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Geplaatst: 12-12-2017 08:05:46 Onderwerp: Hes going to have to figure it out, |
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Flying high with the backing of Angry Birds, Finland received a wild card for the World Cup of Basketball on Saturday in a decision criticized for being more about business than basketball. Kevin Minter Jersey . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. The draw is Monday. Greece is ranked fifth in the world and the only team to beat the U.S. since Mike Krzyzewski became coach in 2005. Turkey is ranked seventh and was runner-up to the Americans in the 2010 world championship. Brazil, which will host the 2016 Olympics, is No. 10. Finland is only 39th, the only one of the 12 teams since 2006 to receive a wild card that wasnt in the top 24. But it had the support of Rovio, the Finnish company behind the popular Angry Birds games that had agreed to provide advertising if Finland was selected. "We are fully aware that despite our strong athletic results and fan support, we need to think creatively about how we can truly show our strength to FIBA and the basketball world," Antti Zitting, president of the Finnish Basketball Association said Thursday in a release announcing Rovios support. "As a small Northern country we cannot deliver the same type of TV audience as some other nations, but thanks to Angry Birds, we can offer an engagement platform that no other country can match." FIBA lists economic aspects among the criteria for wild cards, which became part of the organizations biggest tournament in 2006. Secretary general Patrick Baumann noted Finlands recent success on the court but also its potential off it in a statement about the decision, citing the Finns four victories over top-15 teams at the 2013 European championships and their strong fan support. "The Finns are enjoying massive support with their fans travelling in big numbers to their games," Baumann said. "The current growth of Finnish basketball is the result of a solid long-term strategy being executed by the Finnish Basketball Association and still has a lot of potential for development." Russia, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist , China, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Israel, Italy, Nigeria, Poland, Qatar and Venezuela were the other countries that had applied for wild cards. Italy and Germany had previously withdrawn their bids and China, which was considered a leading candidate to get one because of its population and passion for basketball, did Saturday morning. FIBA also announced it had lifted a ban on Senegal and would allow it to be in the tournament. Geno Atkins Jersey .com) - Al Horford collected 19 points and 16 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks held off a furious rally to beat the Detroit Pistons 106-103 on Friday night in a game between two of the NBAs hottest teams. Russell Bodine Jersey . Beckham finished 2 for 4, adding a double in the first inning. Chicago has won eight of 12 to get back to .500 (27-27). The White Sox are 6-3 against Cleveland this season after losing 17 of 19 to their American League Central rival in 2013. Mike Aviles went 1 for 2 with a walk and drove in Clevelands run. http://www.bengalsauthenticproshop.com/ . The three goals bring Messis career tally for Barcelona to 371 in all games -- including friendlies -- breaking the club record of 369 held by Paulino Alcantara since 1927. The 26-year-old Messi was already the clubs all-time leading scorer in official games. Messi assured Barcelonas fans they will enjoy his goals for years to come, saying "as long as people want me, I will stay here.BOSTON -- Kole Calhoun leaped at the low right-field fence to take a three-run homer away from Brock Holt in the second inning. "Game-changer," Angels teammate Chris Iannetta said. "It was awesome." Seven innings later, Iannetta delivered the tiebreaker with an RBI double that sent Los Angeles over the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night. Brennan Boesch had a ground-rule double with two outs off closer Koji Uehara (5-3) for the Angels first hit since the fourth. Iannetta then hit the ball off the end of his bat off the left-field wall, just above the leap of Daniel Nava. But Calhouns grab in front of his teams bullpen was the major topic in the Angels clubhouse. "We go from being potentially down three or four runs to having the opportunity to take the lead," Iannetta said. Down 1-0 on David Ortizs 29th homer in the first, the Angels went ahead with three runs in the third. "This games a lot about momentum swings," Calhoun said, "and thats a big one right there." Joe Smith (5-1) got the win for the AL West leaders and Huston Street recorded his 34th save. Boston rookie centre fielder Mookie Betts, a second baseman in the minors, also took away a potential home run when he ran down Josh Hamiltons drive in the first in deep right-centre field. "Every game played in centre field is going to be a positive experience for him, given that hes gone through a positional change," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. The Angels took a 3-1 lead with four consecutive hits, starting with a double by Iannetta. The next three hits all drove in runs -- a single by Calhoun, a triple by Mike Trout and a single by Albert Pujols. Pujols originally was ruled out for the second out of the inning on Will Middlebrooks throw after the third basemans diving backhand stop. The call was overturned on replay, but Trout would have scored anyway on his headfirst slide into home. Jered Weavers wildness led to Bostons next two runs that tied it at 3 after six innings. In the fifth, Dustin Pedroia singled, Ortiz walkedd and both advanced on a wild pitch. Carlos Dunlap Jersey. Pedroia scored on Mike Napolis groundout. Xander Bogaerts began the sixth with a walk, took third on a single by Christian Vazquez and scored on a sacrifice fly by Holt. TRAINERS ROOM Angels: LHP Joe Thatcher isnt expected to return from the disabled list as hoped by Friday for the start of a three-game series with Oakland. He has been sidelined since Aug. 3 with a sprained left ankle. Red Sox: Middlebrooks left the game in the fourth with right hamstring tightness. Kelly Johnson pinch-ran after Middlebrooks was hurt while beating out a grounder to shortstop for a single. ... C David Ross is expected to be activated Wednesday after going on the disabled list with right plantar fasciitis. UP NEXT Angels: RHP Garrett Richards (13-4, 2.53) pitches in the third game of the series Wednesday night. He won his last three games, including a complete-game shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers and a 5-4 victory over the Red Sox. Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz (5-7, 5.79) has a 3.00 ERA in his last two starts after a 9.00 ERA in his previous four, a stretch that followed an 11-0 complete-game win over Houston. WISE WALK With a runner at second and two outs in the ninth, Street walked Ortiz intentionally then struck out Napoli. "Both guys are going to hit a mistake and Huston didnt make any," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. Ortiz leads the majors with 91 RBIs. WEB GEM Red Sox rookie starter Allen Webster pitched six solid innings, retiring his last five batters and allowing runs in just one inning. Hes in the regular rotation after Boston traded four starters last month. "I feel pretty confident right now on the mound," he said. HAMILTON RETURNS Josh Hamilton went 0 for 3 and was hit by a pitch after sitting out two games following a 10-game stretch in which he went 5 for 38 with 18 strikeouts. He took extra work before the game with hitting coaches Don Baylor and Dave Hansen. 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