INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL | TMK #23

Today, on TMK:

Fatigue sets in the NBA, exciting South American football, and not-so-exciting European football.

Catch Up:

• 🏀 NBA: 76ers vs Celtics, Lakers vs Kings

• 🏀 Euroleague Round 8

The Main Events:

• ⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifying

• ⚽ WC 2026 Qualifying

• 🏀 NBA: Heat vs Nets, Warriors vs Thunder

• 🏀 Euroleague Round 9

Extra Time:

• ❓ Sports Trivia

• 🗣️ Quote of the Day

• ⭐ Can’t Miss Moment

• 🧮 Stat of the Day

• 📽️ Video of the Day

🏀 NBA Recap

Philadelphia 76ers 107 - 117 Boston Celtics

I’ll be honest, this game did not live up to my expectations.

First, Boston played shorthanded, without Brown and Porzingis. They are the clear #2 and #3 options in Boston, and a game without them will inevitably be of lower quality and intensity. Granted, Derrick White stepped in with 27 points, trailing only Tatum who was his usual self with 29.

The 76ers did play Embiid and Maxey, but the energy wasn’t there. This was a back-to-back game for the Sixers and their 3rd game in 4 nights, and they looked spent. Embiid and Maxey scored 20 each, below par for the two of them this season.

Phoenix Suns 133 - 115 Minnesota Timberwolves

The bad news is that Bradley Beal was out, and we still have yet to see the Suns’ Big 3 play together.

The good news is that Durant and Booker looked in form and led a great shooting night for the Suns. Both superstars led the scoring with 31 points each, but the real story is how the Suns collectively shot 60% from the field, including 55% from the three.

Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are 10-1 in games played together, but health will continue to play a major factor in their success.

The Timberwolves were coming off a 7 win streak but never found their groove. They only managed to shoot 18% from the three, and budding superstar Anthony Edwards finished with 13 points on 4-16 shooting. That’s not how you beat Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Quick Notes

• Draymond Green was suspended for 5 games by the NBA following his choking of Rudy Gobert last night. Is it enough? I’m not convinced.

• A LeBron James vintage triple-double (28-10-12) for the Lakers wasn’t enough to take down the Kings, who won 125-110 behind Sabonis’ 29-16 performance and Fox’s 28 points.

• Lillard stepped up with 37 points to make up for Giannis’ absence and lead the Bucks past the Raptors, 128-112.

• Tim Hardaway Magic? The Mavs forward led the team with 31 points in a 130-117 win over the Wizards. Doncic added 26.

• Paulo Banchero had 17 points and the game-winner to lead the Magic past the struggling Bulls, 96-94. The Bulls’ Zach Lavine led all scorers with 19.

• Trae Young (15 points) and Dejounte Murray (13 points) were no match for Randle (29 points) and Brunson (24 points), who scored the go-ahead bucket with 18 seconds left in a 116-114 Knicks W over the Hawks.

• Donovan Mitchell scored 34 and had help from Mobley (21 points) and LeVert (17 points) in a 109-95 win over the Trailblazers.

🏀 Euroleague Recap

Bayern Munich 94-85 Partizan Belgrade

Bayern Munich snapped their losing streak with a 94-85 home victory against Partizan Belgrade. Carsen Edwards led the charge with 21 points, while Sylvain Francisco and Devin Booker made significant contributions for Bayern. Partizan's Bruno Caboclo shone in his EuroLeague debut, scoring 19 points, keeping the game intense until the final minutes when Bayern secured the win despite a late push from Partizan.

ASVEL 73-68 ALBA Berlin

ASVEL clinched a hard-fought victory against ALBA Berlin, securing a 73-68 win in a back-and-forth match. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led the charge with 19 points, supported by Youssoupha Fall's strong inside game and Nando De Colo's sharp shooting. Despite ASVEL initially losing a lead and trailing, they rallied back in the final quarter, exploiting ALBA's struggles with long-range shots to seal the win under new Coach Gianmarco Pozzecco's guidance.

Baskonia 94-71 Barcelona

Baskonia pulled off an impressive win against FC Barcelona, dominating the game with a 94-71 victory. Markus Howard led the charge with 26 points, backed by a solid performance from Codi Miller McIntyre and Chima Moneke, while Barcelona struggled with only Nicolas Laprovittola and Oscar Da Silva scoring in double digits.

Panathinaikos 73-71 Zalgiris Kaunas

Panathinaikos Athens narrowly edged out Zalgiris Kaunas 73-71 in a tense battle, securing their fourth win of the season while handing Zalgiris their fourth consecutive loss. Dinos Mitoglou led Panathinaikos with 19 points and sharp shooting, while despite a late surge from Rolands Smits with 12 fourth-quarter points, Zalgiris couldn't overcome their 23 turnovers, sealing their fate in a closely contested game.

⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifying

The international break is here, and there is plenty of national team football over the next five days. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many matchups worth getting excited over. Let’s run through today’s games and mention what’s at stake.

Group A

Cyprus - Spain

Georgia - Scotland

Spain and Scotland have already secured the top two spots and qualified for the Euro 2024 tournament. Georgia or Norway might advance to the Nations League play-offs.

Group F

Azerbaijan - Sweden

Estonia - Austria

Belgium and Austria have already secured the top two spots and qualified for the Euro 2024 tournament. Azerbaijan or Estonia may advance to the Nations League play-offs.

Group G

Bulgaria - Hungary

Montenegro - Lithuania

Hungary can secure its place in the Euro 2024 with a win over Bulgaria. Montenegro has to win against Lithuania to keep its qualifying chances alive.

Group J

Liechtenstein - Portugal

Luxembourg - Bosnia and Herzegovina

Slovakia - Iceland

Portugal has already secured a two top spot and is qualified for the Euro 2024. Slovakia can join it with a win today over Iceland, who has to win and hope that Slovakia loses its next match to qualify.

