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Danny Green at Basketball Without Borders - Day 3

The competition heated up on day three of the 11th Basketball without Borders Europe in Moscow as campers hit the court in the morning in preparation for their games later in the day. The morning’s skills stations featured the participating current and former NBA and FIBA players and coaches taking the time to really break down defensive positioning, shooting technique and off ball movement. Kirilenko jokingly said “The coaches know the mechanics and what should work, but as players, we have the experience to know what really does work and what doesn’t.”

With the campers taking a break, the court was free for the community event. NBA Cares invited over 50 Russian Special Olympics athletes to take part in a range of activities with the BWB players and coaches, including dribbling drills, a shooting station, ladders, and passing. Energy was high in the gym as the event culminated in all the children, aged 8-18, taking part in a relay race while being cheered on by all of the participants.

After lunch the campers geared up for the second day of games. Each team has been assigned an NBA team name, according to their coaching staff. Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Mario Elie coaches none other than the Nets who took another win today in the first set of games. FIBA Legend Sergei Panov joined Assistant General Manager of the New Orleans Hornets Tim Connelly as they coached their Hornets to a double overtime with Elie’s Nets, but could not quite secure the win.

Competition was fierce throughout all four games, with a record total of four overtime periods. Player development coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves David Adelman led his Timberwolves to victory against the Nuggets in their first game. They stopped the Nets from going two for two in overtime, winning by a mere three points. Denver Nuggets Assistant Coach Melvin Hunt coached his team to overtime, but Connelly’s Hornets took the win in the finals seconds of the game time.

All the players walked off the court hoping they put enough in to be chosen by this expert panel for the camp’s crowning event tomorrow, the All-Star game

>> Previous Recaps: Day 2 | Day 1