Greece beat Italy 85-81 in the EuroBasket Group 3 derby and took the decisive step towards first place. The team of Dimitris Itoudis had significant differences during the match, to which the Italians reacted and gave the final an action-packed character.

Giannis Antetokounmpo put on an impressive performance by scoring a double-double. Tyler Dorsey, who became the second goalscorer of the Greek national team, delivered important shots, while Agravanis scored 13 points.

The White-and-Blues took the lead 9-5 thanks to Dorsey’s well-aimed three-pointer and 12-7 thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s new three-pointer. Dimitris Itoudis’ team found a defensive rhythm and took a 16-7 lead with another three-pointer from Dorsey.

The Italians reduced the score to 16-9, and Fontekios found the basket after a while. A 3-pointer from Datome cut the score to 18-12, but Dorsey responded in kind for a new 9-point lead for the Blues. Usually the score of the guests was reduced to 21-17, and Agravanis made the score 23-17, which was the result of the first period.

Three-pointer Ricci Italians reduced the score to 23-20 at the beginning of the second half. Greece responded with Sloukas and hit the gas from there, reaching 35-25 thanks to a well-timed layup by Giannis Antetokounmpo who unexpectedly bet.

The Italians cut the score to 37-32 thanks to Polonnare’s three-pointer and Fontecchio’s layup. Greece made it 44-36 with Dorsey’s 3-pointer with about two minutes left in the half. “Squadron Atsura” decreased to 44-40 from Meli. Giannis Antetokounmpo made it 46-40 and Dorsey made a 1/2 shot 47-40 in the first half.

With a basket and a foul from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece reached 50-40 and the Italians responded with a Donut. The team found a rhythm and with a series of accurate strikes from the “Greek Freak” and Dorsey reached +14 (59-45) with about six minutes before the end of the third quarter.

Greece had rebounding problems, which the Italians took advantage of, reducing the difference to single digits (59-54) with three consecutive three-pointers. Dimitris Itoudis’ team hit the gas again and went 71-56 thanks to a three-pointer from Larentsakis. The Italians reduced the score to 71-57, which was the result of the third period thanks to the accurate strike of Magnion.

The team of Dimitris Itoudis managed the race in the last part. Spiesow’s three-pointer cut the score to 76-68 with four minutes left. Giannis Antetokounmpo once again put Greece ahead by ten points with an impressive performance. Fontecchio reduced it to single digits.

An accurate shot by Datome (following a technical penalty received by Dimitris Itoudis) reduced the Italians’ lead to 78–71, with Dorsey scoring a 3-pointer and then Fontecchio. Squadra azzura won three shots after a foul by Sluka.

Fontecchio’s three-pointer gave Italy the chance to cut the lead to 81-77 with 1:40 left. Dorsey hit a three-pointer to make it 84–77, and Fontekios scored twice in a row to make it 84–81.

Greece held the last defense, and then the Italians were charged with an unsportsmanlike foul. Penalty Dorsey ended the race with two tenths of a second left.

The next opponent of the national team is Great Britain.