The future of the Greek team in the FIBA World Cup will be decided tonight!
Their one-point loss at the hands of the Brazilians (79-78) last Tuesday night left them needing nothing but the win in the final game of their group with New Zealand if they hope to advance to the second stage of the competition.
The defeat revealed several flaws in the style of play of the Greeks, as a 37-year-old Anderson Varejao had a field trip inside the paint against the defence of the “white-and-blues”, while the “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared to be out of his waters, scoring a mere 13 points.
They will need to improve their game greatly and especially the way they deal with defences that are focused on blocking out the MVP and his fast-paced style of play.
Meanwhile, spirits are high in the opposition camp, after the “Kiwis” managed to overcome the obstacle of Montenegro by 83-93 and now stand on equal terms with Greece, with both teams having one win and one loss.
Should they manage to pull off a win over the “galanolefki”, it will be they who will move on to the next round, which is why they are determined to give it their all inside the court in tonight’s game.
Coach Paul Henare and his men have already devised their plans on how to deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo (more than likely drawing inspiration from Brazil’s recent performance) and claim they understand that Greece are one of the favourites to win the World Cup but are nonetheless ready for tonight’s challenge.
The game will begin at 10.00 pm at the Nianjing Arena.
Meanwhile, after their two wins against Canada and Senegal, Australia are looking comfortable and have already ensured their position in round two.
Tonight’s game against Lithuania will be to decide who gets top stop in the group. The game will be played tonight at 9.30 pm at the Dongguan Arena.