Greece displayed a strong performance and remained competitive, but these efforts weren’t enough to halt the USA, who emerged victorious with a score of 81-109.

The USA triumphed over Greece with a final score of 81-109, comfortably maintaining their unbeaten record at the FIBA World Cup.

The “blue and white” squad already knew that a victory seemed unlikely; their aim was to exhibit competitiveness, which they achieved at times in the match. Now, Dimitris Itoudis and his team prepare for the “final” against New Zealand (August 30 at 3.40pm).

Greece began the match well, with players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kostas Loungtzis, and Georgios Papagiannis scoring from close range, resulting in a 6-2 lead (3′). The following quarter evolved into a contest between Papagiannis and Bronson Koenig, with the Greek center seemingly able to do anything against the opposing defence, bringing the score to 17-18 (7′).

The Americans found open shots, improved their defence and as a result, they led 19-23 at the end of the period.

Itoudis and Kerr opened up the rotation, made changes, and naturally, the game was influenced, Gazetta.gr reported.

The Greek team struggled to score, a claim that could be applied to the USA as well, if they weren’t accurate after offensive rebounds, or Greek mistakes (22-27, 12′).

As time went on, the gap in quality became evident, and the talent of the Americans, coupled with their athleticism, transformed the score to 25-41 (16′). Although Greece enjoyed good ball movement and collaborations among its players, offering solutions on the offensive end, the Americans had found their rhythm and went to the locker rooms ahead at 37-50.

During the third quarter, Edward and Bronson scored from close range, followed by contributions from Bridges and Ingram, causing the difference to exceed 20 points for the first time (42-63, 25′). While the score had moved away from Greece, the team didn’t want to allow the gap to widen further. By increasing the duration of their attacks, they aimed to slow down the pace, and with Papapetrou and Moraitis adding points, the score became 54-73 (29′).

In the final quarter, our national players, along with Itoudis, seemed to have the upcoming game against New Zealand (August 30 – 15:40) in mind. As a result, they kept key players on the bench. With ten consecutive points from Rogavopoulos, Greece reduced the deficit to 71-90 (35′), leaving only the final score unanswered. The sound of the horn ended the uncertainty, with the scoreboard reading 81-109.

THE WINNING FACTOR: The United States prevailed due to their size advantage, greater athleticism, and their overall ability to score more easily compared to Greece. The national team played well, remained competitive for a substantial portion of the match, and showcased some impressive plays.

MADE THE DIFFERENCE: Bronson finished the game with 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Edwards added 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. As the score opened up, Reeves also contributed significantly with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.

WEAK LINK: Giannis Antetokounmpo attempted to contribute on defence, providing energy, but his accuracy was off, with a shooting record of 1/5 and 0/4 free throws.

UNSUNG HERO: Jackson Junior delivered a solid performance with 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

GAME STATISTICS: Greece recorded 17 assists against 12 turnovers. The USA had 25 assists and 11 turnovers, along with finishing with 30/34 free throws.

Great things await the Greek National Team.

Quarters: 19-23, 37-50, 56-79, 81-109

Group C Standings:

USA 2-0

Greece 1-1

New Zealand 1-1

Jordan 0-2

Upcoming Matches:

August 30

USA – Jordan (11.40pm)

Greece – New Zealand (15.40pm)