American team is still in the game so miracles happen.

[Venti Quattro]

sLOLvenia

sl:lolvenia

:lol losing to Greece's bastard stepbrother

[Mel_13]

He is used to NBA. They automatically give the offensive player the whistle for just throwing themselves into a pile of defenders. That nonsense fake crap is not allowed in FIBA.

KBP called something fake. :rollin

[ata]

ROFL 3 on 1 and we don't score. Incredible.

Vaginko?

[ata]

Thank you Božo!

PS: Is there moneyback guarantie?