The National team overcame the Dominicans with “alien” Giannis

Message in all directions that he is the favorite at Pre-Olympic Tournament which hosts at its “home”, the National team sent her by emphatically defeating her Dominican Republic with 109-82 in the busy SEF.

In… a wild state o John Antetokounmpo, was unmatched, providing substance and spectacle with 32 points without missing a shot (10/10 2-pointer, 1/1 3-pointer, 9/13 shooting), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in just 18:10. His main supporters are the amazing Thomas Walkup with 17 points and a very good job in defense, but also Nick Calathes with 12 points, 11 assists and 3 rebounds.

On Thursday at 21:00 against Egypt it also seals… formally the first place for the Greek team, which will learn its opponent in Saturday’s semi-final (17:30) earlier from the result of the match between Slovenia and New Zealand (the two are candidates as well as Croatia).

The match

Walkup, Kalathis, Papanikolaou, G. Antetokounmpo and Papagiannis started the match for the Greek team. The expatriate guard with an assist to the Greek Freak and a layup set the tone early (4-0) for the National Team, which reached 10-15 with its “brain” counting 4 points and 3 assists and the star of the Bucks another 6 points. Three-pointers from Walkup and Papanikolaou brought the difference to +8, 13-21, while Feliz’s unsportsmanlike hit on Costa Antetokounmpo allowed the “official favorite” to close the quarter with the first double-digit difference in the match.

Man possessed ??????#FIBAOQT x @HellenicBF pic.twitter.com/yEJpJ0eDCp

— FIBA ​​(@FIBA) July 3, 2024

Giannis scared the… country when Toliopoulos landed on his left knee and knocked him to the floor, but as if nothing had happened, a personal basket and an assist to Mitoglou in the surprise put Greece up 33-20 and shortly after 36 -27. The three-pointers of Felis and Duarte signaled the reaction of the Dominicans (27-36), however the National Team – despite the breaths for its leader – immediately found the answers from Toliopoulos, Charalambopoulos and Papagiannis and reached 51-37. In fact, with a buzzer beater long three-pointer by Kalathis and an alley oop by Papagianni, he went to the locker room with the biggest difference in the match, 56-41. Vassilis Spanoulis’ team had an amazing number in this first part, with 14/18 two-pointers, 7/15 three-pointers and 16 assists for only 5 mistakes.

A (another) basket and a three-pointer by the Greek Freak launched the National team to 61-41 at the beginning of the second half. Feliz and Lees increased the number of opponents’ three-pointers to seven and… reminded everyone that the game is not over (47-61). Antetokounmpo’s show-time was unstoppable, with an impressive block that ended in his own surprise for 67-49. The 3-pointers, however, still kept the Dominicans up, making 10/21 to get within eleven, 58-69. But the National team did not go back, as they responded with the same coin and reached 75-58 with “bombs” from Walkap and Mitoglou, reaching 10/20 three-pointers! Che Garcia’s players narrowed the gap again to ten (75-65), but the “hot” Walkup made sure with a personal 5-0 to finish the quarter at 80-65.

Scary hours??#FIBAOQT x @HellenicBF pic.twitter.com/TfH29rjl48

— FIBA ​​(@FIBA) July 3, 2024

With victory virtually assured, the Greek internationals kept their foot off the gas climbing to +21 (88-67) seven and a half minutes before the end. Giannis left the game for good with 4:40 remaining having 32 points and with the match at 95-72. Coach Spanoulis threw Moraitis into the fray as well, giving the “starters” a breather, and the National Team put the icing on the cake by reaching the finish line with Toliopoulos’ three-pointer for 101-77, 2:26 before the end.

Ten minutes: 25-15, 56-41, 80-65, 109-82

See here the statistics of the match

Referees: Vasquez (Puerto Rico), Salins (Latvia), Bonner (USA)

*In the half-time of the match there was an excellent action with a message for the inclusion of the disabled with Nikos Galis in the center and a cover of Final Countdown (song that accompanied the 1987 epic) dressing the SEF musically.