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MAR DEL PLATA (FIBA World Championship) - Manu Ginobili has promised that Argentina will demonstrate their "hunger" for glory in next month's FIBA World Championship.
The country won Olympic gold in Athens two years ago, also capturing the South American Championship the same year, and will look to build on their reputation even further with victory in Japan.
Ginobili told reporters at the team's training camp in Mar del Plata: "It's well-known that all of us are hungry, that we all want more.
"If our at ude had been different, we would have stayed at home. We want to return to the level we had in the 2004 Olympic Games."
Argentina are facing Venezuela in a warm-up game on Friday night and the San Antonio Spurs guard said: "In the first friendlies, we will not be at our best, as we're still in pre-season.
"But everybody's aim is to get to the World Championship opener against France (on August 19) at 100%.
"We're a bit slow and awkward, but we all know each other very well and we know what we need.
"We have to go on being united and to return to the group makes us feel very happy. We've reached two important finals together already, but the atmosphere is like you would expect if we were playing for our first goal."
Argentina will tip off in Group A alongside reigning champions Serbia & Montenegro, France, Venezuela, Nigeria and Lebanon.
"All the teams will want to beat Argentina, because the gold medal in Athens makes us one of the top teams," said Ginobili.
"We'll all have to take care of each other, no matter if they are younger or older. We won't win only with names. We'll progress with hard work, as always."
Thanks.
Perfect for us, we won't be asleep yet
So, GTG, then?
Aww, those are nice pictures of Gino. I miss him.
Argentina and France got a really easy draw. S&M in no way resembles the team of 4 years ago and only got in on invitation, not qualifying high enough in the EC.Argentina will tip off in Group A alongside reigning champions Serbia & Montenegro, France, Venezuela, Nigeria and Lebanon.
ARG - Manu leads Argentina fightback against Venezuela
MAR DEL PLATA (FIBA World Championship) – Argentina marked their preparations for next month’s FIBA World Championship with a 96-82 victory over Venezuela in Mar del Plata.
It was the first time in two years the 2004 Olympic champions had played a game in Argentina and they were made to battle for the win, coming back from 44-37 down at half-time.
Superstar Manu Ginobili was in impressive form for Sergio Hernandez’ team, pouring in 20 points.
And Ginobili’s San Antonio Spurs team-mate Fabricio Oberto believes the result showed promise ahead of the trip to Japan.
“We played very well," he said. "We improved a lot in the second half. In the first period we wanted to do everything, but we could not do anything.
“But we must be patient. It was the first step. We know how to train before a great tournament. The most important thing is to arrive in Japan in good form.”
Argentina will continue their build-up to the FIBA World Championship by playing in a Super Four tournament, along with the Venezuelans, Brazil and New Zealand.
Once in Japan, they will be in Group A with two-time defending champions Serbia & Montenegro - the team that beat them in overtime in the 2002 final in Indianapolis.
France, Lebanon, Nigeria and Venezuela will also be in the pool.
FRA - Bergeaud shrugs off favourites tag
DIVONNE-LES-BAINS (FIBA World Championship) - France coach Claude Bergeaud does not want his high-flying team to be given the favourites tag ahead of the FIBA World Championship in Japan.
Les Bleus, who have a handful of young and promising players, have impressed greatly since winning bronze at the 2005 EuroBasket in Serbia & Montenegro.
They will play in the FIBA World Championship for the first time in 20 years next month and are hungry for more success.
And so far their preparation has been flawless with a win over Switzerland (84-56) and convincing victories over Senegal (95-58), 2003 EuroBasket winners Lithuania (71-64) and China (76-57) in an international tournament staged in Strasbourg last weekend. But Bergeaud is keen to stress that his side should not be considered the best tip for success in Japan.
"We are not the favourites for the FIBA World Championship,” he said. "The United States have managed to create a compe ive team and could well reach the final.
"Argentina and Greece are also very close to snatching the le, not to mention Serbia & Montenegro, who have acquired a real iden y to their game"
Bergeaud does expect his side to reach the last eight though.
"Our prime objective is to book our ticket to the quarter-finals, that would be normal,” he added. "But in the last four, there could well be a European surprise, maybe France"
France, who will play a total of 12 warm-up matches before the tournament, are in Group A along with Argentina, Lebanon, Nigeria, Serbia & Montenegro and Venezuela, and will kick-off their campaign on August 19 against Argentina.
"Last year at the EuroBasket we suffered a difficult start before finished on a high,” said Bergeaud. "This time we will have to be ready right from the start. That is why we've played so many preparation matches.
