It looks like Božo sucks balls, but those pathetic players can't even make easy wide open shots. They are all pathetic... I really hope Finland will defeat us.
I just hope to watch good basketball in the elimination rounds and Finland are a fun team to watch. I'm glad there's more countries participating in Eurobasket this year, because it was and still is refreshing to see new teams like Macedonia, Finland, Bosnia, Montenegro and Georgia fighting it out.
Slovenian team is atrocious to watch. I wouldn't mind losing if they played well, but with games like today's I really hope they don't get too far. I'd rather watch Finland in the quarterfinals.
Deserved....sLOLvenia
slvenia
Slovenia Left On The Brink
10.09.2011
EUROBASKET 2011
Turning Point: F.Y.R. of Macedonia finished the third quarter with a 13-5 run and Slovenia couldn't recover.
Game Hero: Bo McCalebb did another good job for F.Y.R. of Macedonia with 19 points and 4 assists.
Stats Don't Lie: Scoring a paltry 42 points during the first three quarters tells the story.
Slovenia's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals are now on a knife edge after they moved to three losses in Group F.
With their offense labouring badly for long periods, they paid the price as a buoyant F.Y.R. of Macedonia capitalised with an 68-59 victory to extend their winning streak to an impressive six games.
The first quarter was a classic period of runs as F.Y.R. of Macedonia scored the first seven points of the game. Goran Dragic then almost single handed brought the teams level as he scored seven points on his own.
There was soon a real sense of déjŕ vu inside the Vilnius Arena as F.Y.R. of Macedonia scored another seven points without reply, a sequence broken once again by Goran Dragic.
The Slovenian offense was misfiring badly and, not surprisingly, F.Y.R. of Macedonia punished them by taking an early double digit lead at 19-9.
Having been the only scorer for the first nine minutes of the game, Goran Dragic was replaced by his brother meaning Slovenia had to find alternatives and they certainly did.
During a devastating six-minute spell, they came alive with a 12-1 run to take the lead after upping their game at both ends of the floor. F.Y.R. of Macedonia then continued the pattern of isolated runs to respond with 10 of the last 12 points to lead 39-31 at the interval.
They continued their good work when they returned to the floor, increasing their lead to double digits by the end of the third period but were rocked by a worrying arm injury to Todor Gechevski.
With Slovenia's offense in disarray and remaining disjointed, F.Y.R. of Macedonia was able to finish the job with relative ease during the remainder of the game, despite the loss of their influential big man.
Slovenia did manage to close the gap to six points down the stretch but it proved to be too little too late.
Slovenia vs. Finland Preview
12.09.2011
EUROBASKET 2011
Preview by Yarone Arbel
GROUP F - MONDAY AT 15:30 (14:30 CET)
To have a nightmare and a great dream at the same time is impossible, but when these two collide you can be sure something interesting is going to happen.
The encounter between Finland and Slovenia will mix these experiences as each side will carry one in its pocket.
For Slovenia playing against Finland to avoid the falling between the 9th and 12th spot, in the current situation, is a nightmare.
Finland on the other side need to pinch themselves to believe they are 40 minutes from making the Quarter-Finals of a EuroBasket.
It's strange to say but it's not easy to announce the favorite before this game.
A powerhouse as Slovenia, who came one bucket from winning a medal only two years ago, have lost three games in a row.
Worse than that in the last two games they are playing without energy and chemistry.
Two things that make the difference in their favour usually, and the ones that helped them win four consecutive games at the beginning of the championship.
Finland showed that when things connect for them they can be dangerous for any team.
As long as the score stays close expect two things to go in effect - pressure on Slovenia's side and good momentum on Finland's.
Slovenia will probably try to send a message from the start to avoid these two situations to arise.
Yet Finland isn't a team that gives up easily, and they surely won't give up on such rare chance so quickly.
Head-to-Head: The two teams have met three times already yet the last time was 14 years ago. Slovenia won all three games with the smallest gap being 13 points.
Last Time Out: Slovenia fell against Russia 68-59 and wrote their third defeat in a row. Finland upset Georgia 87-73, their second win in last three games.
Key Match-Up: Erazem Lorbek had only four points in 25% from the floor against F.Y.R. of Macedonia, and he'll have to bounce back from that. On the other side will wait Gerald Lee who's having a good tournament and is the main force of Finland in the paint. If Lorbek outplays Lee Slovenia will be on the way up, but if it's the other way around Finland will be on their way to making history.
