FIBA BASKETBALL
1987
FIBA European Championships Semi-Final - Greece (81) v (77) Yugoslavia - In the cauldron of the national basketball arena in Athens, Greece rode the tide of emotion to a rare win over a very strong Yugoslavia team. Led by star player Niko Galis (30 points), Greece overturned a 46-35 deficit at the half to win the game and advance to the final. Yugoslavia were led by Dražen Petrović (22 points) and also featured Aleksandar Petrović, Toni Kukoč, Vlade Divac, Dino Rađa and Aleksandar Djordjevic (7, Muffled audio, Serbo-Croat Commentary, 2 Discs, JRT - Unknown, NTSC)
1989
FIBA European Cup Winners Cup Final - Real Madrid (117) v (113) Caserta Snaidero - In arguably the greatest European basketball game ever, the 2 greatest ever non-american basketball players put on a show for the fans in Athens. Real were led by Croatian Dražen Petrović (62 points) while Caserta were led by Brazilian Oscar Schmidt (44 points) and they led their teams superbly, with Schmidt forcing overtime with a 3 pointer in the final seconds of regulation. But when he fouled out in overtime, Petrović took over and made 2 baskets to win the cup. Real also featured american Johnny Rogers (14 points), Jose Biriukov (20 points) and Fernando Martin (11 points). Caserta also featured Ferdinando Gentile (34 points), who had a great game, and Sandro Dell'Agnello (18 points) (8, Greek Commentary, 1 Discs, ET1 - Unknown, NTSC)
2005/06
English BBL Regular Season - Guildford Heat (88) @ (91) Brighton Bears - A standard BBL game was elevated to historical status as the Brighton Bears signed Ex-NBAer Dennis Rodman to play for them. Rodman didn't start but came on in the 1st quarter and ended up with 4 points, seven rebounds, two steals and one block in 26 minutes of action. His free throw shooting let him down, though, and allowed Guildford a chance to force overtime with a last shot 3-pointer from Ajou Deng, older brother of Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls. But the shot missed and Brighton celebrated the win. The shooting star for Brighton was Terrance McGee who had 22 pts (10, 1 Disc, Official DVD - Unknown, PAL)
2006
FIBA World Championship - Last 16 - USA (113) v (73) Australia - USA used a 32-6 points advantage in the 2nd quarter to destroy the over-matched Wallabies. Carmelo Anthony top-scored with 20 points and was assisted by Joe Johnson (18 pts) and Dwayne Wade (15 pts) (9, 2 Discs, UKTV - Taylor, PAL)
FIBA World Championship - Quarter Final - USA (85) v (65) Germany - The USA played great defense against the Dallas Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki and used a 27-13 3rd quarter to open up a winning margin. Carmelo Anthony top- scored for the USA with 19 points (9, 2 Discs, UKTV - Taylor, PAL)
FIBA World Championship - Semi-Final - USA (95) v (101) Greece - Greece upset the USA by executing a perfect game-plan. USA couldn't defend the pick-and-roll and Greece shut-down the USA outside shot. Carmelo Anthony again top-scored for USA with 27 points (9, 2 Discs, UKTV - Taylor, PAL)
FIBA World Championship - Semi-Final - Spain (75) v (74) Argentina - The game of the tournament saw Argentina looking for revenge against the Spanish. But Pau Gasol (19 pts, 11 rebs) out-fought the San Antonio Spurs Manu Ginobli (21 pts, 4 ass.) to book a place in the final. Gasol left the game in the closing minutes with a broken foot (9, 2 Discs, UKTV - Taylor, PAL)
FIBA World Championship - Final - Spain (70) v (47) Greece - Spain won their 1st ever title, totally dominating the Greeks with swarming defense and awesome shooting, even without injured Pau Gasol (9, 2 Discs, UKTV - Taylor, PAL)
2007
FIBA U19 World Championship - Group Game - USA (103) v (77) China - USA ran out comfortable winners against a tough China team. The star for the USA was Michael Beasley who scored 21 points. The team also featured DeAndre Jordan and Stephen Curry (9, 2 Discs, Eurosport - Clark/Henlan, PAL)
FIBA U19 World Championship - Quarter Final - USA (112) v (86) Argentina - USA reached the semi-finals with a dominant game over the Argentines. Patrick Beverley top scored with 20 points in a fiery game that had many flash-points (9, 2 Discs, Eurosport - Henlan/Gardner, PAL)
