Bosnia and Herzegovina kept their EuroBasket 2025 Round of 16 hopes alive with an 80-77 win over Greece on Tuesday in Limassol.
The Dragons improved to 2-2 in Group C, while Greece, already assured of qualification, dropped their first game of the tournament.
The matchup at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena began with Greece racing to an 11-point lead in the opening quarter. The margin grew to 13 early in the second frame, but Bosnia and Herzegovina responded with an 18-0 run to seize momentum and move ahead 39-34.
Jusuf Nurkic anchored the turnaround, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds—six of them offensive—along with 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block. His physical presence in the paint proved decisive as Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled key stretches of the game.
The advantage swelled to 12 in the third quarter as John Roberson hit from deep and Edin Atic attacked the rim. Roberson matched Nurkic with 18 points, knocking down four three-pointers, while Atic contributed 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.
By the start of the fourth, Bosnia and Herzegovina led by as many as 14. Greece trimmed the deficit to five late, but could not overcome their cold shooting stretches.
Kostas Sloukas paced Greece with 15 points and 8 assists, while Tyler Dorsey added 14 points. Kostas Papanikolaou chipped in 11, but without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who rested, Greece lacked the late-game scoring punch to close the gap.
The victory pushed Bosnia and Herzegovina into second place in the group standings, even with Spain and Italy on two wins each. Their fate now hinges on the final day of the Group Phase, where they face Georgia.
Greece, standing at 3-1, will finish against Spain with seeding implications for the knockout stage.
Box score numbers underlined the contest’s intensity. Bosnia and Herzegovina outrebounded Greece 41-39, with 19 coming on the offensive glass. Both teams converted 11 three-pointers, but Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second-chance points proved critical in the closing minutes.
With Nurkic leading the charge, the Dragons put themselves in position to advance, needing another strong showing in their final group game to secure a Round of 16 berth.
