The Mavs forced the game to be played their way and it worked. Game 2 between the Dallas Mavericks and the OKC Thunder saw Luka Doncic at his most comfortable, which was crucial in tying up their NBA playoffs series. The distractions for Luka Doncic thankfully didn’t come until after the game. Despite the Mavs star picking up some knocks, he excelled as they overcame the OKC Thunder to tie up their NBA playoffs series. Unstrapped and unwinding This was, by some distance, the most comfortable Luka Doncic has looked at any point in the NBA playoffs so far this season. That was despite him getti ..read more

Shaquielle McKissic came up big but Kostas Papanikolaou’s leadership was vital as Olympiacos overcame FC Barcelona to punch their ticket to the Euroleague Final Four. Well, this was quite a night. No matter what you like in basketball. No matter who you root for. This was, undoubtedly, a night. Kostas Papanikolaou nailed the final dagger in the heart of FC Barcelona late after Shaquielle McKissic broke their brains. Olympiacos are, once again, off to the Euroleague Final Four. Kostas Papanikolaou has seen a lot There have been many clear leaders for Olympiacos over the years. Kostas Papanikol ..read more

In what should surely go down as Euroleague’s Waiting for Godot game, Nick Calathes picked his moment. Fenerbahce downed AS Monaco to, by a couple of hours, become the first road team ever to win a Game 5. This was a weird one. Samuel Beckett would certainly have approved of the surreality. Fortunately, BiE has a less than sober Irishman to break down what happened. The Waiting for Godot game Don’t worry Fenerbahce fans, we’re going to get to the cool bits soon. This scribe however is Irish. Not only is he Irish but he is writing in the style of Brendan Behan, that is to say with some pints i ..read more

It was a rough night for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. For the Mavs to survive this NBA playoffs series, they need to make those evenings rough for the OKC Thunder as well, writes Emmet Ryan The Dallas Mavericks fell, in the end, pretty comprehensively to the OKC Thunder in Game 1 of their NBA playoffs series. There was nothing surprising about the issues. The Thunder look fresh while Luka Doncic, the unquestioned star for the Mavs, is playing very hurt and very tired. To stay relevant in this series, let alone advance, Jason Kidd must adapt. The obvious The Mavs went into this series ..read more

The talk will be all about his offensive explosion in the fourth quarter. Emmet Ryan says that only tells half the story. The phenomenal workrate of Kendrick Nunn on both ends guided Panathinaikos past Maccabi Tel Aviv and into the Euroleague Final Four. “I don’t have to say much. We just let our game speak.” Those were the final comments from Kendrick Nunn after an incredible display for Panthinaikos in Game 5 against Maccabi Tel Aviv. That performance was decisive in putting the Greens into the Euroleague Final Four for the first time since 2012. Let’s talk about D We’ll get to the scoring ..read more

With the NBA Playoffs heating up, all eyes are on Slovenian superstar Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks as they prepare to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. This series demonstrates Dončić’s impact on the court and the strategic dynamics that could determine this pivotal Western Conference semifinal series. Star Performers in the Spotlight Luka Dončić has been nothing short of spectacular. He has lead the Mavericks with his all-around play and crucial contributions in clutch moments. During the regular season, Dončić played 70 games, averaging 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists, s ..read more

Luka Doncic is battered, broken, but he and the Mavs are certainly not beaten. The Dallas Mavericks star proved in Game 6 against the LA Clippers to move on to the next stage of the NBA playoffs. There’s nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal when it’s cornered. That’s what Luka Doncic showed on Friday night as he guided the Dallas Mavericks past the LA Clippers in the NBA playoffs. The protagonist My last column on Luka Doncic was focused on his usage and exhaustion. All of those points still stand. They were evident even in his performance in Game 6. Still, he showed the grit required ..read more

Fenerbahce’s dreadful endgame will be the story of the match. They only got in that situation because Mike James finally found a way to contribute and for a Game 5 at home for AS Monaco in the Euroleague playoffs. Mike James almost cost AS Monaco the game and their Euroleague season. Instead, dreadful endgame management by Fenerbahce meant it was his lone three-pointer on the night that proved crucial in Game 4. Shutdown operation succeeded I’m going to get to the good but we have to start with the bad. That’s the bad that came before the good. I’ll also get to the bad that came after the goo ..read more

On a night where he became the all-time Euroleague playoffs assist leader, Kostas Sloukas took control when it mattered most. Emmet Ryan on how the inevitable one saved the season for Panathinaikos. That was quite the evening. While their city rivals, Olympiacos, were rampant against Barcelona it was a stressful night for Panathinaikos. With his team’s Euroleague season on the line, Kostas Sloukas stepped up big time. He is inevitable The odds were against them and the situation was starting to look grim. Panathinaikos trailed by 7 points in the final quarter of a Euroleague elimination game ..read more

The Greek point guard wasn’t himself on Wednesday night against AS Monaco. He was something very different. It was a good type of different as Nick Calathes led Fenerbahce to a crucial win in the Euroleague playoffs. For over a decade, we’ve gotten used to taking the bad with the good when it comes to Nick Calathes. On Wednesday night, the Fenerbahce man showed that doesn’t have to be the case. In a brilliantly efficient performance, he guided his team to a crucial win in the Euroleague playoffs against AS Monaco. Who is this guy? Nothing about this performance was the Nick Calathes we know ..read more