Giannis Posts Huge Stat Line as Greece Beats Spain, Advances to EuroBasket Bracket

Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 25 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists to lead Greece to a 90-86 win over Spain to close EuroBasket group play on Thursday.

With the win, Greece clinched first place in Group C with a 4-1 record, besting 4-1 Italy via the head-to-head tiebreaker. Greece will now play Israel, which finished fourth in Group D, on Sunday to begin the 16-team knockout round.

The victory also knocked Spain out of the tournament. Spain won four of the last six EuroBasket titles, including the most recent one in 2022.

Greece led 50-35 at halftime, but Spain opened the third quarter on a 17-6 run to cut the lead to 56-52. Spain kept pace with Greece and eventually took the lead multiple times in the fourth. Mario Saint-Supery notably put Spain ahead 84-82 with 2:43 left in regulation.

However, Antetokounmpo went to work, first tying the game with a dunk before adding another layup with two minutes remaining.

Antetokounmpo's perseverance on the second bucket was exceptional. That layup dropped after he grabbed three offensive rebounds, including two off his own misses.

Spain then had two possessions to take the lead but could not convert. Antetokounmpo grabbed the defensive rebound on the second one, and Kostas Sloukas eventually gave Greece an 88-84 edge with 59 seconds left after a two-pointer. Sloukas later added two more free throws for a 90-85 advantage with seven seconds left, all but putting the game out of reach at that point.

Elsewhere for Greece, Tyler Dorsey scored 22 points, including 14 in a six-minute span at one point. He also hit six three-pointers. Four players scored in double digits for Spain, led by Jaime Pradilla's 14.

Ultimately, Antetokounmpo's efforts propelled Greece to victory, and fans and analysts took notice.

Antetokounmpo is trying to lead Greece to its first EuroBasket victory since 2005 and third overall.