Basketball New Zealand

Tall Blacks head coach Nenad Vucinic (Photosport)

Nenad Vucinic’s Estonian club, BC Kalev/Cramo, still requires one more win to guarantee a place in the Baltic Basketball League final four for the first time in team history.

And that chance will come at home against the league’s worst team next week.

Kalev dropped back to third in the standings at 10-6 following a 106-96 road loss to regular season champions Lietuvos Rytas of Lithuania on Saturday in a first-vs-second clash.

Former National Basketball League MVP Josh Pace scored nine points, along with three rebounds and two steals as Kalev collapsed in the fourth quarter against the Euroleague club, squandering a six-point three-quarter lead with a 27-11 final period.

Kalev host 2-14 Nevezis of Lithuania on February 27 in Tallinn, with a win or a loss by Estonian rivals TU/Rock the following night booking them a postseason place.

The Vikings also have a crucial domestic double-header this weekend, with back-to-back games against Kuremaa and Rakvere as they look to catch TU/Rock in the Estonian KML. Kalev sit third at 10-3.

In Switzerland, former Tall Black Brendon Polyblank went for 13 points (5/9 FG, 3/6 3pt), three steals, a rebound and assist in 28 minutes as his Lausanne Basket team collected a 78-70 home win over MGS Grand-Saconnex on Saturday in round 19.

The win secured Lausanne (9-9, 7th) a top-eight playoff berth with three rounds left in the Swiss LNA. The league now breaks for the League Cup in the next two weeks, with Lausanne facing title contenders Lugano Tigers on Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Harbour Heat forward BJ Anthony had 12 points (5/11 FG, 1/2 3pt, 2/5 FT), five rebounds, three assists and a block in 21 minutes in Herzoge Wolfenbuttel’s 99-87 home win over Hertener Lowen in round 20 of the Bundesliga division two pro B on Saturday.

Wolfenbuttel continue to creep up the standings, rising to third at 15-5 after the win.

In Spain, Tall Blacks centre Craig Bradshaw had a quiet game with four points (2/3 FG), three rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes in Grupo Begar Leon’s 84-60 home loss to Clinicas Rincon in round 20 of the LEB Gold on Friday, bumping Leon to 10th at 10-10.

Former Tall Black Mark Dickel scored eight points (2/4 FG, 1/3 3pt, 1/1 FT) to go with five assists, three rebounds and a steal in 27 minutes in AS Trikalla’s 93-69 home loss to Euroleague powerhouse Panathinaikos on Sunday in round 18 of the Greek A1 league.

Tab Baldwin’s U Mobitelco Cluj-Napoca picked up back-to-back wins in the Romanian Divizia A last week, lifting them to fourth at 14-5. Emerging Tall Black Leon Henry went scoreless (0/1 3pt) with a rebound in five minutes of action in a 79-72 road win over BC Targoviste on Wednesday and recorded a DNP in a 70-64 home win over CSU Cuadripol Brasov on Saturday.