Greece–Italy: The game
The Greek national team found rhythm through its defense against Italy, who relied on the initiatives of Niccolò Melli. Defense dominated the first three minutes, with the Italians pressing full-court to delay ball advancement, then doubling Giannis Antetokounmpo in the post with two big men. At the same time, Kostas Papanikolaou did a great job on Simone Fontecchio, with Greece leading 15–12.
Then, three-pointers from Papanikolaou and Vassilis Toliopoulos pushed the margin into double digits for the first time at the end of the first quarter (22–12). Greece’s defensive lineup with Kalaitzakis, Papanikolaou, Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo sparked a 9–0 run, doing an excellent job on Fontecchio, who went 0/4 shooting in that stretch!
Greece came up with big stops, with Melli being the only blemish, as they won 11 rebounds and lost just one. The national team played textbook defense, holding Italy to 5/18 shooting in the opening quarter and dominating the boards, though their weakness was very low playmaking — just 1 assist against 4 turnovers. Afterward, Italy began extending possessions and finding baskets, cutting it to 30–23 with a Pajola three.
Italy’s offensive rebounds became a threat for Greece, with Gianmarco Pozzecco’s team moving the ball well, generating many open perimeter looks, and staying close thanks to second chances. Even so, Greece went into halftime ahead 36–32. The +4 margin was largely due to unstoppable Giannis, who had 14 points on 7/10 shooting with 4 rebounds.
Defense and Giannis
Italy pressured, but Giannis Antetokounmpo responded, scoring nine straight points for Greece to make it 48–41 with 3:50 left in the third quarter! Thanasis then scored inside, followed it up with a defensive stop, and celebrated wildly with the crowd. Dorsey from the line stretched the lead to +11 (52–41, 27’). Greece balanced the rebounding battle, fought harder in individual duels, and with Giannis carrying them in tough moments, managed to pull further away.
Despite the challenges and necessary adjustments, Greece had allowed just 53 points midway through the fourth quarter, holding Italy to 34% from the field and showing grit. Yet Italy made a final push — Fontecchio scored his first basket, trimming it to 66–60 with 3:55 left! Just as Italy threatened, Thanasis nailed a huge three for 71–61 at the 38th minute.
In the end, Vassilis Spanoulis’ team prevailed 75–66, making a perfect start to the tournament!
Quarter scores: 22–12, 36–32, 56–45, 75–66
Results – Schedule (Group C)
28/8
Georgia – Spain 83–69
Bosnia & Herzegovina – Cyprus 91–64
Greece – Italy 75–66
30/8
15:00 Italy – Georgia
18:15 Cyprus – Greece
21:30 Spain – Bosnia & Herzegovina
31/8
15:00 Georgia – Greece
18:15 Spain – Cyprus
21:30 Bosnia & Herzegovina – Italy
2/9
15:00 Greece – Bosnia & Herzegovina
18:15 Cyprus – Georgia
21:30 Italy – Spain
4/9
15:00 Bosnia & Herzegovina – Georgia
18:15 Italy – Cyprus
21:30 Spain – Greece
Live Commentary
28/08/2025 23:36
Final 75–66
Win for Greece, excellent second half performance for the national team, led by Giannis with 31 points
28/08/2025 23:30
75–66
Giannis again, 31 points
28/08/2025 23:28
Foul on Giannis, at the line
28/08/2025 23:26
73–66
Nice basket by Giannis
28/08/2025 23:24
49 seconds left
28/08/2025 23:22
