EuroLeague 174
Iverson watch: Tough test in Fenerbahçe Ülker today, change of venue for Eurocup game Tuesday
So Allen Iverson acquitted himself reasonably (though nowhere near perfectly) well in his debut match for Beşiktaş Cola Turka; to riff on the old cliché, however, today is the first day in the rest of Mr. Answer’s European career. In Türkiye Basketbol Ligleri play today, A.I. and the Eagles today draw none other than defending […]
Iverson debut tonight: News bites, how to watch Besiktas Cola-Hemofarm Stada online
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. The day is finally here (presumably) and has any Eurocup opening day game been filled with more intrigue and spectator interest than tonight’s Beşiktaş Cola Turka-KK Hemofarm Stada match? BallinEurope thinks not. To get things started on the day of Allen Iverson’s European debut, BiE presents a few soundbites. […]
Secrets to Žalgiris’ early success in 2010-11
BallinEurope’s man from Lithuania, known on these pages as “Y,” was apparently so hyped up by Žalgiris Kaunas’ marvelous win over Caja Laboral Baskonia that he was inspired to assess the Green-and-Whites’ early success in 2010-11. For Y., it’s all about the coach and the bench… Unlike their arch-rivals from Vilnius, Lithuanian side Žalgiris Kaunas […]
Pete Mickeal puts on a show as Barcelona tops Cajasol, 75-67
Once again in 2010, FC Barcelona found itself looking to right matters against an ACB opponent after a shocking loss. Two days after dropping a Euroleague game to Fenerbahçe Ülker in Palau Blaugrana (where they went undefeated in EL play in 2009-10), Barça looked fit to go beat up on mid-table Cajasol. While certainly never […]
Allen Iverson’s Turkish arrival, introduction delayed
Ah, bummer: Reportedly, Mr. Answer’s arrival in Turkey – and thus his high-profile presentation to surely already-adoring Beşiktaş Cola Turka fans – has been delayed. In a brief story, Besiktas officials, via the Associated Press, informs that Iverson will not even be arriving in Istanbul until Monday, November 8th. Presumably, then, the official unveiling of […]
Did Mike Batiste’s nasty play cost PAO game, Group D lead?
An otherwise fantastic match between Union Olimpija and Panathinaikos last night was marred somewhat by the beyond-naughty antics of Mike Batiste. With an already tense game at 57-55 in the fourth quarter, Batiste tangled with Saso Ozbolt while ostensibly going for a rebound (though the ball was clearly going off the other side of the […]
Vainauskas: Lietuvos Rytas (still) good enough to get into EL Final Four
Proving once again that, even when no games are being played, there’s never a dull moment in Lithuanian basketball, BallinEurope’s man in Lithuania (whom we know simply as “Y”) reports that a team executive there seems to have a bit of a slippery grasp on hard reality – and it’s not even Vladimir Romanov! Lietuvos […]
Euroleague week three talking points, part II
Five Euroleague games are to be played tonight, each bearing a number of scintillating storylines – well, okay, maybe not the nearly history-bereft Cholet-Lietuvos Rytas matchup, but you get the point. For your perusal, then, a few factoids, bites of information and videos in the leadup to tonight’s action. Enjoy the games, and best of […]
Official BallinEurope Euroleague Power Rankings: Week Three
As we head into week three of EL play, things haven’t quite normalized to preseason expectations, but BallinEurope’s Official Euroleague Power Rankings are looking a tad more normal. Well, except CSKA Moscow’s placement, that is. Rankings are based on current Euroleague record, plus play in other leagues and intangibles (like, for instance, this writer’s preconceived […]
Euroleague week three talking points (part I)
Seven Euroleague games go off tonight as the season rounds into form a bit. The marquee match tonight has got to be the Khimki-Baskonia showdown to establish early supremacy in that tough Group A; Olympiacos-Unicaja will surely be worth the viewing as well, although the way the Reds have dominated on their home floor lately […]
The Frank Euroleague roundup, week two
Francesco Cappelletti’s regular column with BallinEurope is back as our man in Italy takes a look at the after-effects of Euroleague week two action. This time out, Francesco sees European basketball history returning to the old days on the Continent while Balkan squads fight economic problems but dispatch Western European teams anyway. And early on, […]
El Meridiano shocks Real Madrid, 78-67: Reason for panic?
It may be slightly foolish-bordering-on-irresponsible to lament the woes of a traditional powerhouse that’s currently 5-2 overall and (at least for a few more hours) leads the ACB table, but hey. What’s up with Real Madrid? Yesterday saw Ettore Messina’s 4-0 Madrid visit 0-4 El Meridiano Alicante, perhaps too expectantly thinking “win.” Knee-jerk reactions from […]