With its steel defense as a weapon and with several solutions in the attack, the National team was not deterred by its absences and beat Belgium in the “hot” and crowded OAKA (85-68) for the qualifiers of the World Cup 2023, in the last test before the EuroBasket 2022.
In the crowded and “hot” closed Olympic Facilities, the National Team passed with flying colors the last test before EuroBasket 2022. Our representative team comfortably beat Belgium (85-68) for the qualifiers of the World Cup 2023, covered the last absences and now turns her attention to the big bet, the group in Milan and the European championship.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was tireless, once again had an excellent match and filled his statistics by helping the team on both sides of the field. Defensive appetite was key for Itoudis’ side who limited the Belgians’ assets, forcing them into a total of 23 errors.
The changes in the five did not drop the pace of Greece, which was also boosted by the people who wrote a new attendance record for world qualifiers in Europe, to clean the match from the first half (it closed at +16).
Our internationals did everything right, they were almost infallible (they had a total of 10 mistakes in the match), while everyone who entered the match helped in their own way. Now the National Team is at 4-2, laying a solid foundation for qualifying for the World Cup, while Belgium fell to 3-3.
Top scorer in this match was Giannis Antetokounmpo who finished the game with 26 points (10/14 two-pointers, 1/2 three-pointers, 3/9 shots, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 errors, 2 steals in 24′:40 ”), while Tyler Dorsey was also excellent with 22 points (5/6 two-pointers, 3/5 three-pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists). Retin Obasohan with 14 points and Ismael Bako with 12 points saved the Belgians.
With appetite and steely defense
With Dorsey, Kalathy, Papanikolaou, Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Dimitris Itoudis started the match with the national team’s defensive attitude being evident from the first minutes of the match. Greece started the match with three steals and a 7-0 run in the first three minutes (9-2). With individual actions by Bakos, the guests came close to six points, but a three-pointer by Thanasis and a two-pointer by Giannis Antetokounmpo brought the difference to 11 points (17-6).
The national team’s defense was the one that set the pace for the attack as well, with the difference opening at the end of the first period (30-15) and Belgium being unable to find solutions in order to stop the offensive crescendo of the national team or connect with the opponent basket, paying for the 7 mistakes he made in the first period.
The players of Dimitris Itoudis kept the rhythm of the first period and at the beginning of the second. The changes made to the five did not break the rhythm of the team, forcing the visitors to very low percentages in the attack. With only three errors in 16 minutes of play and six steals, the National Team got excellent in the first half and although it dropped a bit its offensive pace at the end, it closed it at +16.
He held the reins and cleaned up the match in the second half
Belgium got better in the second half of the match, however Greece remained in the driving role playing as much as needed to avoid being threatened. The National team missed some opportunities to further increase its difference, but did not pay for it. Belgium were able to reduce it to 13 points, but the difference in capacity was evident. The defense worked and Greece ran into the open field to take the match to +19 (59-40 at 26′).
With the difference standing at 20 points in favor of Greece and the nerves of the Belgians spoiling the atmosphere of the match for a while, the National team managed their emotions together and the difference. Belgium wanted to slow down the pace with fouls and nerves, but Greece did their duty and celebrated in front of their crowd 85-68.
THE REFEREES: Ciulin, Gedvilas, Atartn
THE DECADES: 30-15, 49-33, 64-44, 85-68
HELLAS (Itoudis): Agravanis 6 (3 rebounds), Bohorides 3 (1/4 three-pointers), Kaselakis, Kouseloglou, Luntzis, Antetokounmpo G. 26 (10/14 two-pointers, 1/3 three-pointers, 3/9 shots, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 errors, 2 steals), Antetokounmpo Th. 7 (1), Kalathis 12 (1 3-pointer, 5 assists, 4 errors, 4 steals), Dorsey 22 (4/5 2-pointers, 3/6 3-pointers, 5/6 shots , 4 rebounds, 3 assists), Kalaitzakis, Larentzakis (0/4 shots), Papanikolaou 9 (1 three-pointer, 5 rebounds).
BELGIUM (Gergia): Bratanovic, Gilles 10 (2/8 three-pointers, 5 rebounds), Lecomte 11 (1 three-pointer, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers), Lieber 6 (2), Muema, Bako 12 (5/10 two-pointers, 2/3 shots, 9 rebounds), Blaisenberg 4 (1), De Jeu 5 (1), Obasohan 14 (1), Toumba, Vanwin 2 (1/7 shots).
Greece’s team statistics: 24/38 2-pointers, 8/22 3-pointers, 13/27 shots, 34 rebounds (28 defensive + 6 offensive), 18 assists, 10 turnovers, 13 steals.
Belgium’s team stats: 13/30 2-pointers, 8/30 3-pointers, 18/22 shots, 42 rebounds (29 defensive + 13 offensive), 15 assists, 23 turnovers, 3 steals, 3 blocks.
The score in the second qualifying phase
- Latvia 4-1
- Greece 4-2
- Belgium 3-3
- Serbia 3-3
- Turkey 2-4
- Great Britain 1-4
*The top three get the ticket to the 2023 World Cup
Greece’s program in Phase II
- Serbia – Greece 100-94
- Greece – Belgium 85-68
- Greece – Latvia (November 10, 2022)
- Belgium – Greece (13 November 2022)
- Greece – Serbia (February 24, 2023)
- Latvia – Greece (February 27, 2023)
Note: Since Belarus has been eliminated and the results of Greece, Great Britain and Turkey have been cancelled, for the sake of parity, the results of Serbia, Latvia and Belgium with Slovakia will be canceled so that there will be an equal number of games for the six teams in their group Phase B.
On Sunday’s Game Night, Pantelis Vlachopoulos, together with Themis Kaisaris, Charlie and Pantelis Diamantopoulos comment on the National team’s test against Belgium before the EuroBasket and the 2nd matchday of the Super League.
Tags: Belgium Performance National Team Antetokounmpo packed OAKA full EuroBasket
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