FIBA U19 World Championship - Semi-Final - USA (78) v (75) France - USA fought back from a half-time deficit against the European Champions to reach the final. Deon Thompson (18 pts, 13 rebs) and Johnny Flynn (3 assists) sparked the revival as France faded down the stretch (9, 2 Discs, Eurosport - Birch/Bett, PAL)
FIBA U19 World Championship - Final - USA (69) v (74) Serbia - Hosts Serbia raced out to an early 11-2 lead on the back of support from the crowd and never trailed again. Serbia were led by Mladen Jeremic (24 pts) and Milan Macvan (19 pts) while USA were led by Deon Thompson (16 pts) and Patrick Beverley (15 pts) (9, 2 Discs, Eurosport - Birch/Bett, PAL)
2008
FIBA EuroBasket Qualifier, Group D - Israel (86) @ (96) Great Britain - Team GB strengthened their hold on top spot of Group D with a big win against Israel. GB built a 20 point lead in the 2nd half through the shooting of Pops Mensah-Bonsu (22 pts), Luol Deng (20 pts) and bench player Nick George (15 pts) and survived a late Israel surge to claim a comfortable win (10, 48 minute hi-lites, 1 Disc, CH4 - Henlan, PAL)
2009
Universiade - Final - Serbia (73) v (51) Russia - Serbia, on their home court, avenged their 2007 loss with a big win over Russia. Led by top scorer Nemanja Protic (19 points), Serbia dominated the 1st quarter and the 2nd half on both ends of the court and held Russia to only 10 points in the 4th quarter to see out the win. Serbia also featured Marko Simonovic (12 points), Milan Macvan (8 points) and Nemanja Bjelica (8 points). Russia featured Aleksey Kotishevskiy (13 points) and Eugeny Voronov (12 points) (10, Edited re-broadcast missing action in the 1st quarter between 6:21 and 6:00, in the 2nd quarter between 5:59 and 2:10, in the 4th quarter betwen 6:25 and 2:19. The 3rd quarter is complete, 1 Disc, Eurosport - Birch/Bett, PAL)
FIBA U19 World Championship - Final - USA (88) v (80) Greece - USA won their 1st title since 1991 with a close win against the Greeks. USA were up by 16 points at the half after a strong 2nd quarter but the Greeks fought back to within 6 points in the 3rd quarter. USA then re-grouped and closed out the game with a big shooting 4th quarter. USA were led by Tyshawn Taylor (18 points, 6 assists, 5 steals), Ashton Gibbs (13 points), Klay Thompson (10 points, 3 blocks) and Arnett Moultrie (10 points, 9 rebounds). Greece were led by Kostas Sloukas (17 points, 4 assists, 4 steals), Nikolaos Pappas (16 points) and Leonidas Kaselakis (15 points, 6 rebounds) (10, Edited re-broadcast missing the 1st quarter and action in the 2nd quarter between 10:00 and 8:22 and 5:07 and 0:00. 3rd and 4th quarters complete, 1 Disc, Eurosport - Birch/Bett, PAL)
FIBA EuroBasket Group C - Great Britain (59) v (72) Slovenia - In their 1st ever EuroBasket game, Great Britain pushed Slovenia all the way but fell just short. GB was only down by 2 points at the half but Slovenia pulled away with a 14-5 run in the 4th quarter to claim the win. GB featured Pops Mensah-Bonsu (18 points) and Robert Archibald (12 pts). Slovenia featured Erazem Lorbek (19 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Unknown, PAL)
FIBA EuroBasket Group C - Spain (84) v (76) Great Britain - Great Britain almost pulled off the biggest ever tournament upset against the World Champions, but a late Spanish rally saved their blushes. Spain started strong but only led 44-35 at the half. GB fought back in the 2nd half and led 73-69 in the 4th quarter before Spain rallied with a 15-3 run to end any chance of an upset. Spain were led by Pau Gasol (27 points, 11 rebounds), Rudy Fernandez (13 points) and Ricky Rubio (5 points, 6 assists). GB featured Jarret Hart (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Mike Lenzly (14 points) (10, 1 Disc, BBC - McIntosh/Amaechi, PAL)
FIBA EuroBasket Group C - Great Britain (59) v (77) Serbia - Great Britain's run in their 1st EuroBasket tournament came to an end with an error-strewn defeat to Group leaders, Serbia. As in their previous games, Great Britain started slowly but made up ground as the game wore on. But this time the deficit was too much and the Serbs pulled away late to clinch the win. Serbia were led by Nenad Krstic (17 points) and Milenko Tepic (17 points). GB featured Nate Reinking (21 points inc. 4 of 5 3 pointers) and Pops Mensah-Bonsu (16 points, 4 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, BBC - McIntosh/Amaechi, PAL)
