Thanks for keeping everyone up to date, Yuyuza. I don't get ESPN3 so the best I have is http://live.fibaeurope.com/www/Game.aspx?acc=1&gameID=9628&lng=en but for some reason that overfills my screen and I can't see the bottom portion.
You can also watch here: http://mumbojumbo-040911.blogspot.com/p/channel-2.html Nic has 3 dunks in the first 2 mins. Horrible D by ITA.
Fantastic. I have video. Thanks. I barely hear it at maximum volume, but this is sure better than a box score. Italy up by 7 because of Bargnani.
I checked 9 of the 11 sites (2 required registration) but none were in English, so I'll stick with your original one in English and keep my ear next to the speaker. That argument involving Batum and others lasted only about 10 seconds. If Stern were in charge, everyone would be suspended a game, but in the rest of world, it's no problem. The Italian coach is the stereotype of Italian arm gesturing.
Batum dribbles fullcourt fast, has to be fouled on the way to the layup. If McMillan tried the fast break, it would generate opponent fouls like that. France has come back and is down 2. Italy has the big men and France has the other positions. If these teams merged it would be a good balanced NBA team. 56-53 Italy.
Batum blocks at a strategic moment, the announcer goes bananas and yells, "The arms just go on forever!" Did he just say Batum leads the tournament in steals? He just got his third. 1-point game, about 2 1/2 minutes left.
I take back what I said about Italy having the better big guys. They have the better height, but French guys are showing their inside moves now. Batum plays stealth there like here, with steals and blocks. His coach saved him for the last 3 minutes. Half a minute left, France up 5. Turns out France had a higher gear in reserve that they showed only in the last 3 minutes.
Nic on both ends, and Diaw in the post on offense sealed it. Gallo and Bustnani wilted under the pressure. Nic with his best game of the tourney so far, with Parker benched for some reason. 20pts, 5rebs, 1ast, 4stls, 1blk.
Final score 91-84 France, but it was really closer than that. Italy led most of the game. Batum (rank on his own team) 20 points (2nd), 5 rebounds (4th), 4 steals (1st). The French sometimes stood around waiting for Parker to do something. Maybe taking him out is what energized the other Frenchmen at the end of the game.
I agree that that was Batum's best performance - he just looked totally different out there. Either it was because Parker was playing like shit (first time he hasn't been clearly the best player on the floor) or because Batum had some kind of beef with the wops, but he was looking for his and going at whoever was guarding him all game. If he hadn't missed a couple of total gimmes (where he'd left the guy "guarding" him in the dust and just blew layups (one was a rimcheck)) he would have had a dominant game. He was also really alive on D with a MONSTER block on Bargnani (who was also playing out of his mind). That's what's frustrating about Batum: he could be like this ALL THE TIME. He seems to have something to prove against certain players (Pau Gasol, for example) but is content just to fade into the background otherwise. The French Coach impressed me: he saw that Parker was struggling, but realizes that all the other players just defer to him when he's on the floor, so he went with backups and it really worked. That might also explain why Batum was energized - he wasn't looking just to give it to Parker every time down the floor. Diaw has the same infuriating mindset as Batum: when he decided to, he just scored effortlessly with beautiful post moves (and a key three pointer). But most of the time he just coasts. He has so much talent: I bet someone like Phil Jackson could do wonders with him.
I also watched GB's first win against Portugal. Once again, Freeland had a MISERABLE game. GB is just much better when they play Robert Archibald (who looks like Freeland will in ten years: much craftier, much heavier, much less athletic, but facially very similar) or the goofy-looking blond kid Clark, who is totally outplaying Freeland. Either Freeland just is a scrub or he REALLY needs the right system to be effective. The best game of the morning, though, was Finland vs. FYR Macedonia. (Yes, I have no life.) Koponen was good (certainly better than Freeland and Claver have looked), and I think he could be a serviceable backup in the NBA (he has a great attitude - one that Batum could certainly stand to have - he's FEISTY) but he doesn't really excel at anything. The best player in the game was one of the African-American Eastern European All-Stars, Bo McCalebb. That guy is carrying that team, and they even beat perennial powerhouse Greece yesterday.
It's funny: Gallinari, Batum and Claver are all from the 1988 generation, and of the three, Claver was probably highest rated when they were teens. He's a non-factor for Spain, but that's probably not surprising, as, if your name isn't Gasol or Navarro, you're not getting any plays run for you. Even Felipe Reyes, still a big star in Europe, isn't getting any burn for that team now they've got Ibaka.
At the half, Spain beating Lithuania 62 to 36. Absolutely destroying the only team to beat them this Summer. Navarro just can't miss. On this form I think Spain could beat the Mavs. Comfortably. Claver still hasn't gotten off the bench... The only plus for Lithuania is that Valenciunas looks good. The Raptors may have lucked out for once.
