The Spanish male basketball team It has been eliminated this Thursday in the group stage of the Eurobasket 2025 After falling by a tight 86-90 before the team of Greeceguided by Giannis antetokounmpo And his brothers to get, they yes, in the round of 16.
In Limasol (Cyprus), on the Spyros Kyprianou Arena, the pupils of SERGIO SCARIOLO They began responding to hand in hand that had proposed their adversary in the initial minutes. Tyler Dorsey It was the great offensive asset of the Greeks with their triple corners, but ‘a priori’ the perimeter of Spain responded relatively well.
However, the selection trained by Vassilis Spanoulis He was distanced soon on the score Kostas Papanikolaou And of his tocayo Sloukas. Another kostas, in this case Antetokounmpohe relieved his teammates just like his brother Thanosis in the middle of his team of his team Until 15 points up (16-31).
He tried to scare Willy Hernangome In the low post, but it was not the ideal solution for ‘the family’ because neither he nor his brother Juancho They are at their best level during this tournament. Last Tuesday, both the particular Italian pizza and Spain paid it with a defeat that converted this event against Greece into a matter of ‘win or go home’.
And despite that scenario, perhaps saving Saints ALDAMAthe first quarter was being an ordeal to the basket of Josep Puerto that closed it in 20-31. In front of the Helena defense, Xabi López-Arostegui He sneaked two lateral triples and penetrated the hoop to score supporting his basket shot, lowering the distance to 33-38 to 5:50 of the break.
The start of the second quarter seemed hopeful for Spain, but neither the plan A of Scariolo nor the alternative plans extended the reaction. He went to court Send Sharewith scarce minutes in the previous events of this tournament, while the Hernangómez brothers sucked bench while the rival attack wreaked havoc inside and outside the ‘painting’.
Giannis antetokounmpo He broke with a powerful matte that streak of López-Arostegui and It promoted a Greek partial of 2-12carrying everything to rest with a 35-51 difficult to neutralize. To top it off, Darío Brizuela had been injured In the first half of the game and Scariolo himself confirmed in changing rooms that the Barça escort was not going to play as a precaution.
Against adversities, some important men for ‘the family’ in this championship were emboldening and who did not see hoop easily, specifically Jaime Pradilla y Santi Yusta next to Sergio de Larrea. A couple of successes of each and a free kick of Aldama They kept Spain near an opponent that in attack was entrusted to the best of the Antetokounmpo.
The inertia, of course, had changed. In a counterattack he got Pradilla A factor to last ring with effect with effect and in the presence of the star of the Milwaukee Bucks, establishing 52-56 to 4:13 to conclude the third period. After a dead time of Spanoulis, Papanikolaou He cut that streak, which was not better for Spain because he had failed several free throws.
The ‘Greek Freak’, with its usual parsimony, did led from personnel line and DORSEY achieved another triple to place 54-64. It didn’t matter if he launched from the Cipriota or Bilbao pavilion, the Olympiac escort was a dagger when he was released. López-Arostegui answered those three points with a basket of the same value and that angered Spanoulis.
There were 49.5 of the third act and the cries of the coach sought that their pupils were not disconnected. And although they more or less fulfilled that duty, the Greek players fit a ‘bomba’ of Mario Saint-Supéry on the horn of the 30th minute and that encouraged ‘the family’. This was seen at the beginning of the quarter quarter, putting 68-70 in minute and a half.
A triple of Juancho to the limit of possession and a basket of Willy By pure force under the hoop they had meant the awakening of the two Hernangómez. Besides, Greece flourish in attack and Saint-Supéry tied (71-71) thanks to a triple. With increasing pressure, Joel Parra later failed a triple corner and then Giannis Antetokounmpo took out a foul.
It could not have been sanctioned, because Juancho’s plug to ‘Greek Freak’ seemed legal. But Spain was in full and did well in not arguing with the referees. Another success of Willy in the low post placed 73-72 to 7:02 to conclude the gameWhile Pap sneakers responded with triple in an exchange of actions where Saint-Supéry wanted to shine.
The inspired Dorsey, Sloukas and then Panagiotis kalaitzakis They returned to pull the Hellenic car to climb the 77-81 mediated this last period. Scariolo spent dead time and his pupils returned to the court with the aim of giving the Italian coach more dances as a Spanish coach.
A basket of Pradilla From the head of the bulb, two free throws of Aldama And a success of Saint-Supéry Board turned marker (84-82), but Giannis antetokounmpo He wanted to sentence to a Spain that suffered its vigor within the ‘paint’ and to hunt a vital rebound after cap of Saint-Supéry himself, then seeing an 84-86 infarction.
A bad Greek attack followed another bad Spanish attack, Sloukas In the next action he scored with his penetration in front of De Larrea and on top ‘The family’ lost the posterior ball in a long pass that looked for Joel Parra. The stopwatch was 54.2 for spending and Saint-Supéry stole that ball to Giannis Antetokounmpo, but failed his shot at the basket running.
Possession continued for Spain in the background, with 33.1 on the clock. Aldama and Juancho Falleron two triplesWhile Spain fought with the soul in the next action and stole Sloukas the ball, which arrived in a corner to Juancho himself; He took three free to receive foul, but They failed them all and take the bouncing of the last was to survive in the tournament.
Pradilla no, but Aldama did hunted the ball and got up, being the object of another personal offense left 9.4 to run out time. He arrived there The fourteenth free kick failed by Spainwhat was clearly condemning her; The one of the Memphis Grizzlies did put the second and from another dead time they returned to the parquet the players of this intense match.
Sloukas received lack from López-Arostegui, transformed his pair of free throws (85-90) and channeled for Greece a triumph that despite everything was made of begging, since the roles were invested. Sloukas committed Foul to López-Arostegui when he raised from afar, although the forward of Valencia Basket only cast the second of his releases and the defeat was consumed.