71–66
Spagnolo again, cuts it to 5
28/08/2025 23:22
71–64
Spagnolo with a nice drive
28/08/2025 23:21
71–62
1/2 for Fontecchio
28/08/2025 23:20
Free throws for Fontecchio
28/08/2025 23:20
71–61
Thanasis with the three
28/08/2025 23:18
68–61
1/2 for Melli
28/08/2025 23:17
Foul on Melli, free throws
28/08/2025 23:16
68–60
Giannis provides relief
28/08/2025 23:16
66–60
Fontecchio hits a three, Italy closes in, Spanoulis calls timeout
28/08/2025 23:15
Impressive block by Papanikolaou on Niang
28/08/2025 23:14
66–57
Dunk by Niang
28/08/2025 23:11
5:32 left
28/08/2025 23:10
66–55
Spagnolo finishes at the rim
28/08/2025 23:09
64–51
Niang three, Larentzakis answers with a three
28/08/2025 23:07
1/2 and Italy keeps the ball
28/08/2025 23:06
Thompson at the line
28/08/2025 23:06
Unsportsmanlike given
28/08/2025 23:05
Mitoglou foul, refs reviewing for possible unsportsmanlike
28/08/2025 23:04
61–47
Great finish by Mitoglou
28/08/2025 23:03
59–47
Toliopoulos answers from deep
28/08/2025 23:01
56–47
Thompson scores inside
28/08/2025 23:00
Start of the fourth quarter
28/08/2025 22:59
56–45
1/2 free throws by Ricci
28/08/2025 22:56
7 seconds left in the third
28/08/2025 22:56
56–44
Nice basket by Dorsey, Greece +12
28/08/2025 22:55
54–44
2/2 by Dinos
28/08/2025 22:54
Mitoglou to the line
28/08/2025 22:53
52–44
1/2
28/08/2025 22:52
Melli at the line, no baskets for a while
28/08/2025 22:52
52–43
Niang powerful dunk
28/08/2025 22:49
52–41
2/2 by Tyler
28/08/2025 22:48
2:57 left in the third
28/08/2025 22:48
Dorsey at the line
28/08/2025 22:47
50–41
Thanasis scores on third attempt, then draws the offensive foul
28/08/2025 22:45
Sloukas misses free throw
28/08/2025 22:44
Technical foul on Fontecchio for complaining
28/08/2025 22:44
48–41
1/2 by Giannis
28/08/2025 22:43
Giannis to the line
28/08/2025 22:42
Foul on Giannis, they can’t stop him otherwise
28/08/2025 22:42
Great defense by Sloukas on Gallinari, foul
28/08/2025 22:41
47–41
Giannis putback
28/08/2025 22:40
45–41
Gallinari 3/3
28/08/2025 22:39
Gallinari for three free throws
28/08/2025 22:38
45–38
Giannis 2/2
28/08/2025 22:37
Giannis at the line
28/08/2025 22:36
43–38
Nice drive by Spagnolo
28/08/2025 22:34
43–36
Giannis dunk
28/08/2025 22:33
41–36
Diouf again
28/08/2025 22:33
41–34
Giannis monster dunk
28/08/2025 22:32
39–34
Sloukas three
28/08/2025 22:32
36–34
Diouf off the glass
28/08/2025 22:31
Italy hurting Greece badly on the boards: 6 offensive rebounds, Greece 0
28/08/2025 22:29
All set for second-half tipoff
36–32 at halftime
Dorsey misses, end of the first half
28/08/2025 22:15
Foul on Giannis, 14 seconds left in the half
28/08/2025 22:15
36–32
Spagnolo 2/2 free throws
36–30
Reply from Melli and timeout by Spanoulis
28/08/2025 22:09
36–28
Giannis layup
GIANNIS IS UNFAIR 😭#EuroBasket | #MakeYourMark pic.twitter.com/Gl9jQ1OgjX
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 28, 2025
28/08/2025 22:08
2:55 left in the half
28/08/2025 22:06
34–28
Melli dunk
28/08/2025 22:05
35–26
Mitoglou three-pointer
28/08/2025 22:05
32–26
Offensive rebound and basket by Niang
28/08/2025 22:03
32–24
1/2 free throws by the Italian
28/08/2025 22:02
Melli at the line with 5 minutes left in the half
28/08/2025 22:01
The National Team has an issue with offensive rebounds, Italy has collected five
28/08/2025 22:01
32–23
