Posts by Ed Odeven
Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona rally for victory
Nikola Mirotic’s first season with FC Barcelona is filled with impressive achievements. Already, he’s won two Spanish Liga ACB monthly MVP awards (October, January). And last week he became the first player to collect four EuroLeague monthly MVP accolades, following a stellar December when he bagged the honor for the third time. On Sunday, Mirotic…
Read MoreCoronavirus outbreak forces leagues to cancel, postpone games
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak around the world, international basketball leagues are adjusting their schedules to deal with the crisis. From Italy to China to Japan to South Korea and beyond, competitions are being moved behind closed doors, postponed or canceled. Other leagues, of course, may follow suit. The ASEAN Basketball League, a 10-team…
Read MoreReal Madrid collects 17th Spanish Liga ACB victory of season
Real Madrid maintained its solid form on Sunday, defeating Unicaja Malaga 92-88 in the Spanish Liga ACB. Coach Pablo Laso’s club earned the victory by building a comfortable lead and holding off the hosts down the stretch. Jaycee Carroll and Walter Tavares scored 17 points apiece for Real Madrid, with Tavares also pulling down nine…
Read More2021 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers: Georgia, Poland earn shock wins
Thad McFadden scored 33 points and Giorgi Shermadini poured in 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Georgia to a 94-90 Group E upset win over Serbia in 2021 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers on Sunday in Belgrade. Indeed, it’s the first year of a four-year cycle after the 2020 FIBA World Cup and rosters aren’t…
Read MoreTeam LeBron triumphs in NBA All-Star Game
The NBA concocted a recipe that produced a memorable finish to the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. The traditional method of keeping score was nixed for this year’s contest. Instead, it was one more tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. So here’s what happened: The league came up with a plan that awarded the victory to…
Read MoreIberostar Tenerife wins 2020 Intercontinental Cup
Marcelinho Huertas ignited Iberostar Tenerife in Sunday’s FIBA Intercontinental Cup final against Segafredo Virtus Bologna. The influential guard scored a team-high 23 points and teammate Giorgi Shermadini finished with 18 points and seven rebounds in Tenerife’s 80-72 home triumph. Spanish club Iberostar Tenerife defeated Venezuela’s Guaros de Lara 76-71 in the 2017 FIBA Intercontinental Cup…
Read MoreKlemen Prepelic leads Joventut Badalona past Real Madrid
For Joventut Badalona, the loan acquisition of Slovenian guard Klemen Prepelic from Real Madrid for the 2019-20 season is paying dividends. Prepelic is averaging a career-high 22.4 points with 20 games completed for Joventut Badalona, including Sunday’s 86-83 upset victory over Real Madrid. The backcourt dynamo scored a game-high 22 points to lead Joventut Badalona’s…
Read MoreKobe Bryant killed in a helicopter crash at age 41
NBA legend Kobe Bryant died Sunday morning when his private helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California. There were nine people on board, and nobody survived the crash. His wife Vanessa was not among those on board. TMZ Sports was the first to report the shocking news. Kobe Bryant used a helicopter to travel for years. Even…
Read MoreBaskonia shocks Real Madrid
Baskonia recorded a stunning 95-94 upset victory over reigning Spanish Liga ACB champion Real Madrid on Sunday. In a game featuring dramatic momentum shifts, with both clubs dominating for large stretches in the first half, it came down to the final second. Tornike Shengelia clanked two free throws with 5 seconds left in the fourth…
Read MoreShane Larkin saves the day for Andalou Efes in overtime
Shane Larkin delivered the final-play heroics for Andalou Efes in Sunday’s overtime thriller against Pinar Karsiyaka. With time winding down, the American point guard drove down the middle of the lane and released a shot, beating the buzzer and Pinar Karsiyaka 82-80. The 2019 Turkish League Finals MVP paced Efes with 21 points and grabbed…
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