Eurobasket, Italy on debut bows to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece

Bitter debut for Gianmarco Pozzecco’s Italy at the European Championships in Cyprus. The Azzurri were beaten 75-66 by Greece led by its superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first game of Group C. The next engagement will be against Georgia.

Base quintet formed by Spagnolo, Pajola, Fontecchio, Melli and Diouf, Gallinari and Thompson start from the bench. Spanoulis responds with Sloukas, Dorsey, Papanikolaou, Mitoglou and Antetokounmpo, long of the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA, who finished with 31 points.

L’Italy held its own in the beginning but it was a flash in the pan: the Greeks closed the first quarter at +10 (22-12). In the second quarter the blue team shoots better and the first points from the bench also arrive, allowing them to close the first half at -4 (36-32).

In the third quarter, however, the Hellenes re-along and reach the last ten minutes on 56-45. At the beginning of the last period, the lead expanded to +14 and then the Greeks administered the lead without any problem after the Blue had gotten back within 6 lengths.

To the 31 points with 14 of 20 from the field, the only one in double figures for his team, Antetokounmpo added 7 rebounds. For Italy, 7 of 27 from three, 15 points by Nicolò Melli, 11 by Saliou Niang and 10 by Matteo Spagnolo

“We had a good first half then we lowered the’intensity and we paid for it. We had ups and downs but we played against a very good team, let”s think about the next one” says Danilo Gallinari.

“We played a solid game, what we had to do – he explains – We defended consistently and tried to limit Antetokoumpo and we succeeded. In the first half we did well at rebounding and that allowed us to get second shots. Then we dropped. The European championship is competitive. Georgia beating Spain? I am not surprised”.