The dream became a nightmare... Our national team was defeated by Germany

The total «blackout» suffered by the Greek national team early in the third quarter (they were outscored 20-1) and the «blue-and-white» spark of a counterattack that never… never ignited in the second half, continued the negative trend of recent EuroBasket tournaments, in which the national team has been eliminated in the quarterfinals (2011, 2013—eliminated in the second round, 2015, 2017).

The previously undefeated «blue-and-white» team fell 107-96 to host Germany in the quarterfinals of EuroBasket 2022, bringing their dream-filled run to an inglorious end… In contrast, the «Panzers» are gearing up for yet another «battle» to secure their spot in the final against Spain.

With 9 out of 29 three-pointers, soundly defeated in the battle for rebounds (32 to 46) and with Giannis Antetokounmpo fouling out on his second unsportsmanlike foul about five minutes before the end, the Greek national team didn’t stand a chance against Germany, which found its rhythm from the 6.75-meter line from the very first minute and never let up (17-of-31 three-pointers).

Yiannoulis Larentzakis’s standout performance for the national team (18 points) and Tyler Dorsey’s 13 points weren’t enough to make a difference, even combined with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 31, on a night when the rest of the national team players seemed… dazed and out of sync.

From Germany, the Houston Rockets« star, Dennis Schröder, with 26 points and 8 assists, while Daniel Theis was pivotal in the paint with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
The quarters: 31-27, 57-61, 83-71, 107-96

Disorganized perimeter defense, terrible offense, and turnovers characterized the Greek national team’s performance early in the first quarter. In fact, the national team allowed the Germans to take all the open long-range shots they wanted, and the Germans, shooting 8-for-12 from three-point range, threw the «blue-and-white camp» into disarray.« In fact, the »Panzers« quickly built a +10 lead (19–9 at the 4-minute mark), and by the 5-minute mark, they were up 25–14. However, with Sloukas entering the game at the »1« position and Thanasis Antetokounmpo at the »5,« the national team tightened up its defense, and with Giannis Antetokounmpo posing a constant threat, the national team began to chip away at the deficit, ending the quarter down by 4 (31-27).

With Larentzakis setting the pace on offense and winning battles on defense, the national team—which had neutralized Schroder’s offensive outburst—showed its formidable side, while Papanikolaou capitalized on a series of fast breaks, and the tie (44-44) wasn’t long in coming (at the 16-minute mark). Germany tried to respond from the 6.75-meter line, but Greece answered immediately from the same spot, culminating in Sloukas’s unbelievable three-pointer from well beyond the center line at the buzzer, which gave the national team a 61-57 lead.

The starting five that Dimitris Itoudis fielded at the start of the third quarter (Sloukas, Dorsey, Papanikolaou, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Papagiannis) brought… stagnation to the defense, with the Germans once again finding open shots… Wagner and Fogmann, in fact, put on a real show from the 6.75-meter line, and the «Panzers,» with a run of 20-1(!), pushed the lead to +15 at the 26-minute mark (77–62). The national team coach changed the lineup, but Germany had found its rhythm (83–71 at the 30-minute mark).

In the fourth quarter, Germany dominated the boards, the Greek national team’s shooting slump persisted, and with the «Panzers» staying hot from 6.75, the lead widened once again in favor of the «hosts» (92–78 at the 33-minute mark). The Germans even pulled ahead by as many as 16 points (96–80) at the 35-minute mark, while the Greek national team tried in vain to mount a comeback… When Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected with 4:56 left in the game for his second unsportsmanlike foul, the Greek national team simply gave up….

REFEREES: Zurapović, Lanzarini, Krejić

The compositions:

GERMANY (Gordon Herbert): Gifay 3, Holatz, Lo 3 (1), Obst 19 (5), Schroeder 26 (3), Sengfelder, Tais 13 (1), Timan 10, Vogtmann 8 (2), Wagner 19 (5), Weiler-Babb 6, Wolfarth-Bothermann.

GREECE (Dimitris Itoudis): Agravanis 7, Giannis Antetokounmpo 31 (1), Thanasis Antetokounmpo 4, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Kalathis 2, Dorsey 13 (2), Larentzakis 18 (4), Lountzis, Papagiannis 6, Papanikolaou 7 (1), Papapetrou, Sloukas 8 (1).