Kyle Johnson insists Great Britain deserved to get their EuroBasket campaign off to a winning start, but is refusing to get too carried away in Slovenia.
Great Britain’s men took to the court in Ljubljana to get their 2013 EuroBasket adventure underway against Israel.
And backed by Johnson’s game-high points total of 22, Great Britain rallied back from nine points down in the fourth quarter to level the scores at 66-66 and take the game into overtime – guard Andrew Lawrence holding his nerve with a late pair of free throws.
But Great Britain weren’t finished there, head coach Joe Prunty watching on as his side secured a 75-71 victory to get off to a winning start in Group A.
Next up for Great Britain are group favourites France and while Johnson admits the victory over Israel is something to cherish, he knows there is still a long way to go.
“We followed our game plan,” said Johnson. “We battled to the very end.
“We didn't hang our heads when we were down nine with two minutes left. We just kept chipping away. We took our opportunities down the stretch. We made some plays.
“Everybody in the locker room stepped up big time and we have to build on this going forward.
“It was a big win. But at the same time, we have four more games left in this group."
© Sportsbeat 2013