After endlessly scouring the Internet, my determination finally paid off and I was able to watch the Spain versus Slovenia basketball game that took place on Thursday. As a Laker fan, this was a matchup that I had been anticipating for quite some time and I am extremely pleased to be able to provide this report.

Just like in the States, the broadcast began by showing both teams arriving at the arena. Even though he wasn’t playing, Pau Gasol was there to support his teammates and was shown getting off the team bus. Then the camera cut to the Slovenia team bus and our very own Sasha Vujacic was arriving at the arena with a pair of massive headphones over his ears. I cannot say how exciting it was to see these two World Champions back together again in the same building, albeit this time as opponents! The scene was set and all the components were in place for a game that was just as high energy and dramatic as the NBA Playoffs.

The starters made their way onto the floor. For Slovenia the starters were: Uros Slokar, Jaka Lokovic, Beno Udrih, Bostjan Nachbar, and Erazam Lorbek. The opposing team’s starters included: Ricky Rubio, Juan Carlos Navarro, Victor Claver, Marc Gasol, and Jorge Garbajosa. The horn sounded, and the referee launched the basketball into the air. Slovenia controlled the tipoff. From the very start, one could tell that it was going to be a high paced, high energy game. On every possession, each team attempts to run to the other side of the court before their opponents can get there.

Halfway through the first quarter, Sasha Vujacic checked into the game. He wore a sleeve around his previously injured knee, and the opposite ankle. Soon after that, he was called for a foul, sending Marc Gasol to the free throw line, but there was clearly some confusion on Sasha’s part. In the instant replay, he didn’t appear to be anywhere to near Marc. Nonetheless, that’s how it was called and the game continued. A little while after that, Sasha tripped up Rudy Fernandez, sending him to the free throw line as well.

Sasha’s team number is the number six; a multiple of the number 18 and the same number Ricky Rubio wore for Team Spain. Watching the game, it appeared Sasha played the position of point guard. He’s the one who brings the ball up the court, and on numerous occasions, he drove into the lane and passed to his teammates. This created situations in which various Slovenian players found themselves at the free throw line. Sasha is acting as a playmaker. Unsurprisingly, his defense was sound and still in the game at the start of the second quarter. On the first possession in the second quarter, Sasha attempted a three pointer and it was good. Slovenia was leading and all seemed to be going well as Sasha behaved in a gracious manner and even rushed to help a member of the opposing team off the ground after a particularly brutal play. The second quarter waged on and the score wad approaching a neck and neck situation; Sasha took a break after picking up his third foul. The players didn’t show any signs of slowing down, and the game continues.

Towards the end of the second quarter, team Slovenia’s coach and a referee exchanged heated words. To my detriment, I could not understand the cause of this argument as the broadcast was in Spanish. After taking a moment to give some advice to the assistant coach and various players, Jure Zdovc left the court while Team Spain was shooting what appeared to be technical foul free throws. Without a primary coach, things weren’t looking good for Slovenia. Had it been a Laker game, and Phil Jackson was thrown out, that still would have left Kobe Bryant and Kurt Rambis to guide a group of guys who were used to playing together day in and day out. The Slovenian team, however, is a compilation of NBA players and international players who do not spend an 82-game season playing with one another. It’s much more important to have a competent coach on the international scene. Unfortunately, by halftime, Spain actually had a decent lead.

After the loss of their coach, it was pretty much downhill for Slovenia from there on out. Sasha remained in the game at the start of the second half but was benched after a missed three pointer followed by a consecutive turnover. Meanwhile, Spain’s Marc Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro were working hard towards their final outcome of 17 points apiece, ensuring that their country maintained a decent lead. At the end of the third quarter, Sasha returned to the game and was fouled by Rudy Fernandez, sending him to the line. Sasha sunk both free throws, and continued to play a fast paced, high energy, defensive game.

Spain called a time out, and the camera cuts to a wired segment of their coach addressing the players. Again, I remind you that the broadcast was in Spanish and I couldn’t understand a word of it except for one player’s last name repeated several times: Vujacic. Later, I learned Sergio Scariolo was telling his players to “attack Vujacic,” resulting in Sasha being benched sometime later. At the conclusion of the third quarter, the score is 69 to 58 with Spain in the lead and tensions began to rise.

To this point, the physicality of the game had been fairly low with the exception of an ankle injury to Jorge Garbajosa on what was eventually called a blocking foul. Slovenian players were obviously frustrated, and the camera cut to various moments on the bench when Sasha was clearly talking down his teammates in an attempt to calm them. Some hard fouls to team Spain only caused them to step up their play and really close out the game.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad game for Sasha, considering the fact that he was dealing with coming off a minor knee injury. International games are only 10 minutes a quarter with a much shorter halftime, which perhaps contributed to the fast paced, even desperate, play. Sasha finished the game with five points, one rebound, and only one turnover in 12 minutes of playing time. The final score was 89 to 71, a victory for Spain.