This national team is for big things! Two days after the impressive victory over Montenegro, his team Vasilis Spanoulis he made an even better appearance by crushing them Bahamas with an impressive 102-75 at the Acropolis tournament, in a SEF with 10,000 fans!
By Giannis Antetokounmpo to make his much-anticipated debut this year in “blue and white”, showing that he is in good playing condition despite a 78-day inactivity, Greece played incredible basketball, building their psyche ahead of Pre-Olympic Games at SEF, on July 2 and 7.
The “official favorite” finished the match with 38 assists (!), 7 steals and 34 rebounds, shooting several three-pointers tonight as well (12/26 sq.). The first scorer was MEtoglu with 18 points, while the “Greek Freak” scored 14 points and 5 rebounds in almost 15 minutes of participation.
From then on, he was also amazing Nick Calathes with 7 points and 11 assists, as, of course, Thomas Walkup with 6 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds. Papanikolaou and Papagiannis scored 14 and 11 points, respectively, in a match that – it may sound like an exaggeration – but no one was left behind!
The match:
THE National our team started the match with Walkap, Kalathis, Papanikolaou, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Papagianni in their starting five. As for the “Greek Freak”, anything but… rusty he appeared after the 78-day inactivity, with the Bucks superstar entering the match hot. With Nick Calatheswho solved and… tied in defense and attack (6 assists in the 1st quarter), the John offered a spectacle early on with two alley oops and a total of 8 points in the first 4 minutes for 11-8 in favor of “blue and white”.
With the defense of our representative group to have “suffocated” the Bahamas, which were constantly going to an iso game with many three-pointers (1/12 in the period), our national team dominated the match. Thanks to amazing transition and fast traffic of the ball that was simply… delightful, the “blue and white” constantly increased the difference. With Mitoglou and Papanikolaou finding easy points and Walkup scoring for three towards the end, Greece closed out the first period at +13 for 28-15!
After a misguided first two minutes early in the second quarter, his team Vasilis Spanoulis up the difference at +16 for 34-18 at 13′, after two in a row three points by Toliopoulos and Larentzakis, a consequence of the quick and correct circulation of the ball. With the tempo of the match not being at the same levels as in the first quarter, our National Team continued to control the pace, with Edgecomb being the only real threat.
Constantly keeping the difference in double-digit points, our National Team found a score by many players, naturally taking advantage of all five team fouls from the Bahamas. With an amazing Papanikolaou basket in the final from the 8th assist of Kalathis (!)the “official favorite” went to the locker room for halftime, was ahead 46-34, with the unlikely harvest of 17 assists!
The start of the National Team was also extremely impressive our team in the second half! It is indicative that in the first 4:30 minutes of the third period, Greece ran one incredible 19-9 run, having as protagonists all the quintet of Kalathis, Walkap, Papanikolaou, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mitoglou. “Hitting, both from the inside with Giannis, and from behind the 6.75m. with Dino and Tomas, Spanoulis’ team made the difference at +22 and 65-43 at 25′!
Despite the changes in the faces due to rotation, the “blue and white”, not only did not lose its offensive momentum, but also the tension in its defense, on the contrary, it managed and raised even more the difference. With Costas Antetokounmpo and Giannoulis Larentzakis standing out in the last three minutes, the representative group of our country arrived up to +27closing the period with score 77-50!
Somehow, the fourth and final period it took on a procedural character, with our federal coach having the opportunity to give time to the players who were at the back… of the bench. Even so, however, the passion and tension were at… high! It is indicative that Larentzakis, Toliopoulos, Moraitis, Kalaitzakis, Papagiannis and Charalambopoulos, who were used in the quarter, scored 25 points. With the Fener center making a splash and scoring 11 points in this period, but also with the three points of Toliopoulos, Larentzakis and Moraitis, Greece even reached at +32 (99-67) at 39′, reaching victory with the an impressive 102-75!
The quarters: 28-15, 46-34, 77-50, 102-75.
See here the statistics of the match
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Source: Sport Fm
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