Greece, with all its heart, pulled off a last-minute victory over Spain and remains in the running!
After a thrilling 2.5-hour showdown at the packed “Telekom Center Athens,” the Greek team was under immense pressure against a very tough opponent, but even though they saw Juancho send the game into overtime with a three-pointer in the final seconds (86–86 at the end of regulation), they showed character in the extra five minutes and celebrated a narrow 108–106 victory!
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Greece rediscovered its best form, with Mitoglou and Dorssey, and maintaining a steady lead in the second half, building a 12-point advantage (72-60) with 7:32 left in the game. However, they saw Spain come back and force overtime, where they showed character and clinched the victory down to the wire!
The standout performers were Mitoglou and Dorsey, who each scored 29 points— the former shooting 7-for-10 from three-point range and grabbing 7 rebounds, and the latter setting a career high with the Greek national team! Kalathis also reached double digits with 13 points and 8 assists, while Toliopoulos scored 11 points. Kostas Papanikolaou did not play. For Spain, Mara (15 pts, 13 rebs), Para (18 pts), Saint-Superi (16 pts), and Brituella (14 pts) stood out.
Now, Greece has improved its record to 4-4 and is keeping its hopes alive for qualification to the final phase of the World Cup to be held next summer, and is now turning its attention to its upcoming and equally crucial games against Georgia (November 26, at home) and Spain (November 29, on the road)
Quarter scores: 19-20, 43-42, 67-58, 86-86, 108-106 (overtime)
*Photo source: KYPE
