The national team got the revenge from Great Britain and qualified for the Eurobasket!

She took her… blood back and “embraced” the qualification to the final phase of EuroBasket 2025 Our national team!

Three days after the defeat in London, the “blue and white” made a reaction and with an “ally” the packed with Greek fans, Palataki, prevailed with 77-67 of Great Britain for the 4th matchday of the qualifying group stage of the competition.

His team Vasilis Spanoulis had the upper hand in the score throughout the match, without however being able to build a big and “clean” difference in the first three quarters. However, thanks to very good fourth periodbut also its many protagonists, was able to get the third pink game card (3-1) and climb to the top of the group!

A major protagonist for the “official favorite” was its leader, Kostas Papanikolaou, with the experienced forward reaching the triple-double, counting 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists! He was also very good Panagiotis Kalaitzakis with 14 points and 6 rebounds, with Mitrou-Long (12p., 4as.), Hoogaz (9p., 6r.) and Lorentzakis (8p., 3as., 4kl.) to follow in performance.

Now, our National Team in his games February against you Czech Republic (21/02, away) and Netherlands (24/02, home), is expected to “lock” qualification as one of the three best teams in the group.

The match:

OR Our national teamwhich started with Mitrou-Long, Larentzakis, Papanikolaou, Hougaz and Zougris in its starting five, entered the match very strongly thanks to its aggressive defense, as well as the baskets of Zougris and Mitrou-Long, led 6-0 in three minutes. OR Great Britain broke the… pomegranate after nearly 4 minutes of play, down to 6-4, before Mitrou-Long’s basket and Papanikolaou’s goal foul increased the lead to +7 and 11-4 at 6′. However, both teams subsequently committed several mistakes, which resulted in the score remaining at low levels. With them Olaseni and Ellis to find collected and easy baskets, the guests took advantage of the failure of the “blue and white”, reducing at 17-15 in the first period.

With the first Greek three-pointer coming through the hands of Hougaz at the start second quarter, Vassilis Spanoulis’ team took the lead with 20-15while a little later, with another basket by the 24-year-old forward, the score became 22-17 at 13′. At that point, there was an aggressive outburst of M. Britain, who with Akin, Hisson and Ellis, went on an individual 7-0 run, passing for the first time in score (22-24) at 15′. The entry of Papanikolaou and Zougris on the floor, dramatically improved the image of the “official sweetheart” on both ends of the floor. With a basket by Kalaitzakis, the National Team equalized at 24-24, before Larentzakis’ three-pointer came (27-24), lifting Palataki into the air! Papanikolaou and Lountzis took the baton in scoring, with the excellent Kalaitzakis (9 points at halftime) to connect with the British basket behind 6.75m. for 34-29 at 18′! After a beautiful partnership, a result of good and fast circulation, Greece found easy baskets with Zougris and Mitrou-Long, thus going to the locker room with maximum value of the difference (40-32).

After a sluggish, “anarchic” and… misguided two minutes from the two teams at the start of the third periodour national team found a rhythm and dramatically improved its image. With the basket of Hougaz, the shots of Papanikolaou and the three-pointer of Lountzis, Greece shot the difference at +13 for 47-34 in the 24th minute. Adamou and Elis aggressively “unstuck” M. Britain, with Larentzakis and Lountzis with his second three-pointer, answering, for 52-41 at 26′! Somewhere there, the hardness of M. British, but also some accumulated mistakes of the “blue and white”, gave Stutell’s team the opportunity to “gnaw” the difference and reduce to 54-48 at 27′before Mitrou-Long, with a big three-pointer, made it 57-50 at 29′. In the last attacks, the only one who could score was Adamou for 57-50 of the periodwith Papanikolaou stopping Akin with an improbable block at the end of the quarter!

In the fourth and last period, the Great Britain she was the one who entered the floor more powerfully. With Whelan and Ellis connecting with the Greek basket, finding scores from behind the three-point line as well, the British reduced at 64-60 at 34′. The answer of the “official favorite” came from Papanikolaou, Mitrou-Long and Hougaz, who with a quick 7-2 run, sent the difference at +9 and 71-62 at 35′. With the people in the stands of Pylaia getting into the equation of the match, the “blue and white” continued in the same aggressive tempo, constantly widening the difference, which reached up to +15 (77-62). With the game decided, all the British could do was reduce to final 77-67.

The quarters: 17-15, 40-32, 57-50, 77-67.

See here the statistics of the match: