The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[Hud]

Lithuania should be a tough team. I hate to see anyone hurt badly when playing for national pride. That just makes teams reluctant to let their "stars" participate.

I did spend enough time on the FT problem to come up with the correct answers last night, but some of the less math challenged expressed the answers much better than I would have.

I hope they show a little film of Camp Casey when they play there. When I was there it was quite primitive, but at least we had quonset huts. Man, that place got cold in Jan/Feb.

[udosuk]

USA thrashed Lithuania by 23 points (they were leading by ~40 points in the 4th quarter)... I think the message sent to other teams is: take out Carmelo Anthony early if you want to stand a chance...

Elsewhere in China, Australia defeated France (with Parker and Diaw) while Brazil beat China (with Yao and Wang, their only NBA players both playing)... I think Barbosa has proved his worth against Diaw to the Suns... But in that 6-team tournament (Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Greece), Germany with Dirk Nowitzki is clearly the best in-form team, and is probably the top contender against USA in the championship...

[udosuk]

I think Hud would probably be busy watching the games on TV starting tomorrow... Anyway just like to know how he thinks about the tri-captains Lebron/Melo/Wade and Bowen being cut out... Both were my predictions (sort of)... I think I'm good at this... Would like to predict the actual results of the games but probably should wait to see the form of each team in the first game before putting in "the bets"...

[Hud]

You did get the Bowen Prediction correct and partial credit for Lebron James. I'm a bit surprised, but I suppose they're going with youth and athleticism? I wonder if the games will be on TV here? For some reason, my satellite provider doesn't even carry most of the D-backs Games. I was disappointed that there was NO coverage of the exhibitions held in S. Korea. I really wanted to see what Camp Casey looks like now also.

I was also surprised to see Germany beaten handily by Brazil (I'm guessing). Maybe Germany isn't going all-out to win now which isn't a bad strategy.

Did you happen to catch my question about countries on the arctic circle going west from Canada all way around the world? I got one of them wrong when I did it while watching Jeopardy last year.

[Hud]

Well, well, some of the games are going to be on local TV here. The USA/PR game is at 10pm here. I'm not sure if that's live, but I doubt it. There will be 2 other games early on Sunday morning. I suppose I will record some of the games to watch later in the day.

[Hud]

I just watched the USA/PR game that I taped last night. I'd like to say that PR played a great game, but I have my doubts about the US team's defense. It actually reminded me of the Phoenix Suns in that respect. PR did play very well, and Arroyo showed what speed can do to us. I hope we don't live to regret cutting one of the better defensive players. PR also was doing pretty well til their best big man went down with fouls. The announcers summed it up pretty well by saying our team includes for the most part the top scorers of teams, but not necessarily the most unselfish players. I still can't get over giving up 101 points.

I guess Australia played a nice game, but I didn't see any clips from it. Was it Brazil they beat? Sorry about my memory (or lack thereof).

Now that Tony Parker is out for France, I'll bet that Diaw ends up playing point guard, and plays very well while doing it.

[udosuk]

Yes, Australia did beat Brazil (a great upset considering Brazil almost beat USA)... Also USA beating PR by "only" 11 points more than confirms that they're vulnerable... Let's see how they play against China tonight...

One of my friends thinks the favourite is Argentina (who handily defeated a Parker-less French team)... I think another dark horse is Spain (who stuffed NZ by 16)... Also Italy who beat China by 15 despite Yao Ming scoring 30 points and the Chinese big men controlling the inside... A major factor was the Italian 3-pt shooting (13/25)... I think if they keep up the amazing 3-pt accuracy they could upset USA on Wednesday...

Also Lithuania lost to Turkey (with Turkey's 2 NBA stars absent) and Serbia got beaten by Nigeria... So it seems the traditional powerhouses from Eastern Europe are fading away...

Just to recap the results in the warm-up tournament in China, Greece whipped Germany by 37-points (84-47) in the final, France defeated Brazil 86-74 in the 3-4 playoff, and China beat Australia 63-61 in the 5-6 playoff (Yao Ming scored the winning buzzer beater I think)...

[udosuk]

After 3 days (and Spain beating up Germany by 21 today), I think the major contenders have pretty much asserted themselves... Argentina, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Italy & USA... Where as France, Germany, Angola, Australia, Brazil, PR would be considered as 2nd-string competitors & dark horses...

I originally thought Germany with Dirk would be one of the front runners but apparently an average team with a single superstar cannot win against a well-balanced quality team (similar situation for Yao's China only more so)... Although Spain does have their star in Pau Gasol... I wonder what happen if Canada and Steve Nash could come (the tournament decided to "invite" Serbia as a wildcard instead of Canada, with Serbia losing the first 2 games but crushing Lebanon by 47 today)...

[udosuk]

Gosh... Australia painfully lost to Greece today... Leading by 3 with 10 seconds to go, they let the Greeks make 2 3-pointers in the last few seconds... I didn't think after the soccer World Cup we'll still have to suffer heartbreaking moments like this... I don't feel like watching any ballgames again...

[Hud]

That had to be a tough loss for the Aussies. I didn't hear anything about it. The US team still seems vulnerable to a really fast team, but hopefully, there aren't many of them. It has to be tough to maintain defensive intensity when leading by around 30 points, and I won't rag on them for that.
I guess Pakistan has been watching too much US Baseball over the years. Jim Bunning who pitched for the Detroit Tigers years ago, used to cut the balls with a sharpened belt buckle. He never got caught although it was common knowledge that he did it. Look where he ended up? He's a US Senator now. I guess cheaters do sometimes win.

[udosuk]

Lithuania trounced the Aussies today... I think we're pretty stuffed... We should still beat Qatar in the last group game but I don't think it'd be enough for us to qualify for the last 16...

Sorry for being ignorant about current US affairs here but what's the matter about Pakistan & Jim Bunning?

PS: Boris Diaw missed a free throw in the last second which could have tied the game... Instead France lost by 1 to... Lebanon... I feel for JPF & Papy now... (Nothing against Lebanon, but 2 days ago they lost by 47 against Serbia, whom the French beat...)

This is a night of thrillers... NZ beat the host Japan by 3 with the Japanese missing the tying 3-pointer... USA & Italy are fighting down to the wire... Brazil tied the game against Greece after going down by 20 in the last quarter...

I think NZ are advancing to the last 16 while the Aussies are not... This bugs me because I think we deserve better after almost beating Turkey & Greece...

[Hud]

It was all over the news here about Pakistan forfeiting a cricket match because a referee expelled their bowler (I guess that's like a pitcher?) for scuffing up the ball. Pakistan was late returning to the field and the game was forfeit.

I only watched the last quarter of the USA/Italy game. I forgot to record it, and didn't get out of bed til 5am. I'm glad I missed the thrilling part. Italy did look pretty sharp at times though. The USA team seems to follow the Phoenix Suns MO in that they run teams into the ground late in the game. It probably won't work all the time though. The announcers still gave the Aussies a shot at the final 16, but maybe that was before the later games?

[udosuk]

Well, amid all the basketball actions I haven't check the cricket for long (very "un-Australian" )... That's big news... I don't know why I didn't catch it in the local sports news... Well, I check news & sports results mainly from the internet now... And not daily...

The Greeks have done us a big favour by beating Brazil... Provided tomorrow we win against Qatar (who put up a gallant fight today in a 7 pt loss to Turkey) and Lithuania beat Brazil (they'd want to do so unless they want to meet USA in the round of 16), we'll qualify and get the chance to play USA, which isn't too bad an opponent to go out on... If Brazil beat Lithuania then we'd probably be stuffed with our big loss today... Well I speculate our coach was deliberately saving up energy on both our and the Lithuanian team so that both have enough for the games tomorrow... Which wasn't too bad an idea...

With the last group games tomorrow, I'll draw the possible outcomes as followed:

Code: Select all

Group A:
Serbia beat Argentina (Argie wanna save energy with #1 locked already)
Nigeria beat Lebanon (Lebanon too tired from today)
France beat Venezuela (France fighting for position)

1. Argentina
2. France
3. Serbia
4. Nigeria
5. Lebanon
6. Venezuela

Group B:
Germany beat Angola (Dirky is due a big game)
NZ beat Panama (Kiwi fighting for survival)
Spain beat Japan (Spanish too strong)

1. Spain
2. Germany
3. Angola
4. NZ
5. Japan
6. Panama

Group C:
Australia beat Qatar (Qatar tired?)
Lithuania beat Brazil (Brazil tired + Lithuania wanna to avoid USA)
Turkey beat Greece (Close call... Turkey perhaps saving energy today?)

1. Turkey
2. Greece
3. Lithuania
4. Australia
5. Brazil
6. Qatar

Group D:
China beat Slovenia (Yao Ming factor?)
PR beat Italy (Italy tired?)
USA beat Senegal (No brainer?)

1. USA
2. PR
3. Italy
4. China
5. Slovenia
6. Senegal

Some of these are more my wishful thinking... Aussies are in a particular disadvantaged postion playing first up... So before Lithuania & Brazil play each other they have the knowledge of what kind of score would guarantee they advance in #3 & #4... I wouldn't be surprised if Aussies at the end were just "squeezed" out of the tournament...

[Hud]

I'll bet many teams welcome the chance to compete against players they see on TV. Some of the guys actually looked pretty good man to man against us. I didn't realize that 4 teams advance to the "sweet sixteen" from each of the 4 brackets, but it makes sense. I suppose there are no "wild card" teams that would advance from a very strong bracket if they were better than the fourth team from another bracket? I suppose the US team will give some of its players who haven't had much playing time, more minutes in tomorrow's (today's) game.

The final sixteen games should be very interesting. It sounds like Argentina will be our strongest adversary? I'd also like to see the top two finishers get automatic entry into the next olympics, but I believe only the winner gets it?

[udosuk]

In the first 4 games, 3 of them went accoding to my predictions: Germany beating Angola in 3 OT with a GIGANTIC game from Dirk (he scored 47 pts, made the buzzer-beating 3-pointer to force the 2nd OT and 2 FTs to force the 3rd OT, and then scored 11 pts in the 3rd OT)... China beat Slovenia with a huge game from Yao (36 pt, 10 rebs), with another buzzer-beating-come-from-behind 3 pointer to win by 1... Aussies slogged Qatar 93-46...

Only miss from me: Argentina beating Serbia by 4... Apparently they were keen to avenge the loss in the final 4 years ago... Argentina no doubt is the #1 opponent for USA now... They're due to meet in the final, and we cannot say who is more favourite now... If USA play to 100% no doubt they should win, but who knows?

I'm sure Carmelo's 35 points is big news in your media... I'm sure you guys would rather face us then Lithuania or Brazil...

The winner of this tournament qualifies for the 2008 Olympics directly, alongside the host (China)...