Greece wins its first medal in 16 years!
For the first time in his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo won a medal with the Greek national team. 16 years after winning the bronze medal game in Katowice with Vassilis Spanoulis as leader, the Greek team also finished with bronze in Riga (Latvia), with Vassilis Spanoulis as head coach.
From -17 to potential game-winner: Finland almost « Greek-ified » Greece
The Greeks led from start to finish against a Finland team that never gave up until the end, falling short by 3 points (92-89). Elias Valtonen missed the game-tying free throw with 5 seconds left, before former Paris player Mikael Jantunen grabbed the rebound in mid-air but came up short on his putback attempt. Lassi Tuovi’s team, which never led on Sunday, was down by 17 with 3:20 left in the game!
Everything seemed settled with 3:38 left when Kostas Papanikolaou, who had participated in EuroBasket 2009 preparation but wasn’t part of the medal-winning team in Poland, hit a three-pointer. The Greek team had just taken a 17-point lead and Lassi Tuovi had no timeouts left to find solutions.
Jantunen had Finland’s first-ever medal at his fingertips
Struggling with their shooting and offensive rebounds until then, the Finns hadn’t managed to stop the Giannis Antetokounmpo machine (30 points on 9/11 shooting, 12/16 free throws, 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 turnovers for a 43 efficiency rating in 31 minutes) like the Turks did two days earlier, despite various defensive adjustments. But as often, the Susijengi (wolf pack) found their groove. With nothing to lose, they started hitting threes while the Greeks were trembling.
Even veteran point guard Kostas Sloukas missed his second free throw with 17 seconds left, giving Finland a chance to tie. After being fouled in the air by Papanikolaou, shooter Elias Valtonen got three free throws to tie at 89. The Granada player made the first two before coming up short on the third. That’s when Jantunen outmaneuvered Antetokounmpo‘s box-out for a chance at the game-winner. But the Fenerbahçe recruit hit the front rim.
While he got a second chance, his full-court heave after Antetokounmpo‘s last two free throws missed the mark.
JANTUNEN HAD A CHANCE TO PUT FINLAND IN FRONT 😳#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/HhlmpkmwFP
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 14, 2025
Greece, 16 years after their 2009 medal, returns to an international podium. After finishing first in their group (four wins in five games), dominating Israel in the round of 16, eliminating Lithuania in the quarters, losing ground in the semifinals against Turkey, they managed to bounce back two days later. As for Finland, who had never reached such heights in an international competition, they experienced a fantastic journey. With a particularly young group, they also gained valuable experience that might one day lead them to finish with a medal around their necks. « It was our moment because we sweated, we believed, we bled: but it will be Markkanen’s (and Finland’s) turn at some point, » graciously acknowledged Giannis Antetokounmpo after the game, while paying tribute to one of his worthy opponents, Lauri Markkanen.
Two legends balling out for their countries 🤝#EUROBASKET pic.twitter.com/NM4tVwWrEW
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 14, 2025
In Riga,
Commentaires