There are a lot of things that don’t show up on the stat sheet and there are plenty of things one can’t see when not being at the arena and watching a basketball game live and in person.

If you just pick up the scoresheet and or watch a game on TV you get part of the story, but not the entire package, not by a long shot. You can tell how hard a player may go after a rebound, you can’t feel the intensity of the players on the court and you can’t identify the frustration and feelings of not only all 10 players on the court but also those on the bench including the coaching staff and the fans in the stands.

The complete story can only be experienced live and in person at the arena where you become an active observer.

This was the case at the Toto Arena as Holon dismantled Strasbourg 93-75 as they took game one of their best of three Basketball Champions League quarterfinal matchup.

And it’s also a portrait of tenacity, guile and guts of one Chris Johnson.

This was a game that Holon had from the get go, but saw their lead evaporate to just 3-points in the third quarter. However, it was at that point where Guy Goodes’s squad blew the doors off of the French team as they rattled off a 10-0 run and cruise to the victory from there.

In fact, Holon should have been able to wave goodbye to Strasbourg much earlier on but you need two to tango and the purples were never able to get the separation needed to put the game in their back pocket by halftime.

Part of the issue was perhaps Adam Smith who was suffering from a leg muscle issue and wasn’t at his best after dropping a boat load of points in the first frame or perhaps it took time for Joe Ragland and Tyrus McGee to heat up and really get into the swing of things in the second half.

But one thing for certain is that Chris Johnson plays at 200% on every single possession both on offense or on defense. However, it’s not just when he has the ball in his hands or when he is defending all-comers. It’s every single loose ball, rebound, 50/50 ball that sees Johnson turn up the 200% to maybe even 500%.

And that is what you don’t see on TV or on the statsheet. One can not understand and experience such a player to the fullest extent without actually sitting in the stands and watching how a true professional plies his trade at the highest of levels.

Whether it’s the sweat dripping off his body, his piercing eyes observing the ball’s every movement, his hands directing traffic or his facial expressions that indicate the desire and the drive to be the best at his craft and to dominate his trade.

He is without a doubt the straw that stirs the drink and will put it all out on the court no matter what. His competitiveness puts the fear of God in the opponent and can set the tone early which is exactly what Johnson did but hitting a quick pair of corner 3-pointers to get the game off and running.

If anyone had thought that he would be out after taking a knock to his neck at Herzliya on Saturday night was mistaken. It didn’t matter if he took part in half a practice or so before the game, you just knew that Johnson was going to be there on the floor doing what he does best with his “A” game.

“I’m happy that the 3-pointers went in and Chris is a battler,” Goodes said following the game. “The knock he got to his neck didn’t matter and he put it aside, but it wasn’t easy for him. He’s out defensive anchor and our anchor for toughness and I’m happy he was great today grabbing rebounds and putting in the extra effort and that’s what wins games. I’m happy that he was able to help us win the game.”

Johnson and Holon in fact scared Strasbourg as their coach Lassi Tuovi explained following the game, “We were scared and we were passive in many situations, but this is basketball. The good thing is that this isn’t do or die.”

Strasbourg’s 35-year old Finnish coach spoke about how they had prepared but it wasn’t enough, “We had no clue what was prepared and the level of competition we were going to face until we were on the court. They challenged every catch and went after every loose ball and that has to change.”

Veteran French swingman Gaylor Curier also indicated that what they had seen while getting ready for this series on tape didn’t match what the reality was when they had to go toe to toe with Holon in person on the same court.

“We saw it, but it’s something to see on film and to actually live it. They have a great crowd and they feed off of that energy. I’m not really worried though and we know how to be ready to bounce back. This is the first time we were playing at this level and now that we burst that bubble we know what to expect. They had all of the 50/50 balls and we were a little tense but I’m not worried.”

The fact that Curier said that they weren’t worried should make a Strasbourg supporter very, very concerned as their team despite cutting down the lead to just 3-points were utterly overmatched in this game and that should be the same when they play next week in France.

“We got smacked. Basically we were not ready for this type of intensity and we weren’t ready for this type of physical challenge. We are known to play physical and we were not there yet but we now know what to do,” Curier concluded.

Strasbourg may know what to do, but they really didn’t show any type of fight, battle and desire.

With Johnson as their on court leader it will be very, very tough for Strasbourg to match up to the necessary toughness that they will need to take not only a home win but then find a way to be victorious back in Israel. With six players in double digits from Joe Ragland to Tyrus McGee and from Michale Kyser and Rafi Menco to go along with veteran marksman Guy Pnini and Johnson, Strasbourg has their work cut out for them.

Whatever they had seen on tape didn’t really give them the true picture and what reality is. Especially a reality with Chris Johnson on the court.

“Chris does the small things that wins games,” Goodes explained. “He is unique. On Tuesday he did a light practice but he has the DNA of a fighter and has always had. He is what Nadav Henefeld had been for Maccabi Tel Aviv.”