Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece Stunned by Brazil in 79-78 Loss at FIBA World Cup

Brazil overcame an early double-digit deficit to knock off Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece 79-78 at the 2019 FIBA World Cup on Tuesday.  

Anderson Varejao led the way for Brazil with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Marquinhos Sousa (15 points), Leandrinho Barbosa (13)  and Alex Garcia (13) all reached double figures as well.

Antetokounmpo had 13 points, four rebounds and three steals rebounds in a losing effort.

Brazil improved to 2-0 with the victory, capturing sole possession of first place in Group F. It marks Greece's first loss of the tournament.

The result was a surprise given the way the contest started. The two sides engaged in a competitive first quarter, with neither team able to create much separation throughout. However, Greece went on a 21-4 run in the second to open up a 17-point lead.

Brazil built some momentum late in the first half, though, as it managed to trim the margin down to 10 by halftime.

Of note, Antetokounmpo played a very limited role in Greece's first-half success. The reigning NBA MVP recorded just six points while going 1-of-4 from the floor while playing 13 minutes. Rather, it was Georgios Printezis (14 points) and Nick Calathes (11) who paced Greece through the first two quarters.

The second half, though, was the Varejao show.

Varejao, who last played in the NBA two years ago, went off for 16 points while making seven of his 10 field-goal attempts over the final two quarters. That came after he went 3-of-7 for six points in the first half.

The 36-year-old's strong performance helped Brazil regain the lead by the midway point in the third, completely wiping out a 17-point deficit in approximately seven minutes of game time.

From there, it was a fight to the finish. Neither squad was able to pull away, even though Brazil threatened to run away with the game while up seven late. However, Greece managed to draw even with 35 seconds to play.

But in the end, there was too much Varejao.

Greece had an opportunity to potentially force overtime, with Kostas Sloukas needing to make a trio of free  throws with two seconds remaining. While he made the first two, he was unable to knock down the third.

Antetokounmpo had just seven shots in nearly 29 minutes, though he did go 7-for-7 from the line. He had a potential game-tying alley-oop attempt denied with six seconds to play.

What's Next

Both teams will be back in action Thursday. Greece will battle New Zealand (1-1), while Brazil will take on Montenegro (0-2).