FIBA EuroBasket Quarter Final - Spain (88) v (66) France - Spain eased into the Semi-Finals with a big win over the French. Spain led 47-32 at the half and fended off a mini-charge by the French to coast home. Spain were led by Pau Gasol (28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 Blocks), Rudy Fernandez (16 points) and Ricky Rubio (8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists). France featured Tony Parker (6 points), Ronny Turiaf (12 points, 4 rebounds) and Boris Diaw (9 points, 6 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Unknown, PAL)
FIBA EuroBasket Final - Spain (85) v (63) Serbia - Spain finally won their 1st ever EuroBasket title with a dominating win over Serbia. The Spaniards got off to a hot start, leading 52-29 at the half, and never let up. Game MVP Pau Gasol (18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks) was huge on both ends of the floor and was helped by Rudy Fernandez (13 points) and Ricky Rubio (10 points). Serbia were led by Uros Tripkovic (15 points) and Novica Velickovic (15 points, 5 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Unknown, PAL)
2010
FIBA EuroBasket Qualifier Group B - Ukraine (76) @ (90) Great Britain - Great Britain remained unbeaten at the top of Group B, pulling away late in the game to beat Ukraine. Luol Deng (28 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) top scored but he had great support from Pops Mensah-Bonsu (15 points, 8 rebounds) while 5 other GB players scored in double figures (10, 48 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, CH4 - Routledge/Clark, PAL)
FIBA EuroBasket Qualifier Group B - Bosnia & Herzegovina (85) @ (94) Great Britain - Great Britain booked their place at the 2011 Eurobasket finals with a tough ovetime win in Liverpool. Led by star players Luol Deng (38 points) and Pops Mensah-Bonsu (32 points, 21 rebounds), Great Britain forced Overtime by coming back from an 81-78 deficit in the final minute and then coasted home in the extra period to claim the win (10, 48 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, CH4 - Routledge/Garbelotto, PAL)
FIBA World Championship Group B - USA (106) v (78) Croatia - The USA opened up their campaign with a comfortable win over Croatia. Kevin Durant (14 points, 8 rebounds) and Eric Gordon (16 points) helped the USA to a big 2nd quarter that broke open a tight game and the USA never looked back. USA also featured kevin Love (7 points, 10 rebounds) and Chauncey Billups (12 points, 4 assists) and all 12 players on the team played and scored. Croatia were led by Bojan Bogdanovic (17 points, 4 rebounds) and Marko Popovic (16 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Connors/Fraschilla, PAL)
FIBA World Championship Group B - USA (99) v (77) Slovenia - Team USA continued their unbeaten streak with a comfortable win over Slovenia. USA satrted fast then withstood a 2nd quarter rally from Slovenia before pulling away in the 2nd half. The main weapons on Offense were Kevin Durant (22 points) and Rudy Gay (16 points) while on Defense Kevin Love (10 points, 11 rebounds) kept Slovenia at bay. Slovenia were led by Bostjan Nachbar (13 points, 4 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Kestecher/Fraschilla, PAL)
FIBA World Championship Group B - USA (70) v (68) Brazil - Team USA survived their biggest test of the Group, holding off a strong Brazil side to stay unbeaten. Brazil led at the half 46-43, led by Leandro Barbosa (14 points, 4 rebounds), but Team USA fought back behind the play of Kevin Durant (27 points, 10 rebounds) and Chauncey Billups (15 points) and led by 2 points with 3.5 seconds remaining. Brazil had a chance to force overtime but missed the front end of 2 free throws and saw a last play jumper hit the rim and come out (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Kestecher/Fraschilla, PAL)
FIBA World Championship Group B - USA (88) v (51) Iran - Team USA clinched top spot in Group B with an easy win against Iran. Kevin Love (13 points, 6 rebounds) and Kevin Durant (12 points, 5 rebounds) top scored and coach Mike Krzyzewski used all his substitutes early, with Derrick Rose (11 points) leading the way. Iran were led by Hamed Haddadi (19 points, 5 rebounds) and Arsalan Kazemi (14 points, 5 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Kestecher/Fraschilla, PAL)
