MIES (Switzerland) - The underdog stories were plentiful in the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers, as shock results reigned supreme on the road to Qatar.
Among the results in the third window, Greece endured multiple nightmares, and Spain blew what looked like an unassailable lead to Georgia, only to fall to defeat.
Here’s a look at the upsets, ranked by margin of victory and ranking differential according to the FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by NIKE.
# | Winning team | Losing team | Result | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Romania (63rd) | Greece (12th) | -51 | |
2. | Portugal (46th) | Greece (12th) | -34 | |
3. | Sweden (40th) | Slovenia (14th) | -26 | |
4. | Estonia (37th) | Slovenia (14th) | -23 | |
5. | Ukraine (39th) | Georgia (20th) | -19 | |
6. | Sweden (40th) | Czechia (23rd) | -17 | |
7. | Georgia (20th) | Spain (7th) | 91-89 (AOT) | -13 |
8. | Croatia (34th) | Israel (27th) | -7 | |
9. | Italy (15th) | Lithuania (9th) | -6 | |
10. | Iceland (45th) | Great Britain (44th) | -1 |
Romania (63rd) 73-66 Greece (12th)
Fourth-quarter Romanian ambush downs Greece: Romania delivered a dramatic comeback win, closing the game with a 22-8 run in the fourth quarter to defeat Greece 73-66. The Greeks controlled the tempo for much of the night and took a 58-51 lead heading into the fourth. But Romania sprang into life and closed the game out with a huge run to grab a memorable win. Daron Russell stole the spotlight, leading all scorers with 20 points for the Romanians.
Greece (12th) 56-71 Portugal (46th)
Greece made to suffer on home court: Portugal poured more misery on Greece by delivering a dominant 71-56 win in Athens. The visitors led after every quarter, taking a 28-23 advantage into half-time before steadily extending the margin and putting the game to bed late on. Diogo Brito led the victors with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists.
Slovenia (14th) 79-88 Sweden (40th)
Pelle magic in Ljubljana: Sweden delivered a strong 88-79 road win over Slovenia in Ljubljana, with Pelle Larsson starring with 31 points, going 10-for-15 from the free-throw line, and committing no turnovers. It was Larsson's free throws that put his side ahead late in the second quarter, and from there, they built their lead, and Slovenia were unable to mount any comeback.
Estonia (37th) 93-62 Slovenia (14th)
Estonia banished Slovenia to a near triple-double for Kotsar: Estonia took the lead late in the first quarter and never looked back as they overpowered Slovenia 93-62 in Tallinn. Maik-Kalev Kotsar anchored the win with a near triple-double, finishing with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists in just 22 minutes on the floor.
Ukraine (39th) 95-76 Georgia (20th)
Mykhailiuk drops 28 points on Georgia: Ukraine led for nearly the entire game and never allowed Georgia to build on their brief early advantage, securing a 95-76 victory in Riga. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk hit five three-pointers to finish with 28 points. He also added 5 rebounds and 4 assists to his overall haul.
Sweden (40th) 87-76 Czechia (23rd)
Sweden comfortable in triumph over Czechia: Despite the difference in ranking, Sweden led from start to finish in their routine 87-76 victory over a subpar Czechia side in Stockholm. Pelle Larsson led the way with 19 points, but it was Bobi Klintman who shone for Sweden, posting an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double to guide the hosts to the win.
Georgia (20th) 91-89 Spain (7th) - OT
Georgia fight back from 22 points down to beat Spain: In one of the comebacks for the ages, Georgia came back from 22 points down to take the lead late on, force Spain into an extra period, and put them down for good in a 91-89 overtime epic. Tornike Shengelia delivered a monstrous performance for Georgia, finishing with 37 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals to lead his side to a big win.
Croatia (34th) 103-75 Israel (27th)
Croatia cruise to home win over Israel: Croatia never trailed as they prevailed 103-75 over Israel. The hosts seized control early and never relinquished their advantage, with Dario Saric anchoring Croatia’s dominant performance, finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Italy (15th) 87-84 Lithuania (9th)
Late show from Mannion bests Lithuania: Italy produced a dramatic late fightback to oust Lithuania 87-84 in their final Group D game. The Italians went on a 9-2 run in the final two minutes and held off their Lithuanian counterparts to secure a comeback win, with Nico Mannion scoring seven of those nine points to end with 27 overall.
Great Britain (44th) 86-88 Iceland (45th)
Iceland sneak away from Manchester with all-important win: While very little separates Great Britain and Iceland in the rankings, it was the manner of Iceland's 88-86 success over GB that makes the list. Trailing for more than 32 minutes, and by as many as 11, the visitors produced a magical comeback and with 1:16 left in the final quarter, Martin Hermannsson buried a three to tie the game at 84-84. That gave them the motivation to see the game out. Jon Axel Gudmundsson led the winners with 25 points and 8 rebounds as the win booked their place into the Second Round at the expense of GB.
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