EuroBasket 2013: Day 3 complete, four unbeaten

EuroBasket 2013

The Slovenian “sea of green” loves the fact that their club is 3-0 and rolling into the second round of the EuroBasket 2013

With Day 3 of EuroBasket 2013, the playoff picture is starting to unfold with only four clubs now undefeated, four without wins and eight that sit with 1-2 records. As of the completion of Day 3, Ukraine, Italy, Greece, and host club Slovenia are the sole holders of 3-0 records with Greece dominating their opponents to the point of an average margin of victory of 20. Group B is wide open with three teams sitting at 2-1 and the last three at 1-2. The top three teams have score differentials of 9, 4, and 3 points, while in Group D Greece had a 60 point advantage over their opponents and Italy has put up 40.

Of the six games played on Saturday in Group C and D, four were won by margins of victory of 18 points or more, with the last two being four points each. Every Group D game was won by more than 18 points.

Group C
Spain – Czech Republic, 60:39
Spain got back on the winning track with a huge win over the Czech Republic, 60:39, bringing Spain to 2-1, while dropping the Czechs to 1-2. Spain is tied with Croatia for the second spot in Group B along with Croatia, one game behind Group leader Slovenia at 3-0. Spain will play Poland on Sunday and the Czech Republic will square off against Georgia. With only two games left in Round 2, Slovenia is locked in for a spot in the next round. Spain and Croatia can solidify their places in the next round with victories Sunday as well.

Rudy Fernandez scored 14 for Spain and contributed 8 rebounds and 4 steals during the contest. Ricky Rubio added 10 points and Marc Gasol hauled in 10 rebounds for the Spaniards. The Czechs had no one score in double digits, but were led by Pavel Pumpria and Jan Vesely, each with 7 points, while Vesely and Barton grabbed 14 and 12 rebounds, respectively.

Spain picked up their second with off solid first and fourth quarters where they outscored the Czechs 18:7 and 13:2, on their way to a 21-point win.
G
Croatia – Poland, 74:70
After a 19:2 start, Croatia had to just play smart and get through the final three and a half quarters. Poland put up a fight to the end, but spotting Croatia 17 that early was just too much to get over and Poland fell to 0-3, while Croatia stayed in the top three of the Group a 2-1. Croatia will play group leader Slovenia on Sunday, while Poland will have to match up with Spain.

Bojan Bogdanovic was game-high for Croatia with 23 points, Krunoslav Simon added 14 points and 6 assists, and Roko Ukic dropped in 10 points and 6 assists. Michal Ignerski had a big day for Poland tallying a 22P/12R double-double. Krzysztof Szubarga and Marcin Gortat added 14 points to the loss.

Croatia got out to a healthy 24:12 lead after the first frame and then took a 41:32 advantage into the dressing rooms at the break. The Croatians added four to the gap with a 21:17 score in the third to take a 62:49 lead into the final frame. A 16:4 run to start the final 10 pulled Poland to within a point at 66:65. Damir Markota dropped a jumper for Croatia with 1:30 to play to open the gap to three and Bogdanovic connected on a lay-up to push ahead by five. A pair of Ukic singles made it a seven-point game, but a three-ball at the horn by Szubarga brought the gap down to four, 74:70.

Slovenia – Georgia, 73:68
Slovenia used a solid 31:13 second frame to hold off a second half rally by the Georgia to stay undefeated with a 72:68 win. Sunday’s match-ups include Slovenia taking on Croatia and Georgia meeting the Czech Republic.

Slovenia was led by Domen Lorbek with 18 points, Zoran Dragic’s 12 points and Goran Dragic’s 11 points. Georgia got a 17P/13R double-double from Viktor Sanikidze, but team-high honors went to Ricky Hickman’s 19.

Georgia opened the contest with a 19:13 advantage, but Slovenia rolled over Georgia in the second with a 31:13 score to head into the break up 44:32. Georgia chipped four off the deficit in the third to set up the fourth quarter with the score 54:46. Georgia pulled to within a point, 62:61 with 2:45 to play, but a triple and a layup off a Georgia turnover gave Slovenia the needed cushion to ride out the rest of the game.

EuroBasket Group C

Round 1 Match List[matches league_id=35 group=C template=summary dateformat=”M. j, Y”]

Standings[standings league_id=35 group=C show_website=false template=nolink]

Group D
Greece – Turkey, 84:61
Greece continues to beat up on clubs in Group D, this time Turkey got in their way and paid for it with a 23-point beat-down, 84:61. The Greeks won every quarter, and other than when Turkey scored the first point of the game, then taking the lead 11:10 a few minutes later, Greece led the contest the rest of the way. The win gives Greece a spot in the next round with a 3-0 record, while Turkey falls to 0-3. Next up for Greece will be Italy on Sunday, while Turkey will take on Sweden.

Yannis Bourousis was game-high with 21 for Greece, followed by 14 from Kostas Sloukas, 12 from Stratos Perperoglou, and 11 from Kostas Papanikolaou. Ersan Ilyasova was the sole Turk in double figures with 13.

Turkey kept the game within distance for the first half and into the third, until Greece unloaded a 14:6 scoring run late in the third 10 to take a 15-point lead into the fourth, 64:49. They pulled away in the fourth to nail down their third win and their advancement papers.

Italy – Finland, 62:44
Finland fell from the ranks of the unbeaten following a 62:44 loss to still undefeated Italy. The Italians used a 13:2 run at the end of the third frame to pull away and close the door on a Finland comeback. Italy will meet Greece in a showdown of the unbeatens on Sunday and Finland will square off against Russia.

Luigi Datome led the Italians with 10 points and 8 rebounds, while Sasu Slain paced Finland with 8 points and 6 rebounds.

Sweden – Russia, 81:62
Sweden picked up their first win on Saturday with a big 81:62 win over Russia. The Swedes improve to 1-2, while Russia falls to 0-3 with the loss. The next round will see Russia match up with Finland and Sweden will face Turkey.

Sweden got a game-high 25 from Jeffery Taylor and a 22P/13R double-double from Jonas Jerebko. Aleksey Shved dropped in 15 points for Russia while Semen Antonov added 13.

EuroBasket Group D

Round 1 Match List[matches league_id=35 group=D template=summary dateformat=”M. j, Y”]

Standings[standings league_id=35 group=D show_website=false template=nolink]

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