Key Stat: Finland hit nine three pointers in 42.9% in the game against Russia, while in their win over Georgia jumped to 13 three pointers in 50%. Maintaining such great accuracy will be very difficult but on the other side wait Slovenia who scored in their last three losses only 16 three pointers in 71 attempts. The arc might play an important role in this battle.
X-Factor: Slovenia's Mirza Begic is a force Finland doesn't have. A 2.16m big guy with a presence under the boards is something the Finns could have trouble handling. Begic is having a good tournament but with ups and downs. If he manages to dominate against the short Finnish roster, Slovenia will have an easier time.
Sounding Off: "Where's Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Georgia? They are all at home now because Finland finished ahead of them. If we don't want to go home like these teams we can't under estimate them," says Goran Jagodnik of Slovenia.
Please Finland kick our ass. I couldn't watch Spain totally destroy us.
Are Jane Ahonen and Mati Hautameki also playing for them??
Slovenia 75 - Finland 64
14pts in 1st quarter
LMAO if we lose... Dragic should not be on the floor in this kind of situation, dude is about as reliable with free throws as Shaq.
Great, now we have to watch this misery for three more games...
Quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals?Great, now we have to watch this misery for three more games...
Yea baby we defeated Finland!!!! PARTY!!!
If we can defeat Finland, we can beat everyone!!!!!!!
Spain by 37.
Though I'm hoping for an upset I'll be satisfied if we don't lose by more than 15 points or so.
Spain is going to win, but I think Slovenia has enough tools and balls to make it respectable.
Spain by at least +25.
Spain by 18, because they'll play entire last quarter with their bench players, allowing us to bring the margin down.
Slovenia Book Quarter-Final Spot
12.09.2011
EUROBASKET 2011
Turning Point: With Finland having cut the deficit to six points heading into the final quarter, Erazem Lorbek stepped up for Slovenia with six quick-fire points to ease the nerves and give his team the cushion they needed.
Game Hero: Uros Slokar finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds and no turnovers.
Stats Don't Lie: Slovenia did a great job of keeping Finland off the offensive glass and gave up only 6 second chance points.
Slovenia ended their recent losing streak to punch their quarter-final ticket after seeing off Finland in a do-or-die Group F encounter.
While it was far from flawless and involved surviving a fourth quarter drought and late scare, Slovenia responded to the recent criticism and pressure by claiming a 67-60 success.
As for Finland, their remarkable journey ended in slightly disappointing fashion as they missed a golden opportunity to make it to the last eight.
They were always on the back foot from the early stages with Coach Henrik Dettmann calling time-out, his team 22-15 behind.
Once Slovenia began making perimeter shots, it became even more difficult as they built up a commanding 14-point advantage at 42-28 by the half-time break.
If the Finns were to have any chance of dragging themselves back into the game, they needed to be more aggressive defensively and put Slovenia under some pressure.
They did a better job during the third quarter, giving up only 12 points in ten minutes. That gave them hope of completing a memorable fight back having cut the gap to just six points at 54-48, thanks to some great play in the closing seconds by Tuukka Kotti.
The start of the last quarter was always going to be vital and it was Erazem Lorbek who was the key figure as he delivered with three successive baskets in a 6-2 run for Slovenia.
This took their lead back out to double digits and while they only managed a further seven points in the game, Finland were also misfiring and couldn't capitalise.
Slovenia now head to Kaunas where they will face defending champions Spain in the Quarter-Finals.
Lakovic: "We Have Nothing To Lose"
13.09.2011
EUROBASKET 2011
Jaka Lakovic breathed a big sigh of relief after Monday's victory over Finland at the EuroBasket.
An entire nation did.
Slovenia had turned into one of the leading sides in Europe the past several years but faced the worrying prospect of coming up short of the Quarter-Finals and that's a setback a country doesn't need two years before it hosts the compe ion.
The 67-60 triumph allowed Slovenia to progress to the last eight in Lithuania and also ended a three-game losing streak.
"I hope we can now relax a little bit because the past few days have been very tense and with a lot of pressure," Lakovic told fibaeurope.com
Slovenia, now being led by coach Bozidar Maljkovic, began the tournament with four wins and looked to be heading for a fifth against Russia on 5th September, only for Sergey Monya's jumper with 0.2 seconds left to deny them victory.
Russia won that Group D meeting 65-64 and the result knocked Slovenia out of their rhythm because they next fell to Greece, 69-60, in their Group F opener and followed that with a 68-59 defeat to FYR of Macedonia.
