Greece Defeats Great Britain 77-67 in EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers
The Greek National Men’s Basketball Team moved closer to securing a spot in the EuroBasket 2025 finals by defeating Great Britain 77-67 at the PAOK Sports Arena. With this victory, Greece improved its record to 3-1 in Group F of the qualifiers. The team now has a chance to clinch qualification during February’s games. Kostas Papapetrou delivered a standout performance, contributing 14 points (4/6 field goals, 1/3 three-pointers, 3/3 free throws), nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block over 32:58 of playtime.
Greece initially struggled to control the game’s tempo as Great Britain demonstrated resilience early on. The visitors scored three fast-break baskets, trailing closely at 15-14 in the eighth minute. Greece finished the first quarter leading 17-15, despite missing all four of their three-point attempts and forcing eight turnovers from their opponents.
In the second quarter, Britain briefly took the lead with Ellis (22-24), but Greece quickly responded. Giannoulis Larentzakis energized the crowd of 8,000 fans with a three-pointer for a 27-24 advantage. A lineup featuring Lountzis and Larentzakis caused four consecutive turnovers, allowing Greece to build an eight-point lead at halftime (40-32). Panagiotis Kalaitzakis (9 points) and Vangelis Zougris (8 points) led Greece in scoring during the first half, while Papapetrou contributed five points, five assists, and four rebounds. Britain relied heavily on Olaseni but committed 15 turnovers.
In the third quarter, Nikos Hougaz extended Greece’s lead to double digits at 42-32. Michalis Lountzis further boosted the lead with a three-pointer, pushing the score to 47-34. However, Britain clawed back, reducing the deficit to 57-50.
In the final quarter, Olaseni cut the lead to four points (66-62), but Greece remained composed. Papapetrou hit a critical three-pointer, extending the lead to 74-62 with 4:25 left. Kalaitzakis followed with another three-pointer, securing Greece’s victory at 77-67.
Quarter Scores:
1st: 17-15 2nd: 40-32 3rd: 57-50 4th: 77-67
Group F Standings:
Greece 3-1 Great Britain 2-2 Czech Republic 2-2 Netherlands 1-3
Upcoming Matches:
5th Round (February 21): Czech Republic vs. Greece; Netherlands vs. Great Britain 6th Round (February 24): Greece vs. Netherlands; Great Britain vs. Czech Republic
