Greece ended a 16-year medal drought at EuroBasket with a 92-89 win over Finland in Sunday’s Third-Place Game in Riga.
Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a dominant performance, finishing with 30 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks on 9-of-11 shooting. His late free throws sealed Greece’s sixth podium finish in tournament history.
The last time Greece won a medal was in 2009, when Vassilis Spanoulis played a starring role. Now coaching the national team, Spanoulis guided his squad back onto the podium.
Greece controlled the game early, jumping out to a double-digit lead in the first half. They led by 14 at halftime and stayed ahead until the final minute.
Finland mounted a furious rally, trimming the deficit to three in the closing seconds. Elias Valtonen had a chance to tie with three free throws, but he missed the last attempt. Mikael Jantunen grabbed the offensive rebound but failed to convert the putback, allowing Antetokounmpo to close the game at the line.
Tyler Dorsey added 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting for Greece, while Vasileios Toliopoulos contributed 15 off the bench. Kostas Papanikolaou chipped in with 6 assists and steady defense.
For Finland, Lauri Markkanen recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds. Valtonen scored 18, and Olivier Nkamhoua had 15. Their late push nearly forced overtime, but they fell just short.
Antetokounmpo’s stat line marked his fourth game of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in EuroBasket play. No other player has reached that mark more than three times in the last 30 years.
The bronze medal gives Greece two golds, one silver, and three bronzes in EuroBasket history. For Spanoulis, it is a milestone that pairs his achievements as both a player and coach.
Germany and Turkiye will meet later tonight in the championship game to decide the gold medal.
