Basketball: Kiwis on the Road Mon May 23

Isaac Fotu looks to make a pass against Australia. Photo / Getty Images

Now there is one.

On Sunday Rob Loe, Tom Abercrombie and Isaac Fotu were each involved in European fixtures for there respective clubs . For Fotu and Abercrombie it proved to be their last outing before linking up with the Tall Blacks.

Fotu's Zaragoza club played its thirty fourth and final regular season game of the Spanish League season, finishing on a positive note by winning 73-72 in Bilbao in unlikely circumstances.

With time almost up Zaragoza's Joan Sastre launched a desperate heave from inside his own half at the basket with his team two points down. As his shot reached it's apex the full time hooter sounded, a fraction of a second later the ball entered the hoop via the backboard. Not only had Zaragoza snatched a one point win but they had also denied the hosts a play-off spot.

Fotu has fond memories of his visits to Bilbao as it is the city where he came of age as an international player displaying outstanding form for the Tall Blacks at the 2014 FIBA World Cup averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

He will return to his club Zaragoza next season for the third term of his three-year contract but for now he heads back to Auckland for a few days before linking with the Tall Blacks.

Tom Abercrombie is also Auckland bound after he and his club Pinar Karsiyaka were eliminated in the Turkish league play-offs.

It was looking good for Karsiyaka after it won the opening game of the quarter-final series in Istanbul with a 74-67 victory against Galatasaray last Wednesday.

The victory appeared to have set Karsiyaka up for an upset win in the best of three series. Unfortunately they missed a golden opportunity to progress by losing at home 65-62 in game two fourty eight hours later.

Galatasaray won the deciding game on Sunday decisively. They took the opening period 22-17 going on to win every quarter to take the game 77-62 and the tie 2-1.

Tom Abercrombie scored double figures in the first two fixtures (11 points followed by 12) and ended with 7 points in the third and decisive game.

In Belgium Rob Loe is keeping the Kiwi flag flying in Europe but only just.

Following Limburg United's 78-64 loss against Oostende on Sunday the best of five Scooore League semi- final series stands 2-1 in favour of Oostende.

Limburg took game two 89-83 after being thrashed 91-62 in the opening exchange.
Loe nailed 10 points, 4 rebounds and three blocks in game two after a more subdued 3 points and 3 rebounds in the first game. His contribution in game three was limited to 4 points and 3 rebounds after getting into foul trouble, pinged four times in just 12 minutes.

The fourth game is on Wednesday with a fifth, if required, scheduled for next Saturday.