By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The difference between the two teams on paper is huge, still, Greece led at half-time just by four (37-33). In the end, they got the 90-61 win, despite a pretty bad second quarter during which Iceland had a 23-11 partial score in its favor.
However, the Greeks reacted with a 9-0 run (46-33) at the start of the third period and the game was over.
The star: Nikos Pappas is emerging as the main scoring option for Greece’s backcourt. He proved it with 20 points. while taking 13 shots, so it’s obvious that he has permission to pull the trigger at will.
The key: Thanasis Antetokounmpo is the spark plug of the Greek team. He came off the bench and had nine points on 3/4 FG and 3/3 FT, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 15 minutes of action.
The number: Despite the win, Greece made 20 turnovers. It’s a huge number, especially if you have in mind that Iceland is one of the weakest teams in the tournament. It’s obvious that if the opponent was stronger, Greece would have been in trouble.
On the other hand, Haukur Palsson scored 21 points for the losing side, which was feisty but still missing a lot compared to the Eurobasket level of competition.
(Photo: FIBA Europe)