FIBA World Championship Group B - USA (92) v (57) Tunisia - In a closer than expected game, Team USA used a strong 2nd half to finally put away the Tunisians. Team USA were held to a 39-33 lead at the half but Eric Gordon (21 points), Kevin Durant (14 points) and Russell Westbrook (14 points) rallied in the 2nd half to finish Group B unbeaten. Tunisia were led by Marouan Kechrid (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Macram Ben Romdhane (11 points, 8 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Kestecher/Fraschilla, PAL)
FIBA World Championship Quarter Final - USA (89) v (79) Russia - Team USA advanced to the semi-finals with a tight win over Russia. Kevin Durant (33 points) was the top scorer as Team USA overcame a tight 1st half with a 15-5 run in the 3rd quarter to break open the game and they coasted home to the win. Team USA also featured Chauncey Billups (15 points) and Russell Westbrook (12 points). Russia featured Sergey Bykov (17 points), Andrey Vorontsevich (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Timofey Mozgov (13 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Kestecher/Fraschilla, PAL)
FIBA World Championship Quarter Final - USA (89) v (74) Lithuania - Team USA booked their place in their 1st World Championship final since 1994 with a big win over a strong Lithuanian team. Team USA were led by Kevin Durant (38 points, 9 rebounds), and he staked USA to a 42-27 lead at the half which they never relinquished. Durant was also helped by Lamar Odom (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (12 points, 7 rebounds). Lithuania were led by Robertas Javtokas (15 points, 9 rebounds) and Martynas Pocius (13 points, 7 rebounds). Durant's 38 points set a USA single game points record at the World Championships. (10, Cable information box on-screen between 6:49 and 5:35 of 2Q, 1 Disc, ESPN - Kestecher/Fraschilla, PAL)
FIBA World Championship Final - USA (81) v (64) Turkey - Team USA ended their 16 year World Championship title drought with a big win over the hosts. Tournament MVP Kevin Durant (28 points, 5 rebounds) led the way, with Lamar Odom (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (13 points) chipping in. Team USA held a narrow 44-32 lead at the half but, despite a loud and partisan crowd, Turkey couldn't pull back the deficit and USA claimed the title. Turkey featured Hedo Turkoglu (16 points, 7 rebounds) and Ersan Ilyasova (7 points, 11 rebounds) (10, Missing action betweenn 6:24 and 4:12 of the 2Q due to transmission failure, 1 Disc, ESPN - Kestecher/Fraschilla, PAL)
2010/11
Euroleague Final Four - Panathinaikos (77) v (69) Montepaschi Siena - Panathinaikos reached their 3rd final in 5 years with a hard-fought win against the Italians. Led by Nick Calathes (17 points) and Mike Batiste (16 points, 7 rebounds) the Greeks overcame an early deficit to take a 40-36 lead in at the half. Panathinaikos then took control in the 2nd half and kept Siena at bay with tough defense to see out the win. Panathinaikos also featured Dimitris Diamantidis (8 points, 9 assists), Antonis Fotsis (14 points) and Drew Nicholas (3 points). Siena were led by Rimantas Kaukenas (13 points), Malik Hairston (12 points, 4 rebounds) and Shaun Stonerook (14 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Lawlor/Rogers/Zidek, PAL)
Euroleague Final Four - Maccabi Electra (82) v (63) Real Madrid - Maccabi stunned Real Madrid with a strong 2nd half to book their place in the Final. Maccabi built on a 32-29 lead at the half with a suffocating performance in the 2nd half that saw great defense backed-up by explosive shooting and dunking. Maccabi were led by Jeremy Pargo (13 points, 7 assists), Sofoklis Schortsanitis (16 points, 5 rebounds) and Chuck Eidson (19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals). Real Madrid were led by Ante Tomic (17 points) and Felipe Reyes (15 points, 14 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Lawlor/Zidek/Rogers, PAL)