⚽ CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 Qualifying

A reminder of the format: the 10 South American nations are placed in a round-robin group, with the top 6 qualifying directly and the 7th place making the play-offs.

Bolivia - Peru

Bolivia and Peru are the bottom two teams of the qualifying group after 4 games. This is only matchday 5 of 18, but a loss here could spell trouble. Peru hasn’t scored a single goal in the first 4 matches.

Venezuela - Ecuador

Both teams have had a good start to the qualifying campaign. Venezuela eked out a draw in Brazil and defeated Chile 3-0, while Ecuador beat Uruguay and Bolivia. Both teams will be fighting for places that lead to the World Cup, so this game is critical for both of them.

Argentina - Uruguay

World Champion Argentina leads the South American qualifying with 4 wins and no losses. Uruguay is in second position, has scored the most goals in the qualifiers so far, and has beaten Brazil 2-0. This is set to be a great match that will impact the order at the top.

Colombia - Brazil

Brazil has looked vulnerable, following a draw with Venezuela and a loss to Uruguay. They’re still immensely talented and have an opportunity to get back on track against a resilient Colombian team that won’t make it easy for them.

Chile - Paraguay

Both teams are currently on the outside looking in, and they will be fighting for the 4-6 places down the road, which adds importance to this game. A win here will bump the winner into the top 6 and provide a boost to their qualification chances.

🏀 NBA

Miami Heat (7-4) - Brooklyn Nets (6-5)

This would have been a great game if both teams’ respective top scorers weren’t out injured. Cam Thomas (26.9 ppg) is out for the Nets, and Tyler Herro (23 ppg) is out for the Heat.

Nevertheless, the Heat aren’t lacking offensive options. Between Butler, Adebayo, and Robinson - who stepped up since Herro went down - the Heat are still a capable team on both ends of the floor.

The Nets will have a trickier time with Thomas, their main shot creator. Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie will have to lead the team and be more active in creating opportunities for the Nets.

Golden State Warriors (6-6) - Oklahoma City Thunder (7-4)

The Warriors started this season 6-2, but that feels like ages ago. They’ll be without the injured Steph Curry who is singlehandedly carrying this team so far, with 31 ppg. No other player has scored over 20 points for the Warriors until the last game, as Curry and Thompson were out.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander is OKC’s uncontested leader and is having a banner year, with 29 ppg. Behind him, the Thunder are quietly developing young talents in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. The competition for playoff spots in the West will be tough, and this is a chance for OKC to pounce on a severely weakened Warriors team.

🏀 Euroleague Round 9

Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Fenerbahce

Maccabi and Fenerbahce seek redemption following Round 8 losses, as Maccabi narrowly was defeated by Olympiacos and Fenerbahce suffered a significant setback against Zvezda. Fenerbahce's offensive struggles in their recent game, with only Nigel Hayes-Davis hitting double digits, might see reinforcements with the potential return of Nick Calathes and Marko Guduric. Meanwhile, Maccabi aims for a stronger perimeter game after a tough night with Lorenzo Brown and Tamir Blatt struggling from beyond the arc, and are hoping for Wade Baldwin's return after he missed the previous game due to illness.

Olympiacos vs. Crvena Zvezda Belgrade

Olympiacos Piraeus and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade clash in a crucial game, both aiming for a perfect Euroleague week. Olympiacos gains strength from Luke Sikma's return and Moustapha Fall's solid performance, while Crvena Zvezda relies on Milos Teodosic's exceptional form and Olympiacos' Joel Bolomboy's consistent contributions.

EA7 Milan vs. Anadolu Efes

Anadolu Efes Istanbul heads to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, seeking to extend their streak after consecutive wins. While Milan, reeling from a recent derby loss, struggles with backcourt creativity, Efes shines with a potent trio—Shane Larkin, Rodrigue Beaubois, and Darius Thompson—dominating in their previous victory with a combined 62 points, backed by a strong team performance of 24 assists and minimal turnovers.

Real Madrid vs. AS Monaco

Real Madrid, undefeated in the season so far, faces AS Monaco, eager to bounce back after a loss to Efes. The matchup showcases two top 4 teams and top-rated guards, Facundo Campazzo and Mike James, promising an exciting duel. Real Madrid relies on Walter Tavares' dominance in the paint, highlighted by his recent shot-blocking prowess, while AS Monaco counts on Donatas Motiejunas' versatile game, capable of challenging inside and stretching defenses with his strong three-point shooting.

❓Sports Trivia

The Clippers’ recent roster moves make them the NBA's second team to ever cross $200 million in payroll. Which NBA team was the first?

The answer is in the wrap-up.

🗣️ Quote Of The Day

“You’re just standing there, looking like a clown”

Safe to say that F1 World Champion Max Verstappen really doesn’t like the American-style shows and driver introductions on US race weekends.

He’s all about racing.

⭐ Can’t Miss Moment

Paulo Banchero hits a game-winner over Caruso

Caruso did a good job defending the play, even though he was bullied in the paint by Banchero. The ball hit the rim 4 times before going in.

🧮 Stat Of The Day

In his 21st year, LeBron is averaging a career-high FG%

LeBron is hitting 56.71% of his shots so far this season. He may not be as physically imposing as he once was, but he is as efficient as ever.

📽️ Video of the Day

Booker and Durant team up for 62 points

Take 4 minutes and appreciate basketball greatness.

Click HERE to watch on YouTube.

Wrap Up

Somewhat low-stakes international football today, but it will get better as the week progresses. The Euroleague double round makes up for it. See you tomorrow.

❗Trivia answer: The Golden State Warriors, with a payroll of $217m this season.