Greece wins bronze at Eurobasket

(Patria) - The Greek national basketball team won the bronze medal at Eurobasket 2025.

After a painful semi-final loss to Turkey, the Greeks managed to outplay Finland in the third-place match in Riga and celebrate a victory with a score of 92:89 in a dramatic finish.

Greece had the lead throughout the entire match. They went into halftime with a 14-point advantage (48:34). Finland narrowed the gap to only six points midway through the third quarter (59:53), but the Greeks quickly regained a double-digit lead and led 69:56 before the decisive ten minutes.

Only a minute and a half before the end, thanks to a series of four made free throws, Finland reduced the deficit to under ten points (86:79). Nkamhoua then hit a three-pointer with 55 seconds left, bringing his team closer by four points.

The crucial play followed – Giannis scored under a foul, and the additional free throw brought relief to Greece (89:82). However, immediately after, Markannen responded with a long-range three-pointer (89:85), and after a Greek miss, Little reduced the deficit to two points from the free-throw line (89:87).

It was clear that the drama in Riga was heading into a "penalty" finish. The Finns quickly fouled Sloukas, who made only one of two free throws. Finland had a chance to equalize – Valtonen shot for three, missed, but drew a foul and got three free throws. He made two, and after an offensive rebound, Jantunen failed to score. The Finns then fouled with four seconds left (90:89). Giannis made both free throws, giving a three-point lead, while Jantunen's half-court attempt went over the rim.

The grand finale of Eurobasket, starting at 8 PM, features a duel between Turkey and Germany.