Euroleague Final - Panathinaikos (78) v (70) Maccabi Electra - Panathinaikos claimed its 6th Euroleague title with a hard-fought win over big rivals Maccabi. Led by game MVP Dimitris Diamantidis (16 points, 9 assists), Panathinaikos led 33-30 at the half then held their nerve in a see-saw 2nd half to take the title. Panathinaikos also featured Mike Batiste (18 points, 6 rebounds), Drew Nicholas (14 points) and Romain Sato (13 points, 7 rebounds). Maccabi were led by Chuck Eidson (17 points, 7 rebounds), David Blu (14 points) and Jermey Pargo (12 points, 9 assists) but All-Euroleague center Sofoklis Schortsanitis (4 points) had a quiet night and was actually held scoreless in the 1st half (10, 2nd and 3rd quarters start at the 5 minute mark - 1st and 4th quarters are complete - Occasional picture break up from source, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Lawlor/Rogers/Zidek, PAL)
2011
Universiade - Group D - USA (94) v (84) Israel - USA finished their group unbeaten (5-0) with a hard-fought win against an underdog Israeli team. Israel led 43-30 at the half, led by Anton Shoutvin (20 points, 8 rebounds) and Jared Mintz (19 points). But the USA took control of the game in the 2nd half, led by Jamychal Green (16 points, 7 rebounds) and Marcus Denmon (13 points, 5 rebounds), and held off an Israeli fightback to take the win. USA also featured Trevor Mbakwe (12 points, 13 rebounds), John Jenkins (12 points) and Tim Abromaitis (9 points, 3 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, Eurosport - Finch/Bett, PAL)
Friendly - Australia (91) @ (90) Great Britain - In a very physical game, Australia finally managed to overcome a game Great Britain team but needed Overtime to do so. Both teams were evenly matched, but the game was decided by the more experienced teams Defense in the final seconds as GB turned the ball over inside the last 10 seconds with the score tied which set-up the game winning free-throw with 2 seconds left. Great Britain were led by Luol Deng (26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists), Joel Freeland (22 points, 5 rebounds) and young star Devon van Oostrum (9 points, 5 assists). Australia were led by Brad Newley (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Carlson/Amaechi, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (69) v (80) Lithuania - In the opening game of the tournament, Lithuania used a strong 4th quarter to finally pull away and claim the win. Lithuania led 49-39 at the half before Great Britain used an 18-5 3rd quarter to take the lead. But the hosts used a 20-6 run in the 4th quarter to take back the lead and take the victory. Lithuania featured Rimantas Kaukenas (16 points), Sarunas Jasikevicius (13 points) and Ksistof Lavrinovic (12 points, 6 rebounds). Great Britain featured Luol Deng (25 points, 10 rebounds), Dan Clark (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Nate Reinking (13 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Canny, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (61) v (90) Turkey - A lethargic GB team fell to a 2nd defeat in their group as Turkey dominated the boards to take the win. Turkey led 22-10 after the 1st quarter and never looked in trouble the rest of the way, with Emir Preldzic (15 points, 6 assists), Omer Onan (14 points) and Omer Asik (7 points, 9 rebounds) having big games. Great Britain were led by Luol Deng (22 points, 8 rebounds) and Kyle Johnson (10 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Canny, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (69) v (86) Spain - Great Britain fell to their 3rd group loss with defeat to the reigning champion. Spain only led 38-32 at the half but reeled off a 10-0 run in the 3rd quarter to take control of the game and see out the win. Spain were led by Paul Gasol (21 points, 6 rebounds), Marc Gasol (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Ricky Rubio (4 points, 4 assists). Great Britain were led by Luol Deng (17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assist) and Dan Clark (14 points, 12 rebounds) (10, JIP 5:38 1st Quarter with Spain leading 9-2, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Canny, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (69) v (86) Portugal - On a historic day, Great Britain won their 1st ever Eurobasket game. Led by a double-double from Luol Deng (31 