Two wins away.
That’s how close Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece are to ending a 20-year title drought, after securing an 87-76 quarterfinal win against Lithuania to reach the EuroBasket semifinals.
Antetokounmpo wreaked havoc once again, erupting for 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting and hitting 11 of 15 free throw attempts, along with six rebounds and four steals.
Vasileios Toliopoulos added 17 points, Kostas Sloukas chipped in 11 points and four assists, while Kostas Antetokounmpo contributed four blocks.
"My players did a great job playing with a big heart in front of so many thousands of people from Lithuania in a very nice atmosphere," Greece head coach Vasileios Spanoulis said.
This marked Greece’s first semifinal appearance in the tournament since 2009, when they last secured a medal by claiming bronze.
Waiting for them in the semifinals are Alperen Sengun and Turkey, who rolled past Poland earlier, in a must-see final four showdown.
Greece built a commanding 75-60 lead after an Antetokounmpo basket with 3:18 left in regulation.
Despite Lithuania cutting the deficit to 70-78, the Bucks star scored six of his team’s final nine points to keep their championship hopes alive.
Big man Jonas Valanciunas, on the other hand, posted 24 points and 15 rebounds in a losing effort. Arnas Velicka added 12 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, but Lithuania failed to reach the semifinals for the third consecutive edition of the tournament.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.
