Half a game in Kaarina

20 minutes + 20 minutes does a game make

Game of two halves, well … one half was basketball, the other half was grinding and battle. And as one coach said to me after the game ‘That was not pretty in the second half…’

Opening 20 minutes of the MU17 Finnish League Final between Ura Basket and BC Nokia was good basketball.
Ura was playing more ‘entertaining’ basketball, where as BC Nokia (to my eye) looked to be playing ‘efficient’ basketball.

By entertaining – I mean that the team attempts more scoring from inside the paint, and efficient is the way you play these days in general.. shooting threes.

And when it is NOT your day from beyond the arc, the game slips away from you.

In the second half BC Nokia seemed to try to get to the inside game more, and unlike the first half.. where BC Nokia players looked a little ‘lost’ inside the paint. They started to get results in the latter 20 minutes.

Unfortunately for them, the second half.. well.. it really kinda was not basketball .. and when the HALF !! ends with a score 25-27.. you know it has NOT been great basketball.

Atmosphere

Ura had to move the game to the small gym in Littoinen – and the noise and atmosphere there was like.. well, probably like the years when Karhu Basket played at the school gym in the Finals..

Result

Yea, guess that’s important to know.. so here goes.

Ura Basket 73-68 BC Nokia

And Ura put one hand on the title, with two wins needed to claim the Championship.
BUT!! In the MU17 playoffs, the team that has won the FIRST game… has always gone to lose the series.

So, that gives something positive for BC Nokia to think about, and Ura Basket to think how they will turn this ‘curse’ and take a second win in the series.

Stat Pack

Ura Basket : Väinö Vuorinen with game high 21 points + 6 assists, Juuso Pellikka with 16 points and Pauli Kallio with 10 points (6/6 from FT line)

BC Nokia : Jonni Halme 15, Mico Salminen 14, Miska Haliseva 14 and Tuukka Selin 11 points, Haliseva with 9 boards as well. Aati Ylivakeri 12 rebounds and Artturi Ahola with 10 rebounds.

What’s Next?

Teams continue in the Best of Three series, with the next two games at at AGCO Power Arena on Monday and Wednesday to decide the Finnish MU17 Champions.