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block , 1 steal), Great Britain broke open the game in the 2nd quarter with a 15-6 run then kept Portugal at bay with timely defense to take the win. Great Britain also featured Mike Lenzly (17 points), Joel Freeland (4 points, 6 rebounds) and Dan Clark (5 points, 5 rebounds). Portugal were led by Carlos Andrade (24 points, 10 rebounds) and Miguel Minhava (18 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Canny, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (88) v (81) Poland - Great Britain ended their Eurobasket group games with their best game as they beat a Polish team ranked 18 places above them in the World rankings. Led by another double-double from Luol Deng (28 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists) + big games from big men Joel Freeland (27 points, 11 rebounds) and Dan Clark (7 points, 10 rebounds), Great Britain over-turned a 56-55 defict at the start of the 4th quarter to pull away and secure a 2nd win at the tournament. The result knocked Poland out of the tournament. Great Britain out-rebounded Poland 46-25 (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Canny, PAL)
Eurobasket Semi-Final - Spain (92) v (80) Macedonia - Spain booked a place in their 2nd successive Eurobasket final with a comeback win against the Macedonians. A tight 1st half ended with Macedonia in front 45-44 but Spain captain Juan Carlos Navarro (35 points) caught fire in the 2nd half to pace the Spaniards to the win. Spain also featured Pau Gasol (22 points, 17 rebounds), Marc Gasol (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Ricky Rubio (5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists). Macedonia were led by Bo McCalebb (25 points, 5 assists) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Unknown, PAL)
Eurobasket Semi-Final - France (79) v (71) Russia - France reached their 1st ever Eurobasket final with a tight win against a strong Russian team. In the 3rd quarter, France used an 8-0 run to break a tied game and held on to take the win. France were led by Tony Parker (22 points), Joakim Noah (7 points, 8 rebounds) and Nicolas Batum (19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists). Russia were led by Andrei Kirilenko (21 points, 3 rebounds) and Timofey Mozgov (12 points, 4 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Unknown, PAL)
2012
Friendly - Great Britain (74) @ (79) France - In a tune-up for the Olympics, France battled back from a big half-time deficit to beat the upset-minded GB team. Led by Luol Deng (23 points, 12 rebounds) and Nate Reinking (11 points) the British raced out to a 43-25 lead at the half. But France stepped up in the 2nd half and especially the 4th quarter, led by Boris Diaw (14 points) and Yakhouba Diaware (14 points), and took the lead for good with 1.5 minutes remaining which they defended to the end. Team GB also featured Mike Lenzly (11 points), Pop Mensah-Bonsu (8 points, 7 rebounds) and Joel Freeland (6 points, 9 rebounds). France also briefly featured Tony Parker, wearing goggles to protect his injured eye, but were missing Joakim Noah to injury (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Routledge/?, PAL)
Friendly - USA (113) v (59) Dominican Republic - Team USA warmed up for the Olympics with a comprehensive win against the over-matched Dominican Republic. USA used a great fast-break attack and aggressive shooting to see off a John Calipari-led Dominican team. USA were led by Kevin Durant (24 points, 10 rebounds), Andre Iguodala (18 points), Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. The Dominican Republic were led by Al Horford (7 points) but were let down by only managing 32% shooting (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Jones/Fraschilla, PAL)
Friendly - USA (80) v (69) Brazil - In front of the President, 1st lady and the Vice President, Team USA staged a comeback win against a strong Brazil team. USA trailed by 10 points in the 1st quarter before turning the tables and holding the visitors to only 2 baskets in the 2nd quarter and then kept their noses in front the rest of the way to take the win. LeBron James top-scored with 30 points and was supported by Kevin Durant (11 points) and Chris Paul (10 points). The Brazilians featured Alex Garcia (14 points), Anderson Varejao (12 points, 13 rebounds) and Marcelo Huertas (11 points, 13 assists) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Jones/Fraschilla, PAL)
