In an unexpected turn of events, Spain, the title defender, has been eliminated from the EuroBasket in the group stage after falling to Greece with a score of 90-86. The match, played in Limassol, Cyprus, saw Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Greeks with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
Tyler Dorsey contributed 22 points, securing Greece’s advance to the next round as Group C leader. They will face Israel on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Spain, which entered the last game with a 2-2 record, needed the victory to secure its continuation. Kostas Sloukas sealed the Greek victory with a crucial play in the last minute.
Jaime Pradilla scored 14 points and Mario Saint-Supery added 13 for Spain, who had defeated France in the 2022 final.
In other results of the day, Belgium defeated already classified Poland, with a score of 70-69.
Nurkic Leads Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jusuf Nurkic, center for the Utah Jazz, scored 15 points in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s victory over Georgia (84-76), securing their place in the knockout stage.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will face Poland on Sunday in the round of 16.
Georgia, who managed to tie the score in the final quarter, couldn’t keep up with the momentum of Nurkic and his team.
Nurkic also grabbed 12 rebounds, his third consecutive double-double in the tournament. Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Despite the defeat, Georgia advanced in fourth place and will face France on Sunday.
Italy, already qualified, defeated Cyprus with a score of 89-54. The Italians will face Slovenia on Sunday.
France shows its power
Zaccharie Risacher led France with 15 points in the victory over Iceland (114-74) in Katowice, Poland. The French team, with an outstanding performance from their bench, secured their position as Group D leader.
Doncic shines with Slovenia
Luka Doncic stood out with 37 points in Slovenia’s victory over Israel (106-96). The Los Angeles Lakers player also added 11 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals.
Deni Avdija led Israel with 34 points and nine rebounds. Both teams were already qualified for the knockout stage.
The round of 16 matches on Saturday include: Turkey vs. Sweden; Germany vs. Portugal; Lithuania vs. Latvia; and Serbia vs. Finland.
