The Greek national basketball team is looking to take another step toward its ultimate goal: the World Cup in Qatar next summer. Vassilis Spanoulis’s team faces Romania in Oradea (7:00 p.m.) for the fifth game of the first qualifying round.

The “official favorite” will mathematically secure a spot in the second phase with a win over Romania or if Portugal defeats Montenegro in the other Group B game (9:00 p.m.).

The 12-man roster consists of: Kostas Papanikolaou, Giannoulis Larentzakis, Vasilis Toliopoulos, Dimitris Moraitis, Vasilis Charalambopoulos, Giannis Kouzeloglou, Giorgos Tsalbouris, Dimitris Kaklamanakis, Nasos Bazinas, Nikos Persidis, Omiros Netzipoglou, and Eliza Mitrou-Long.

The Greek team is looking to make it four wins in Group B before wrapping up the July “window” by hosting Portugal on Sunday (7:30 p.m.) at the Sunel Arena in Ano Liossia.

It should be noted that the results from the first phase carry over to the second qualifying phase, where the top three teams from the Men’s National Team’s group will face the top three teams from Group 1 (Spain, with a 4-0 record, and Georgia, with a 2-2 record, have already mathematically qualified, while Ukraine, with a 2-2 record, is the favorite for the third spot). The top three teams in the new group will advance to the final round in Qatar.

Romania, last in Group 2 with a 1-3 record, cannot secure qualification regardless of tonight’s result. Conversely, if Mihai Silvasan’s team loses to Greece and, at the same time, Montenegro defeats Portugal, they will be eliminated from the second phase.

Romania’s roster: Somăcescu (Arges Pitești), Tohatan (Valcea), Russell (Cluj), Diculescu (Keping Stars), Nistor (Craiova), Kuti (Dinamo Bucharest), Stan (Timisoara), Nicolescu (Cluj), Grasu (Dinamo Bucharest), Popa (Targu Mures), Kate (Murcia), Baciu (Arges Pitesti), Oute (Valcea), Maciuca (Rapid Bucharest).

Group
2 Standings 1. Greece 3-1
2. Portugal 2-2
3. Montenegro 2-2
4. Romania 1-3

Next Matchday (Sunday, July 5)
Greece vs. Portugal 7:30 p.m.
Montenegro vs. Romania 9:30 p.m.

*photo source: basket.gr