Friendly - USA (118) @ (78) Great Britain - USA played their 1st "away" game in the build up to the Olympics and came away with an easy win in Manchester, England. USA led 55-37 at the half and coasted home, punctuating their win with big dunks in the 2nd half. The top scorers for USA were Deron Williams (19 points) and Carmelo Anthony (19 points) with contributions from LeBron James (16 points) and Kevin Durant (13 points). Great Britain were led by Luol Deng (25 points) and also featured Pops Mensah-Bonsu (12 points) and Andrew Sullivan (11 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Jones/Fraschilla, PAL)
2012/13
Euroleague Final - Olympiacos Piraeus (100) v (88) Real Madrid - Olympiacos retained their title in London with a comeback win against Real Madrid. The Spaniards started the better and led 27-10 after the 1st quarter. But Olympiacos found their feet and trailed only 41-37 at the half. The Greeks then owned the 2nd half, using a big 4th quarter to take the title. Olympiacos were led by MVP Vassilis Spanoulis (22 points, 4 assists) and also featured Acie Law (20 points, 5 assists), Kyle Hines (12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) and Pero Antic (10 points, 6 rebounds). Real Madrid were led by Rudy Fernandez (21 points, 3 assists) and also featured Sergio Rodriguez (17 points, 4 assists), Felipe Reyes (4 points, 6 rebounds) and Mirza Begic (6 points, 3 blocks) (10, Delayed broadcast but complete, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Lawlor/Zidek, PAL)
2013
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (75) v (71) Israel - Great Britain started their campaign with a remarkable 4th quarter comeback to stun the Israelis. Led by Afik Nissim (17 points), Omri Casspi (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Lior Eliyahu (11 points, 14 rebounds), Israel took a 9 point lead with 3:08 left, but Great Britain scored the final 9 points to force overtime where Great Britain used the momentum to close out the game and take the big win. Great Britain were led by Kyle Johnson (22 points), Kieron Achara (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Myles Hesson (14 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Unknown, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (65) v (88) France - Great Britain went down to the 2011 Finalists, playing them tough for a half before France pulled away for the win. France led 45-37 at the half then used a 9-0 run at the start of the 2nd half to take an insurmountable lead. France were led by Tony Parker (16 points, 5 assists), Nicolas Batum (17 points) and Alexis Ajinca (10 points, 11 rebounds). Great Britain were led by Dan Clark (16 points, 3 rebounds), Devon Van Oostrum (13 points, 3 assists) and Myles Hesson (8 points, 7 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Unknown, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (71) v (76) Belgium - In a tight game in Ljubljana, Belgium used a late run to put away the British. Great Britain led 38-33 at the half but couldn't pull away from the Belgians, who then used a 12-5 run in the final minutes to take the win. Belgium were led by Sacha Massot (15 points), Axel Hervelle (10 points, 10 rebounds) and Roel Moors (11 points). Great Britain were led by Dan Clark (19 points, 9 rebounds), Myles Hesson (12 points) and Kieron Achara (12 points) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Unknown, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (81) v (74) Germany - Great Britain took a big step towards the 2nd round with an upset win over the Germans. After a slow start, Great Britain took it to the Germans, posting a 42-38 lead at the half. Led by Andrew Lawrence (23 points) and Myles Hesson (21 points, 11 rebounds), GB pushed on and clinched the win with a strong Defensive effort in the 2nd half. Great Britain also featured Dan Clark (17 points, 7 rebounds). Germany featured a big game from Tibor Pleiss (20 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Unknown, PAL)
