VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - This is not a news flash, yet it's worth reminding everyone, from the coaches and players to the fans. A country will only win games in the fast-approaching FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers if it first has a strategy and then executes. You know what Benjamin Franklin once said, "Fail to plan, plan to fail."

Coaches will have to react during games and counter moves of the opposition. They will also have to have plays in the bag at the ends of games when the difference between winning and losing is one possession.

This was not an area, for example, where Great Britain excelled in their crazy game against Greece in Leicester, England. After a bizarre comeback, one that saw the Brits get two steals and transition buckets to force overtime, the hosts fell behind with 3.4 seconds left when Ioannis Athinaiou drilled a long 3-pointer for a 94-92 lead.

Following a timeout and the advancement of the ball, Britain inbounded to Ovie Soko on the right baseline but Greece easily snuffed out the threat, forcing a turnover with the home side failing to even get a shot off. In this wildest of games, however, it still wasn't over.

Britain fouled Evangelos Margaritis with 0.8 seconds left and he made the first free-throw but missed the second. Gareth Murray got the rebound and started to heave the ball up the floor, only for Greece's Panagiotis Vasilopoulos to put himself at risk of making the mother of all bonehead plays.

He blocked Murray's heave from three-quarters the length of the court and the Scot crashed to the floor and asked for a foul and three free-throws. His appeal fell on deaf ears.

Vasilopoulos flirted with a late foul that fortunately for Greece wasn't called

In their next game at Estonia, the Brits had another unlikely comeback in the final minute and had possession with 10 seconds to play and trailing 73-70. The obvious strategy was to attempt a potential game-tying 3-pointer, but in Europe coaches usually instruct their players to foul so this shot can't be launched.

The visitors, who had made 12 of 24 from deep in their loss to Greece, had only hit 6 of 24 against Estonia in the first 39 minutes and 50 seconds. Estonia did not foul.

Dan Clark, 3 of 5 from long range against the Greeks but 0 of 3 against the Baltic side to that point, had possession with several seconds to go and space to shoot from a full meter behind the arc. He put up an attempt and missed and the home team held on.

Estonia gambled that Britain wouldn't make a shot whereas in another November Qualifier, Finland did not. Jamar Wilson's two late free-throws gave Finland an 82-79 lead at Bulgaria with 5 seconds to go. The Susijengi fouled instead of giving up a potential game-tying 3 and Bulgaria made one free-throw before missing the second. The Finns grabbed the rebound to seal a 2-point win. Execution must be at a premium at the end of games. 

Upon reflection, with 10 seconds remaining against Estonia, the Brits might have attacked the basket, scored and drawn a foul and gotten a 3-point play the old fashioned way, or at least made a layup, uncontested or contested, or drawn a foul and gone to the line. They could then have then attempted to get a steal, or fouled, to put Estonia on the line. But the Brits launched a potential game-tying 3-ball and missed.

Worse for Britain in that game was a second quarter when they went off the rails defensively with Estonia outscoring them, 26-12. Tony Garbelotto's team still had an opportunity at the end but came up short.

Now Britain travel to Israel for a crunch game on February 23.

"We were pleased with how we competed in those first games in the last window, but we were obviously disappointed to have ended up dropping two games that we could have won," Garbelotto said.

Good news for Great Britain is that their best player from FIBA EuroBasket 2017, Gabe Olaseni, is available this time. The 2.10m Fuenlabrada center was hurt and unable to play in the November Qualifiers. Remembering that he averaged more than 16 points and 11 rebounds at the EuroBasket, his return should be significant.

Great Britain are hopeful Gabe Olaseni will have a big impact

Britain also have Justin Robinson coming back, adding depth to the backcourt. The team has lost, however, Myles Hesson. The Nanterre forward has fractured his tibia for the second time in a year and is out for the remainder of the season. 

If Britain were to lose at Israel, they would travel to Heraklion, Greece, for their February 25 meeting with an 0-3 record. The Brits have to get a win at Israel.

There are others examples where a lack of execution at the end of games can prove costly, even for teams that win. Romania outscored Italy, 27-16, in the fourth quarter of their Qualifier in Turin on November 24 and ended up only losing, 75-70. If Romania can get a 6-point win in Cluj-Napoca on February 26, they will have the advantage in a potential tie-breaker.

Ditto for Belgium and Russia. The Russians were manhandling Eddy Casteels team but the visitors outscored the hosts by 8 points in the last frame and lost, 76-69. When the teams meet in the third window, Belgium will first be thinking of getting a win and secondly by 8 to have the advantage in a potential tie-breaker.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

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