Photo: FIBA

Poland delivered once again in Katowice, following up their dramatic win over Israel with another thrilling performance in Group D.

This time, they overcame Iceland 84-75 in front of their home fans, a result that not only lifted them to 3-0 in the standings but also officially secured them a place in the Final Phase of FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

The hosts appeared to be cruising when they built a 16-point cushion in the third quarter, yet Iceland mounted an impressive fightback and even went ahead in the fourth before Poland regrouped in the closing minutes to claim the victory.

Turning Point

Poland strung together a 17-4 run that bridged the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth, opening up what seemed like a commanding 52-36 lead. The Spodek Arena crowd erupted, sensing another win, but Iceland refused to roll over.

With Tryggvi Hlinason proving unstoppable in the paint, the visitors stormed back with an 18-6 surge of their own, stunning the hosts and grabbing a 71-70 advantage with just over three minutes left.

The tension in the arena was palpable, but Dominik Olejniczak settled Polish nerves when he scored with a hook shot at the 2:11 mark to restore a narrow lead at 75-73. From there, Poland never looked back, with Jordan Loyd icing the game from the free-throw line in the final seconds.

TCL Player of the Game

Mateusz Ponitka once again proved why he is the heartbeat of this Polish side. After shining against Slovenia and Israel, the captain turned in another outstanding performance, putting up 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in a near triple-double effort.

His consistency has been remarkable: this was his third EuroBasket outing since 2022 with at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Only Luka Doncic (6) and Alperen Sengun (4) have more such games in that span.

Stats Don’t Lie

Poland’s early control was built on their ability to beat Iceland at their own game: transition play. They outscored the Vikings 18-11 in fast-break points, setting the tone for their strong first half.

The game later turned into a battle around the rim, with both teams tallying 40 points in the paint. Despite Hlinason’s dominance – he finished with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds – Iceland were outrebounded 41-31, which proved costly in crunch time.

Bottom Line

Poland are flying high with their unbeaten record and a guaranteed spot in the Round of 16 in Riga. They now join Türkiye, Serbia, Germany, Finland, and Greece as the only remaining perfect teams at 3-0 in the tournament. Their next test will be a high-profile showdown with France on September 2.

For Iceland, it was another near miss. Still winless at 0-3, they continue to chase their first-ever EuroBasket victory. With games against Slovenia and France still to come, their challenge remains steep, but the heart and fight they showed offers encouragement.

They Said

“It feels very good. We have had three really hard games. We were able to achieve this, but we still have two games, and we want to win all of them to be in the best position we can. We still keep going.” – Poland’s Aleksander Balcerowski

“I’m super happy we were able to get a win at the end of the day, because this game was way too stressful. We had a comfortable lead, but we almost screwed it up. We were able to stand still at the end.” – Poland’s Dominik Olejniczak

“I feel like we had the game in our hands. We gave everything we had, and we played great basketball for maybe 35 minutes. They made two runs that cost a lot at the end, but I’m super proud of the team and of the performance we showed after a heartbreaking loss yesterday as well.” – Iceland’s Martin Hermannsson

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