Giannis Antetokounmpo was sent off, and shortly after that, Greece’s chances of winning the European title were over.
Antetokounmpo scored 31 points, had eight assists, and grabbed seven rebounds in 30 minutes for Greece. But he also received two penalties for unsportsmanlike behavior, the last of which resulted in his removal with 4:56 remaining.
In the meantime, Germany is making the most of its home-court advantage. With a 107-96 victory over Greece on Tuesday, Dennis Schroder scored 26 points, Daniel Theis added 13 points and 16 rebounds, and the home team Germany advanced to the EuroBasket semifinals.
Giannis, the lone Greek player to score in the third quarter, attempted to spark a comeback but received little assistance from Giannoulis Larentzakis overall (18 points on 5-5 shots). After eight minutes, the Greek Freak had reduced the gap to only ten points (87-78), but Germany had come back with a 9-2 run, extending their lead to 103-82, ensuring a convincing qualification.
When he committed his second such foul, Greece was already behind by 14, and Germany kept control the entire time. With this opportunity, Germany might win just its second medal in the 13 previous appearances at EuroBasket. The Germans won the European championship in 1993 and finished second in 2005. With a guarantee of no worse than fourth place today, this competition will be their greatest EuroBasket performance since winning the silver medal.
Giannis was ejected from Greece's quarterfinal game against Germany following this unsportsmanlike foul call. pic.twitter.com/kW9K2P6V2V
— ESPN (@espn) September 13, 2022
German Coach on the win
“I think this is unbelievable for German basketball, the way this team, the way these players have performed on their home soil up to now,” Germany coach Gordie Herbert said. “I think the way they’ve played, the way we’ve played, people can relate to. They see an identity.”
Only Greece and Serbia, both of which were led by two-time NBA MVPs in Giannis Antetokounmpo for Greece and Nikola Jokic for Serbia, went undefeated through the group stage of the EuroBasket.
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