AQR: France vs. Belgium

[stuart]

Belgium gave themselves a wonderful chance to play at the EuroBasket by beating France 70-66 in the first leg of the Additional Qualifying Round Play-offs on Thursday.

http://www.interbasket.net/news/3876...et-qualifiers/

[Freaknick]

I'm having a problem with something, and want to know if I'm the only one...

Would it really kill the folks at Eurobasket to allow a three game series and let France and Belgium play GAMES to decide who advances instead of doing MATH? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, and it could only boost ticket sales if there were a rubber game to decide the victor. It just seems to me that a 1-1 split shouldn't result in anyone's advancement. If there's a compelling argument for the current set-up, I'm all ears.

[rafal10]

I think France will win this game but i will root Belgium team. I need a surprise. Score: +15 for France (Parker 30 points)

[rikhardur]

I'm having a problem with something, and want to know if I'm the only one...

Would it really kill the folks at Eurobasket to allow a three game series and let France and Belgium play GAMES to decide who advances instead of doing MATH? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, and it could only boost ticket sales if there were a rubber game to decide the victor. It just seems to me that a 1-1 split shouldn't result in anyone's advancement. If there's a compelling argument for the current set-up, I'm all ears.

That's not the tradition in Europe. It's unthinkable for an international qualifier like this one to be played in a playoff system. I think it wouldn't make sense anyway, that's a club thing. Call it Euro mentality

[khaledlebanon]

I think France will win this game but i will root Belgium team. I need a surprise. Score: +15 for France (Parker 30 points)

hope that france lose and don't qualify for europe...
this will give Lebanon more chances to get a wild card..

[stuart]

hope that france lose and don't qualify for europe...
this will give Lebanon more chances to get a wild card..

Nationalistic strategy!

Stuart

[alermac]

It just seems to me that a 1-1 split shouldn't result in anyone's advancement. If there's a compelling argument for the current set-up, I'm all ears.

With a 1-1 split, no team gets home court advantage.

[ballhoger]

just one thing, nikola batum is a x-factor. w/o him france has no chance in Eurobasket. They give them interior defense and more ability to play one-on-one offense.
In match with Belgium there was been exactly seen

[rikhardur]

Blowout, France winning by 20, 3 minutes to end the 1st half.

[stuart]

The final two teams playing for a berth to Eurobasket, France and Belgium, played a two game series to determine who would go to Eurobasket.

Belgium took the first game over Les Bleus 70-66.

That meant that France had to come out and defeat the Belgians by more than four points in the second, and final, contest held in Pau, France.

France knew the importance of the second game, came in focused and used a 27-5 run in the second quarter that team Belgium would not be able to recover from.

France to take a commanding 48-23 advantage into halftime, and would go on to win 92-54, a margin of 38 points. The French shot a scorching 71% from two point range; hitting 30 of 42 shots.

http://www.interbasket.net/news/3939...robasket-2009/

[Freaknick]

With a 1-1 split, no team gets home court advantage.

Well how about determine the home court advantage by point differential in their initial qualifying rounds? Or use win-loss record and then score differential as the tie breaker. I know it's tradition, but that can't always be the reason to keep something around if there's a more sensible alternative.

Here's the reality: Belgium won a game and lost a game. France won a game and lost a game. I cannot be convinced that France's advancement is entirely fair (though I think they're the better team).

I realize that it's easier to use aggregate scores in soccer because you're dealing with smaller margins, but when you're dealing with scores potentially in triple digits, one, two, or even 38 points shouldn't decide a team's fate.

[Mindozas]

Well how about determine the home court advantage by point differential in their initial qualifying rounds? Or use win-loss record and then score differential as the tie breaker

So imagine it would be like that and Belgium would have that advantage, would it be fair? Having in mind that Fance played against Italy and Finland and Belgium's rivals were B&H's B team and Portugal?

Here's the reality: Belgium won a game and lost a game. France won a game and lost a game. I cannot be convinced that France's advancement is entirely fair (though I think they're the better team).

The reality was pure and simple - France destroyed Belgium in game two and in game one they're equal teams. IMO there should be no questions left which team is better here.
I see only two options here: the way it was played or to decide the winner in only one game in neutral venue, but IMO first one is better, cause it leaves less chances for surprise.