Giannis Antetokounmpo Giannis Grace Tuesday dismissed Lithuania (87-76), which played in front of its audience in neighboring Latvia, and will be opposed in the Euro semi-finals to Turkey, victorious in Poland (91-77).
The Milwaukee Bucks star in NBA, as expected, was the man of the match (29 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists) to carry his own to the last square.
But the “Greek Freak” was not the only Antetokounmpo to be illustrated on the parquet floor of the Arena Riga: her “little” brother Kostas (2.09 m against 2.11 m) chained the counters (4) and the defensive rebounds (3) to dominate the Lithuanians, who led the first six minutes of the match before gradually.
Vice-world champion in 2006, European champion in 1987 and 2005, Greece logically found the semi-finals of a large competition, for the first time since 2009 (bronze medal).
For Lithuania, the experienced Pivot Jonas Valancunas, with the career in the NBA as long as the beard, was not enough despite a full match (24 points, 15 rebounds). The leader Rokas Jokubaitis, who was wounded, cruelly missed the Lithuanians.
Sengun, record triple
A little earlier, Turkey had taken the first post for the last square against Poland, carried by its young pivot of NBA Alperen Sangun.
At the age of 23, Sengun delighted the public and his teammates: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, not to mention the genius. He became the sixth player and the youngest in history to make a triplet in Eurobasket.
It took Turkey a quarter to take the measure of the issue. A shy introduction that saw the two back to back teams (19-19). But from the second quarter, the Turks suffocated the Poles.
Released with 14 points ahead at halftime, they preserved their advance in the 3rd quarter (+15). And if they were a little scared when the advance melted eight points three minutes from the term, they were able to react.
In addition to Sengun, evolving at the Houston Rockets, the leader Shane Larkin also showed (13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists).
Like the Polish naturalized American Jordan Loyd (19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists), rear of Monaco, the Poles have chained the awkwardness, especially at three points (34 % success).
The other two quarters will be played on Wednesday: Finland-Géorgie, between the tombers of Serbia and France, then Germany-Slovenia, with the star Luka Doncic.
