NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

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NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by JACKAL »

About to start people....
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Re: NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by K »

Good Start 4-2 Nigeria
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Re: NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by F360 »

Forgot to post this but some reading about D'Tigers


African champions overcoming obstacles.



Winning the 2015 Afrobasket lifted a weight off of Nigerian Basketball that had been there for 53 years as Angola dominated Basketball on the continent. While Angola dominated the continent, Nigeria exported NBA stars like Hakeem Olajuwon and had other players of Nigerian heritage such as Emeka Okafor and Andre Iguodala develop into solid NBA players.

Next up for Nigeria is making a dent in Basketball on the world stage, either in the Basketball World Cup or the Olympics. The mission in Rio prior to the start of the Olympics was to do just that but the exclusion of forward Al-Farouq Aminu and center Festus Ezeli(both of the Portland Trailblazers) due to either issues with the federation or insurance issues depending on various reports, set the Nigerian team back. Add in the decision by Oklahoma Thunder shooting guard Victor Oladipo to reject the call to join the Nigerian team and instead accept the offer from the USA to join its select team(the team which scrimmages the actual USA Basketball national team) and things looked dire prior to the tip-off of the first group game in Brazil.

Coach Will Voigt said prior to the start of the tournament about the body blows being dealt to his team, “We’ve already been down that road, we lost Ike to injury right before the start of Afrobasket and went on to win the tournament for the first time ever. This is a resilient group and they always kinda rise to the occasion so I’m sure somebody will step up to fill that void.”

The group Nigeria is in features 2004 gold medalists Argentina, 2012 silver medalists Spain, the always talented Lithuania and Croatia teams as well as host nation Brazil. Point guard Ben Uzoh said about the group “I think it’s a great test, just understanding when it comes to accomplishments you don’t wanna run from competition so I like the fact that our pool is pretty strong. (We need to) capitalize on what other teams are trying to do. Rest is key, rest and recovery, staying together and being locked in as a unit.” Voigt added “I mean obviously on paper it’s the tougher of the two groups but in the Olympics there’s no easy out so I mean our guys have shown that they can rise to the challenge and we’re hoping to do so again.”

With the group games being held every other day, the possibility of fatigue might play a role in the group games as well as in the quarterfinals and a less fancied team may get through. President of the Nigerian Basketball Federation Mr. Tijani Umar said “I think it’s really (about having) a bit of luck. If we had been in group A the chances of going to the quarter-finals would have been better.” He added “Who knows, people dig deep and when they are pushed to the wall and have nowhere else to go they come back fighting and I think this team is going to fight. You never know the character of a team until you try it. This test that this team is being put through will give it the chance to show the nature it’s made of. I think this team is going to play good Basketball.”

The 1st game was a 94-66 loss to Argentina but more bad news hit the team after the game. Center Seni (Shane) Lawal tore his patella tendon in the game and had to have surgery immediately. Now missing another center after Ezeli’s absence and Lawal’s injury, in a group featuring two of the NBA’s top big men in Pau Gasol of Spain and Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania, Nigeria would need to play smart and play with energy from start to finish just to stay in the rest of the group games. In the next game vs Lithuania, Nigeria held their own and had a halftime lead of 41-36 before losing 89-80 after a low scoring third quarter.

Spain were up next and Nigeria showed their mettle vs the Spaniards as D’Tigers ended the first half down only two points but eventually lost the game 96-87. Guard Josh Akognon noted “The Spain game we were very locked in and focused on who they were as players as well as what they like and don’t like which is ball pressure and confidence. That is what carried us through that game but we fell short on a few plays and against these teams they are too good to let that happen”

Despite 24 points on 7 – 12 shooting from outside the arc for guard Chamberlain Oguchi, Nigeria couldn’t get enough scoring in the fourth quarter and gave up 31 points in the quarter to Spain. The most points they’d given up in a quarter in the first three games of the tournament. After the game, Oguchi said “Both teams were very deserving of winning the game but Spain did some better things than us down the stretch. We’ll learn from it and I think we’re very capable (of winning the next two games).”

