On September 8th, in the EuroBasket Round of 16, Greece beat Israel 84-79 to move on to the quarterfinals, where they will meet Lithuania. Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo shined with 37 points and 10 rebounds on 18 of 23 shooting. Greece finished the first half with a 9-point lead; Israel reduced the deficit to 2 points in the second half, but Greece withstood the pressure to secure the victory. Israel’s key player Avdija scored 23 points.

Statistics

Greece: Giannis Antetokounmpo 37 points 10 rebounds, Sloukas 11 points 4 rebounds, Papanikolaou 8 points 4 rebounds 4 assists, Samodurov 7 points 6 rebounds, Toliopoulos 5 points, Kleiźakis 4 points 5 rebounds, Dorsey 4 points 2 steals, Antetokounmpo Jr. 4 points 5 rebounds, Mitoglou 4 points 5 rebounds

Israel: Avdija 23 points 3 rebounds 2 steals, Giant 15 points 5 rebounds, Sogin 14 points 6 rebounds 2 blocks, Madar 10 points 4 rebounds 5 assists 5 steals, Carrington 9 points, Zussman 4 points 5 rebounds

Player of the Game

Giannis continued his dominant scoring display, delivering multiple powerful dunks and finishing with 37 points and 10 rebounds, leading Greece into the quarterfinals.

Game Recap

In the first quarter, Sloukas hit a mid-range jumper, Giannis scored back-to-back jump shots, and Papanikolaou nailed a three-pointer, giving Greece a 10-4 start. Giant responded with 6 straight points, but Papanikolaou and Dorsey answered back. Giannis slammed a dunk and completed a three-point play, extending Greece’s lead to 9. Avdija scored on a layup, Carrington hit a three, and Giannis dunked again. At the end of the first quarter, Greece led Israel 28-22.

In the second quarter, Mitoglou scored inside, Carrington hit another three, and Sogin scored 7 consecutive points, cutting Israel’s deficit to 3 points. Giannis quickly responded with three consecutive inside baskets, widening the gap again. Avdija made a three-pointer, Mitoglou and Antetokounmpo Jr. scored inside, and Sloukas also hit a three, pushing Greece’s lead to 11. Levi scored on a put-back, and at halftime Greece led Israel 50-41.

After the break, Giannis scored inside, while Sogin, Carrington, and Avdija all hit three-pointers. Toliopoulos scored on a floater, Giannis delivered another dunk, Giant scored on a layup, and Sogin added a dunk, bringing Israel within 2 points. Sloukas completed a three-point play, Samodurov made a three-pointer, and at the end of the third quarter, Greece was ahead 67-59.

In the final quarter, Sloukas scored on a layup, Giannis aggressively attacked the paint, and Greece extended their lead to 14 points. Giant and Avdija hit three-pointers, Giannis dunked again. Madar scored on a layup, Avdija suffered a facial injury and was substituted for treatment. Papanikolaou made a three-pointer, Timo scored on a layup, Madar made two free throws, but Israel remained 6 points behind. Giannis and Zussman both scored on put-backs, and Greece ultimately defeated Israel to reach the quarterfinals.

Starting Lineups

Greece: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Sloukas, Papanikolaou, Dorsey, Mitoglou

Israel: Avdija, Giant, Madar, Palatín, Sergei