EuroBasket 2023: Greece, Spain, and Germany Lead the Charge; Luka Doncic’s Heroics Not Enough for Slovenia
Greece Soars Without ‘The Greek Freak’
The Hellenic squad put on a dominant display, routing Cyprus 69-96 in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the star forward taking a rest, coach Vassilis Spanoulis relied on teammates Taylor Dorsey and Dinos Mitoglu, who led the charge with 18 points apiece. junge Aleksandros Samodurov also shined, racking up 12 points and 8 rebounds. Greece tops Group C, tied with Spain at 2-0.
Spain Ousts Italy in Rematch
After suffering a surprise loss to Georgia in their opener, Spain rebounded strongly, defeating Italy 78-62. Tornike Shengelia and Georgia put up a fight in the first half but faded in the second, allowing Spain to ease to victory. Italy’s revenge against the team that upset them in the opening game was denied, as they maintained their undefeated record in the group.
Slovenia’s.Graphics.Toil Against France
Luka Doncic delivered another masterclass performance, posting 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, but Slovenia fell short against France, 103-95. The Balkan team led by 7 points midway through the third quarter but a late Doncic fade and timelyījao from Sylvain Francisco, Nando de Colo, and Frank Ntilikina turned the tide for France. The game ended controversially, with several players ejected following a brawl between the two sides.
Serbia Edges Latvia in Classic thriller
In a rematch of the 2022 FIBA World Cup final, Serbia squeaked past Latvia 80-84 thanks to Nikola Jokic’s heroic performance. The triple MVP nailed 39 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals, but Latvia gave the favorites a scare. Karlis Siliņš tied the game with five seconds left, only for Serbia to retake the lead and hold on for the win.
Sweden Surprises Great Britain; Belgium Ruthless Against Iceland
In Group D, Sweden and Belgium notched crucial victories. Sweden routed Great Britain 78-59, with Pelle Larsson (23 points), Melwin Pantzar (12 points, 8 rebounds, 21 valuation), and Simon Birgander (8 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 24 valuation) leading the charge. Meanwhile, Belgium overcame Iceland’s late rally, winning 71-64 behind Emmanuel Lecomte’s 16 points and 6 assists.
Germany Stays Perfect, Lithuania Struggles
The world champions continued their dominant run, defeating Lithuania 88-107. Dennis Schröder (26 points) and Franz Wagner (24) supported Daniel Theis’ perfect 9/9 shooting in a high-scoring affair. Lithuania’s Rokas Jokubaitis impressed with 20 points and 6 assists but committed 5 turnovers. Tadas Sedekerskis’ injury status remains unclear.
Czech Republic Hits Rock Bottom
The absence of Tomas Satoransky and Jan Vesely has doomed the Czech Republic, which dropped to 0-2 following a 75-89 loss to Estonia. Henri Drell (15 points) and Kristian Kullamae (16) led Estonia, while coach Diego Ocampo’s side continues to search for answers.
EuroBasket 2023: Standings (After Day 3)
- Group A: France (2-0), Slovenia (1-1), Poland (1-1), Bosnia and Herzegovina (0-2)
- Group B: Germany (3-0), Lithuania (1-1), Sweden (1-1), Montenegro (0-2)
- Group C: Greece (2-0), Spain (2-0), Estonia (1-1), Georgia (1-1), Czech Republic (0-2)
- Group D: Belgium (2-0), Sweden (1-1), Finland (1-1), Great Britain (0-2), Iceland (0-2)
EuroBasket 2023: Ahead
- Day 4: Must-watch games include France vs. Poland and Slovenia vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Did you know?
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first Greek player to win two NBA MVP awards. He is also a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a five-time All-Star.
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