"It has been a struggle," Lakovic said. "We didn't play as a team and we have lacked energy on the court.
"We didn't play as well as we could have and we put ourselves in a very difficult situation heading into the game against Finland."
Slovenia against Finland would ordinarily be a battle of David against Goliath.
The Finns had to go through the Additional Qualifying Round just to reach the EuroBasket.
But a team playing with heart and discipline and led by one of the top coaches in the game, Henrik Dettmann, saw Finland advance from Group C and then beat Georgia.
Their success, coupled with Slovenia's poor form and a losing streak, meant there was everything to play for for both teams.
Slovenia won, but the path of recovery was by no means over as they struggled and only secured victory in the final 30 seconds of the game.
"It was an important win for us," said the veteran Lakovic. "But we had to work until the end for the victory.
"Hopefully this win will help us get our confidence back.
"But we still didn't play well and we have to improve."
By finishing fourth in Group F, Slovenia will take on defending champions Spain in Wednesday's quarter final in Kaunas.
Lakovic knows Spain well having faced their players at international level as well as club level.
The 33-year-old spent five seasons at Barcelona before leaving the ACB club this summer.
"I have so many friends in that Spain team," he said. "I know them well and I also know how tough it will be for us to stop them.
"They are very talented.
"Spain have proved they are favourites. and there are many good teams here.
"They have two great players in Pau and Marc Gasol and play well as a team, which makes them unstoppable.
"They are the better team.
"But in a given game anything can happen and we want to compete well against them.
"We have nothing to lose and that is why we have to be calm and compete."
Ain't that the truth Jaka...Spain vs. Slovenia Preview
13.09.2011
EUROBASKET 2011
FIRST QUARTER-FINAL | WEDNESDAY AT 18:00 (17:00 CET)
Slovenia's Erazem Lorbek has told his team-mates to stand up and be counted when they take on defending champions Spain in Wednesday's Quarter-Final.
Bozidar Maljkovic's men clinched the final spot on offer for the last eight with a win over Finland.
The result halted a three-game losing streak but now comes to biggest test of all and that is Spain, who finished top of Group E.
"We face the best team in the tournament," said Lorbek, who plays for Barcelona in Spain's ACB.
Lorbek is leading Slovenia in scoring, averaging 11 points per game.
"Spain are deep and with their rhythm, they can beat you.
"We will have to show a big improvement, play as a team and give our all."
Slovenia have been out of their rhythm since a 65-64 defeat to Russia in the First Round.
There is one good thing for the Slovenians ahead of the Spain game.
"The fact that we have faced each other twice this summer does help us," said Lorbek.
"But one thing is clear. We have to play much better."
Slovenia lost both of their friendly encounters that were played against Sergio Scariolo's team.
Spain go into the contest sky-high, after their 96-69 triumph over France on Sunday.
The fact that France chose not to play Tony Parker and Joakim Noah did not dampen the mood of the Spanish players, who were keen to finish top of Group E.
The win was Spain's sixth in Lithuania.
If Slovenia are to be successful, they will have to stop Spain from doing what they love, which is to run.
The Spanish got 16 points on fast-breaks against France.
According to Scariolo, Slovenia are capable of doing that.
"It's difficult to score against them," he said. "Few rivals have managed to run against them up to now."
Head-to-Head: Slovenia have won just one of their four meetings with Spain at EuroBaskets. In 2009, Slovenia nearly upset Spain in Warsaw but lost 90-84 after overtime. The teams met at last year's World Championship in the classification round, with Spain winning 97-80.
Last Time Out: Spain thrashed France 96-69 on Sunday while Slovenia edged Finland 67-60.
Key Match-Up: Slovenia's Jaka Lakovic vs Spain's Juan Carlos Navarro. Lakovic played five seasons at Barcelona and was a team-mate of Navarro before leaving the ACB champions this summer. Lakovic is 15 of 44 (34.1%) from behind the arc.
Key Stat: Spain went on a 27-4 run in the third quarter against France to pull away.
Slovenia were seven of 21 (33%) from behind the arc against Finland while Spain finished 10 of 19 (53%) against France.
X-Factor: Slovenia's Uros Slokar. After failing to hit double digits in his previous seven games, Slokar made both of his shots from long range and scored 13 points and also had eight rebounds in the must-win game against the Finns.
Sounding Off: "Spain are a super team and we are just a team," says Slovenia's Jaka Lakovic.
Game is on. crofl spain
If we can keep our 3pt % at 80% we have a chance
ahahaaahaahahahaahahahhhaaa...losing my mind
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