Basketball: Team GB falter despite Deng display

Luol Deng's long wait to make his Olympic debut and go some way to repaying the debt he feels he owes Great Britain may not have gone according to plan but was nevertheless a memorable occasion.

Great Britain, the country where Deng and his family were granted political asylum, fell to a predictable 95-75 defeat last night to Russia, a perennial power in the European game, despite a 26-point performance from the Chicago Bulls' All Star forward (above).

"This was the first game, the guys were excited so we're not out but we've got to come together and prepare for the next game," said Deng. "There's a lot of things we can do better."

Unfortunately for the hosts, Russia's own NBA All Star, Andrei Kirilenko, turned in a magnificent display himself, proving virtually unguardable and finishing with 35 points, the highest individual tally on the opening day.