Nice layup by Giannis
28/08/2025 22:00
30–23
Back-to-back threes by Sloukas and Pajola
28/08/2025 21:59
27–20
2/2 by Gallinari
28/08/2025 21:58
Gallinari at the free-throw line
28/08/2025 21:58
27–18
Giannis dunks again
28/08/2025 21:57
25–18
Ricci three-pointer
28/08/2025 21:57
Excellent defense by the National Team with Kalaitzakis and Kostas Antetokounmpo
28/08/2025 21:57
25–15
Kostas checks in
28/08/2025 21:55
Technical foul on Italy, Sloukas at the line
28/08/2025 21:55
24–15
Gallinari three-pointer
28/08/2025 21:53
24–12
Nice finish by Toliopoulos
28/08/2025 21:52
22–12
End of the first quarter with a Toliopoulos three-pointer
28/08/2025 21:50
19–12
Papapetrou three-pointer, the lead at 7 for the first time
#EuroBasket#HellasBasketball pic.twitter.com/4qn00KuST8
— HellenicBF (@HellenicBF) August 28, 2025
28/08/2025 21:47
Giannis keeps going
➡️ Spyros Kyprianou Arena #HellasBasketball #EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/t1AKVmkjOU
— HellenicBF (@HellenicBF) August 28, 2025
What History Says
Tonight will be the 66th meeting between the two Men’s National Teams, with Greece counting 27 wins compared to Italy’s 38. In detail:
08/05/1951 EuroBasket (Paris): 51–64
24/04/1952 Friendly (Milan): 34–25
04/10/1967 EuroBasket (Tampere): 58–74
03/05/1972 Pre-Olympic Tournament (Arnhem): 62–70
27/09/1973 EuroBasket (Barcelona): 54–59
22/05/1974 Nations Cup (Glyfada): 59–75
02/06/1974 Nations Cup (Vicenza): 53–59
09/06/1979 EuroBasket (Turin): 52–81
20/05/1983 Friendly (Turin): 66–94
28/05/1983 EuroBasket (Limoges): 83–108
14/06/1986 Friendly (Caserta): 78–93
19/06/1986 Friendly (SEF): 91–93
29/05/1987 Friendly (Reggio): 95–109
10/06/1987 EuroBasket (SEF): 90–78
05/06/1988 Friendly (SEF): 80–73
11/06/1988 Friendly (Bologna): 75–90
08/07/1988 Pre-Olympic Tournament (Rotterdam): 91–88
27/05/1989 Friendly (The Hague): 108–110
05/06/1989 Friendly (SEF): 93–80
15/07/1990 Friendly (Bormio): 80–81
09/06/1991 Friendly (SEF): 78–102
24/06/1991 EuroBasket (Rome): 72–82
29/05/1992 Friendly (Trieste): 85–89
10/06/1992 Friendly (SEF): 75–65
24/06/1993 EuroBasket (Karlsruhe): 88–73
02/07/1994 Friendly (Bologna): 69–95
16/07/1994 Friendly (SEF): 80–62
27/12/1994 Friendly (Nea Smyrni): 65–63
28/12/1994 Friendly (Nea Smyrni): 69–64
23/06/1995 EuroBasket (OAKA): 67–61
06/07/1996 Friendly (OAKA): 71–49
14/06/1997 Friendly (OAKA): 77–84
30/07/1998 World Championship (OAKA): 64–56
09/06/1999 Friendly (SEF): 77–53
21/08/2001 Friendly (OAKA): 66–70
31/08/2001 EuroBasket (Antalya): 83–82
14/06/2002 Friendly (OAKA): 64–66
22/06/2002 Friendly (Alassio): 77–78
13/08/2003 Friendly (Varese): 80–59
11/09/2003 EuroBasket (Stockholm): 59–62
15/07/2004 Friendly (Bormio): 74–78
27/07/2004 Friendly (Glyfada): 70–71
21/08/2005 Friendly (San Giorgio): 96–98
07/09/2005 Friendly (OAKA): 82–76
01/08/2006 Friendly (OAKA): 70–63
21/08/2007 Friendly (OAKA): 72–62
30/08/2007 Friendly (Rome): 73–52
05/08/2011 Friendly (Nicosia): 76–70
14/08/2011 Friendly (Rimini): 73–82
25/08/2011 Friendly (OAKA): 81–82
29/08/2013 Friendly (OAKA): 79–65
08/09/2013 EuroBasket (Koper): 72–81
24/08/2017 Friendly (OAKA): 73–70
16/08/2019 Friendly (OAKA): 83–63
03/09/2022 EuroBasket (Milan): 85–81
10/08/2023 Friendly (OAKA): 70–74
22/08/2025 Friendly (OAKA): 76–74
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