It was a year later than anybody expected, and in an eerily empty building, that also nobody could have anticipated in March of 2020.
The FIBA Olympic basketball qualifying tournament got underway Tuesday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre as a kind of fitting metaphor for an unusual time. It leads to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which come with the appendage Plus One.
Another thing not many 颅people expected 鈥� that a Greek team missing two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo, with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Eastern 颅Conference final 鈥� would give host sa国际传媒 a scare in the 颅opening game of the 颅tournament before bowing 97-91 to the favoured Canucks.
Greece, with three pre-tournament games under its belt and expertly coached by veteran NBA and NCAA mentor Rick Pitino, had the team cohesion that comes with a group that knows each other well from the Greek pro league. sa国际传媒, with eight current and two former NBA players, did not have the opportunity to arrange pre-tournament games and it showed. sa国际传媒 trailed through the first half but stayed in the game and then pulled it out on almost raw individual talent alone with Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors scoring 23 points, R.J. Barrett of the New York Knicks 22 and Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the New Orleans 颅Pelicans 18.
鈥淚t was tough at the beginning. They [Greece] did a great job as a well-oiled machine and took it to us,鈥� said Barrett.
鈥淏ut we were able to play together to grind out the win. We did a good job of figuring it out. Sometimes in basketball, that鈥檚 how it goes. You鈥檝e just got to find a way to win.鈥�
But it didn鈥檛 happen without a few anxious moments on the same floor on which the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship, purchased by Victoria organizers from the old Oracle Arena in Oakland, 颅California.
鈥淲e knew it was going to be a big learning experience in our first game together against a very good team that has rhythm and executed at a high level,鈥� said Canadian head coach Nick Nurse.
鈥淲e did well to hang in there in the first half. I鈥檓 glad we bounced back through it. It wasn鈥檛 easy. We learned a lot about who we are and where we are going next,鈥� added the Toronto Raptors mentor.
Turkey was playing Uruguay in a late-finishing game to end the day on Blanshard in the other pool.
sa国际传媒 is in a group with China and Greece and meets the Chinese national team today at 4 p.m. (CBC). The other group consists of Uruguay, Turkey and the Czech Republic. The top two from each group will advance to the cross-over semifinals on Saturday. The championship game is Sunday with the winner advancing to the Tokyo Olympic Games beginning July 23.
sa国际传媒, with its current Golden Generation of NBA players, is attempting to get back to the Olympics in men鈥檚 basketball for the first time since captain and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash of Victoria led the national team to the 2000 Sydney Games.
The provincial health office last weekend approved 10 per cent capacity, from Thursday, for the qualifier in the 颅7,400-seat Memorial Centre. A lottery will be held among original ticket purchasers from last year as demand will far outstrip 颅supply. A source told the Times 颅Colonist that local organizers felt blindsided by Tuesday鈥檚 provincial announcement that 50 per cent 颅capacity will be allowed for other indoor events in sa国际传媒 beginning 颅Thursday.
TIP-OFFS: There was a moment of silence held before the sa国际传媒-Greece game with the big arena screen going solid orange. sa国际传媒 also wore an orange stripe on its jerseys. 鈥淲e wanted as an organization, team and country do a small thing to pay respect,鈥� said Nurse, of the gestures, in honour of Canadian Indigenous communities.
