Greece became the first Group C team to qualify for the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Round of 16 after defeating Georgia 94-53, boosted by the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The two-time champions notched their third straight victory, sealing advancement later in the day when Italy beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 96-79.
Greece pulled away in the first half with a decisive 12-2 run led by Dinos Mitoglou, who finished with 17 points. Antetokounmpo dominated with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals before a crowd of 7,290. Alexander Mamukelashvili scored 14 points for Georgia.
Strong three-point shooting (14 of 25, 56%) and 28 assists powered Greece, while Georgia struggled at 30% overall and 18% from long range.
Greece coach Vassilis Spanoullis said, “We are on the right path but we are just taking one game at a time. We still have room to improve.”
Georgia coach Aleksandar Dzikic admitted resting key players after their loss to Italy, saying, “Was it ugly? Yes it was. I don’t like it, my players don’t like it… But today was not the smartest thing to fight for our best.”
Georgia’s Giorgi Shermadini added, “Giannis is unstoppable… We lost but we still have a good chance to win the next two games and pass the group.”
Greece will aim for a perfect 4-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, while Georgia face hosts Cyprus.
