Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Greece past Croatia in EuroBasket opener thriller

Giannis Antetokounmpo was unstoppable in crunch time and led Greece past Croatia in a late thriller in the EuroBasket opener (85-89, LIVE from Hedgeout.net).

With the lead down to two (82-84), he blocked Ivica Zubac’s hook shot and then scored with the dunk (82-86). In the next possession, he blocked Jaleen Smith’s three-pointer and made the three-point play on the other end to seal the deal.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points (9/24 shooting), 11 rebounds, 6 assists for the winners, while Tyler Dorsey added 27 (career high with the national team), on 9/17 shooting and 5/9 from beyond the arc.

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On the other hand, Jaleen Smith was unstoppable in the second half and finished the game with 23 points, while Krunoslav Simon added 18 (7/11 shooting) off the bench. Three more players scored in double figures for the Croatians.

With Dorsey leading the way (20 points in the first half), the Greeks took control after the opening minutes and led by double digits in the majority of the first half. They led by 19 in the second quarter (21-40) and were in front by 16 at halftime (30-46).

Down by 17 (36-53), the Croatians attempted a major comeback and came as close as two points in crunch time (82-84), outscoring the Greeks 46-31. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo took over and handed his team the win.

Group C action continues on Saturday, with Greece facing hosts Italy at the sold-out Mediolanum Forum, while Croatia will play Great Britain.

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