On Saturday night in Rio, it all came together for the Nigerian team as they faced Croatia. Despite the presence of Brooklyn Nets forward Bogdan Bogdanovic, Orlando Magic shooting guard Mario Hezonja and future Philadelphia 76er Dario Saric, Nigeria came out with an intensity the Croats didn’t expect and took a 43-39 lead out of the first half. Holding onto the lead in the second half would be a task for this Nigeria team after dropping leads in the 3rd and 4th quarter of two of the three prior games they played. Add in that most would expect the battle tested and talented Croatian team to overwhelm the undermanned Nigerian side. D’tigers had other plans though as guards Josh Akognon and Mike Umeh helped add to the lead and the play of young 2016 Detroit Pistons draft pick Mike Gbinije who scored timely buckets early on. Akognon poured in 18 points to add to Umeh’s 19 points and forward Ike Diogu’s 10 points and 12 rebounds to help Nigeria hold onto the lead and end up with a 90-76 win.

After the win, Akognon said “(Against) Croatia we wanted to play full pressure on defense and let our defense lead to offense. period.” Nigeria played excellently in all facets of the game and when knocking down 47% of three pointers to add to an 11 point rebounding advantage, a 31-19 bench points differential and 26 assists as a team, Croatia couldn’t overcome the inspired play of D’Tigers.

Next up is the final group game, a matchup with hosts Brazil who are coming off a stinging double overtime loss to Argentina. The Brazilians have played with similar energy as the Nigerians, with the addition of home crowd support. Brazil have not been at their best and Nigeria will see various weaknesses to capitalize on. A win for Brazil and a loss for Spain or Croatia means Brazil will get a chance to move on as the fourth placed team in the group depending on either head to head results, points difference or points scored in the group. Nigeria are in a similar situation to Brazil and also require victory versus Brazil coupled with a loss from Croatia or Spain in order to possibly advance to the quarterfinals as the fourth placed team in the group. Akognon said “For Brazil… we just have to come together as a team now and support each other. And nothing changes in game plan from the last 3 games…we just have to do everything a little bit better to make history.”

Regardless of the outcome on Monday vs Brazil, D’Tigers will be able to hold their heads high when the time comes for them to leave Rio. Gbinije said prior the start of the tournament that “(We are)just trying to do bigger and better things for Nigeria and the continent so we just want to play for something bigger than ourselves.” Coach Voight and his team keep building a solid base for Nigerian Basketball and with a full complement of players available, the international Basketball establishment will need to take notice of D’Tigers in the years to come.
http://sportsafrica.net/nigerias-dtiger ... ll-in-rio/
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Re: NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by K »

nigeria takes 1st quarter 16-15.

Ebekwe's defence has been the difference so far
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Re: NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by K »

Nigeria trailing 42-31 at the half.

Too many sloppy turnovers. Alade the main culptit
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Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by wanaj0 »

No one is watching? 3rd quarter and Nigeria trailing 52 vs 59.

Very Physical duel. We played better in the 3rd quarter but we've got room for improvements.
“We do not have natural disasters in Nigeria, the only disaster we have is human beings,”
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by wanaj0 »

57 vs 61
“We do not have natural disasters in Nigeria, the only disaster we have is human beings,”
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by wanaj0 »

This Brazilian Nene na wa oo
“We do not have natural disasters in Nigeria, the only disaster we have is human beings,”
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by wanaj0 »

Uzoh missing free throws!
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by Dodo »

FFS, these guys just need to remember to effing rebound
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by wanaj0 »

Some poor play by Nigeria.

57 vs 65
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by Dodo »

oh my days, where is the rebounding in this game, its essentially why we are losing
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

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57 vs 67!
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by Dodo »

stupid stupid stupid, that was ridiculous
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by wanaj0 »

Who be this Akognon???
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Re: NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by theYemster »

These guys are just annoying. Getting beat on pick and rolls repeatedly and getting killed on the defensive rebounds.

I can accept going cold on shots but at least hustle for the frickin ball.
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

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57 vs 69! Nonsense
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by wanaj0 »

Umeh passing to an opponent!
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Re: NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by theYemster »

That steal buy Nene summarizes the game.

This one's a wrap.
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

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59 vs 69
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Re: Nigeria Vs Brazil

Post by wanaj0 »

59 vs 73!
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Re: NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by F360 »

Horrible terrible turnovers.
Worse for me is giving up so many 2nd shot opportunities. No one hustling for the ball to get rebounds, instead just assuming the rebounds will go to whomever is close.
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Re: NIGERIA VS BRAZIL

Post by K »

slopppppyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

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