Greece breaks the curse and storms into the medal zone!
Greece breaks the curse and storms into the medal zone!
Greece breaks the curse and storms into the medal zone!
With a dominant and passionate performance from start to finish, the national team looked like a torrent, sweeping Lithuania aside at Riga’s “Xiaomi Arena” with a historic 87–76 victory in the EuroBasket 2025 quarterfinals, roaring that it is going for a medal!
Vassilis Spanoulis’ squad read the game brilliantly, controlled the rebounds — Lithuania’s main weapon — and, once again, with Giannis Antetokounmpo as its leader, booked a spot in the semifinals of the European Championship for the first time in 16 years!
The “Greek Freak” finished with 29 points (9/15 FG), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals, while Vassilis Toliopoulos had his best game of the tournament with 17 points (6/8 FG)! Kostas Papanikolaou (8p., 7r., 3a.), Kostas Sloukas (11p., 4r., 4a.), and Kostas Antetokounmpo (4p., 3r., 2a., 4 blocks) were also outstanding, with the latter posting the best +/- on the team.
Next up for the “official beloved” on the road to the final is Ergin Ataman’s Turkey, with the semifinal set for Friday (12/09)!
The Game:
Greece opened with its classic lineup of Sloukas, Dorsey, Papanikolaou, Mitoglou, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Lithuania opted for a tall formation. The start was sluggish on both ends, and with Valančiūnas leading, Lithuania went ahead 7–0. Greece finally scored after 2:40 through Giannis, who soon added four more points, and along with Mitoglou, cut the gap to 9–8 at the five-minute mark.
Velicka and Mitoglou traded threes (12–11), before Sloukas’ acrobatic layup gave Greece its first lead at 12–13. That’s when the Greek machine got going: Kostas Antetokounmpo patrolled the rim with two big blocks, while Dorsey and Toliopoulos hit from deep, and Giannis, with five more points (11 in the quarter), closed the period at +5, 24–19!
The second quarter began with a Sedekerskis triple, but Toliopoulos responded in kind, and Papanikolaou added two from the line for 29–22 at 12’. Kostas Antetokounmpo swatted two more shots, striking fear into the Lithuanians. Greece’s offense caught fire with back-to-back threes from Sloukas and Samontourov, stretching the margin to +11 at 35–24.
Midway through, Greece lost some focus, and Valančiūnas’ inside presence brought Lithuania within one (38–39). Just before halftime, however, Toliopoulos buried a huge three, and in the same sequence a foul led to a renewed possession, which Giannis capped with a fadeaway — a “five-point play” that sent Greece to the locker room up 44–38! Key stat: Lithuania had only two offensive rebounds, while Greece led 13–2 in fast-break points.
The third quarter opened with foul trouble, as Giannis picked up his third and Mitoglou his fourth in less than a minute. Still, Giannis, Sloukas, and Kostas Antetokounmpo sparked a 7–0 run for 51–41. Greece’s aggressive defense held Lithuania without a field goal for nearly 7 minutes, and Papanikolaou’s triple pushed the lead to 58–43. Despite a late Lithuanian surge, Greece kept answers coming and entered the final period up 64–52.
With momentum high, Greece pulled away in the fourth. Toliopoulos scored four, Papanikolaou hit a three, and the captain dished a brilliant assist to Samontourov for a dunk — 73–57 at 34’! From there, Giannis controlled the gap with seven late points, and cool free throws from Sloukas and Giannis sealed the historic 87–76 win.
Quarter scores: 19–24, 38–44, 52–64, 76–87.
