Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece had a disappointing day Friday, falling to Turkey in blowout fashion and being eliminated from EuroBasket play. What looked to be a much closer matchup on paper turned into a one-sided affair, with Turkey winning 94-68.
Greece had trouble scoring all around, finishing with three players in double figures, none of whom scored more than 15 points. That said, Turkey proved hard to stop, shooting 45.5% from 3-point range.
Turnovers were an issue for Greece, ending with nine more than Turkey. Greek players also found themselves sending Turkey to the line often, committing 10 more fouls throughout the game.
Additionally, Greece had trouble moving the ball, assisting on 16 baskets as opposed to Turkey’s 26.
Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t fare very well either, being limited to only 12 points on 6-for-13 shooting. Entering Friday’s game, Antetokounmpo was averaging 29.8 points on 70.2% shooting. His plus-minus of minus-30 was the worst among all Greek players.
Despite this tough loss, things weren’t all bad for Greece at EuroBasket. Their appearance in the semifinals marked the first time Greece has reached this far in 16 years, with their last appearance coming in 2009.
Before returning to the United States to get ready for the upcoming NBA season, Antetokounmpo and Greece will play one final game against Lauri Markkanen and Finland to determine which side will take home bronze medals.
Ahead of Sunday’s third-place matchup, Greece is considered a slight favorite over Finland and will look to bounce back from its semifinal loss.