"Both Argentina and Serbia are excellent teams who are among the favourites to win. It means the start of the compe ion will be extremely tough for us. We have to be well prepared"
France's strength comes from a good mixture of young and experienced players.
While Laurent Foirest and Frederic Weis are the only survivors from the team that won silver at the Sydney Olympics six years ago, Bergeaud has gradually brought in fresh blood into the national team such as San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker and Phoenix Suns forward Boris Diaw, who was appointed captain last weekend.
Johan Petro (Seattle SuperSonics), Mickael Pietrus (Golden State Warriors) and Ronny Turiaf (Los Angeles Lakers) are the other three NBA players in the French squad.
But Bergeaud insisted that despite talent, a team is nothing without collective spirit.
"We have not yet decided on the five first-team members, but it will not necessarily be a five-man NBA team,” he said.
"Those players are under the limelight all the time but it does not mean they are the best. This is the collective spirit that will make the team strong, not individuals"
France will next week face Italy, Croatia and 2005 EuroBasket champions Greece in a tournament in Athens from July 31 to August 2 before taking on Italy and Turkey or Germany in Berlin on August 4-5.
Great France has friendlies with Italy, Croatia, Greece, Germany... while we're picking on Quatar and Lebanon. Our weaknesses will be exposed in Singapore, but by then it will be too late to do something about them.
:p
I'm stupid girl... I don't get it...
Me either. But I figured it was a Slovenian thing
"velik m" translated into english would be "big m", that should clear it up for you
All teams got an easy draw, FIBA extendend the amount of teams to 24 so...
"velik m" translated into english would be "big m", that should clear it up for you
Buttons (Boutons??) + Slovenia = Velik M ???
I don't think I got it.
No, they didn't because the "lower" teams are NOT evenly spread out. Don't get defensive because I mentioned Argentina; it is just the luck of the draw. France and Argentina have no real compe on at all in their group but the two of them. They will be more rested for the Round of 16 than teams in harder groups.
not to mention they cross with the weakest group in the round of 16.
Buttons (Boutons??) + Slovenia = Velik M ???
I don't think I got it.
Is the thread in the buttons supposed to be a clue too?
I am afraid you will have to break it down for me Slomo.
TUR - Strong second quarter propels Turkey past Slovenia
ANKARA (FIBA World Championship) - Turkey turned on the style in the second quarter to claim a huge advantage against Slovenia on Sunday before cruising to a 93-70 triumph on the last day of Efes Pilsen World Cup.
With each side having thrashed fellow FIBA World Championship sides Qatar and Lebanon in their previous games in Ankara, this was a battle of the unbeatens and the Slovenians jumped out to a 17-16 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Bogdan Tanjevic's team hit back in the second period, however, outscoring the visitors 27-12 for a 43-29 lead at half-time and they extended the advantage to 66-49 by the end of the third quarter.
The home side, who got a game-high 16 points from Ermal Kurto?lu, pressed home their advantage in the fourth for the 23-point margin of victory.
Ibrahim Kutluay had 15 points and Cenk Akyol, who made the all-tournament team at the recently completed U20 European Championships in Izmir, finished with 11. Veteran guard Serkan Erdogan, who looks set to give Turkey a lift in Japan after it was feared he would miss due to concerns about his knee, weighed in with 10.
For Slovenia, Primoz Brezec had 15 points.
ARG - Hernandez happy with Argentinians' progress ahead of Japan
MAR DEL PLATA (FIBA World Championship) - Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez is very pleased with the at ude of his players and the progress they have made in their preparations for the FIBA World Championship.
The Olympic champions, who count the likes of Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni and Luis Scola among their ranks, beat Group A rivals Venezuela 96-82 in Mar del Plata in their first warm-up game for the tournament, which begins on August 19.
"We have made more progress than I expected,'' said Hernandez. "You never get used to training at such a high level, with so much talent all together.''
And the coach had special words of praise for the team`s willingness to learn.
"The top players are the ones who ask questions, the ones who want to know all the details,'' he added.
"The relationship between me and the players surpassed what I had expected. They have a wonderful respect and they recognise they need to be coached.''
End of the 1st Half
Argentina leads by 15 over Venezuela
Scorers:
Scola 13, 4 RB, 2 Blk
Hermann 10
Delfino 7
Manu 5
Oberto4, and 5 RB
Scola Time
19 Points and now 2 FT, with 7 left in the 3rd
Unstopable
End of the 3rd quarter, Argentina 73 Venezuela 40
Scola 25 pts
End of the 3rd
73-40
Scola 25 Points and 7-8 RB
Scola is Singing "Don´t cry for me SAS"
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