Eurobasket Group A - Great Britain (68) v (87) Ukraine - Ukraine ended Great Britain's chances of reaching the 2nd round with a dominating win in Ljubljana. Led by a great game-plan from Ukranian coach Mike Fratello, Ukraine dominated in the paint, out-rebounding GB 40-28 and out-scoring them 40-16. Ukraine led 48-31 at the half then used a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach of Great Britain. Ukraine were led by Kyryl Natyazhko (11 points), Ihor Zaytsev (11 points, 5 rebounds) and Sergii Gladyr (9 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists). Great Britain were led by Kieron Achara (12 pints, 5 rebounds), Devon Van Oostrum (12 points, 4 assists) and Dan Clark (8 points, 6 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN - Unknown, PAL)
2014/15
Euroleague Final Four - CSKA Moscow (68) v (70) Olympiacos Piraeus - Olympiacos stunned CSKA with a late rally to book their place in their 4th straight Final. Both teams were evenly matched in the 1st half, with CSKA holding a slim 36-35 lead at the break. CSKA had the better of the 2nd half, and led by 9 points with 4 minutes to go, when Olympiacos star man Vassilis Spanoulis (13 points, 3 assists, 3 steals) led an amazing comeback, culminating in the game-winning 3 pointer with 9.9 seconds left. The comeback over-shadowed a great game from CSKA's Nando De Colo (18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Lawlor/Rogers/Zidek, PAL)
Euroleague Final Four - Real Madrid (96) v (87) Fenerbahçe Ülker - In front of their home fans, Real Madrid booked a place in the Final for the 2nd year in a row. After a tight 1st quarter, Real Madrid took control in the 2nd quarter and posted a 55-35 lead at the half that they defended to the end. Real Madrid were led by Gustavo Ayon (18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), KC Rivers (17 points, 2 steals), Sergio Rodriguez (13 points, 7 assists) and Rudy Fernandez (12 points, 4 rebounds). Fenerbahce were led by big games from Andrew Goudelock (26 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) and Jan Vesely (20 points, 6 rebounds) (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Lawlor/Rogers/Zidek, PAL)
Euroleague Final - Real Madrid (78) v (59) Olympiacos Piraeus - In front of their home-town fans, Real Madrid claimed their 9th Championship but their 1st since 1995. After a tight 1st quarter, Real Madrid took control and went in 35-28 up at the half. Olympiacos foughtback in the 3rd quarter but Real Madrid closed out the game with a 38-18 run in the final 14 minutes to take the trophy. Real Madrid were led by MVP Andres Nocioni (12 points, 7 rebounds), Jaycee Carroll (16 points) and Sergio Llull (12 points, 4 assists). Olympiacos were led by Matt Lojeski (17 points), Georgios Printezis (11 points) and Othello Hunter (10 points, 7 rebounds) but star man Vassilis Spanoulis (3 points) had a poor game (10, 1 Disc, ESPN UK - Lawlor/Rogers/Zidek, PAL)
2020
English BBL Trophy Final - Newcastle Eagles (96) v (94) Team Solent Kestrels - At the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, the Newcastle Eagles won their 7th BBL Trophy in an Overtime win against the NBL's Team Solent Kestrels. The Eagles played the game short-handed, having lost 4 players on the eve of the game, and only used 6 players in the match. The Kestrels were the first team from NBL Division 1 to ever make the final. Both teams were evenly matched in the 1st half and the Eagles held a tight 46-45 lead at the break. The Eagles started the 3rd quarter fast and ran out to a 16 point lead before the Kestrels got going and clawed their way back into the game, finally forcing overtime with 4.6 seconds left. But in Overtime the Eagles jumped ahead again and a last play jumper from the Kestrels hit the rim and the Eagles held on to claim the title. Newcastle featured MVP CJ Gettys (21 points, 17 rebounds and 7 assists), Darius Defoe (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Rahmon Fletcher (29 points). Team Solent featured Elliot Sentance (26 points, 6 rebounds), Ian Smith (18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists), Travis Charles (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Brendan Okoronkwo (12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists) (9, 1 Disc, BBC - Routledge/Woods, PAL)