ATHENS (Greece) - Back at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, Portugal announced they are becoming the main protagonists of European basketball, reaching the Round of 16 and earning fans all over the continent.
They weren't joking around, either. A massive 71-56 win over Vassilis Spanoulis' Greece sees both teams through to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers Second Round, but Portugal claim the head-to-head record over Greece.
That could prove decisive if the two teams are tied at the end of the Qualifiers, with a ticket to Qatar 2027 on the line. Both teams are now at 3-3, with games against 5-1 Spain, 4-2 Ukraine and 3-3 Georgia coming up in the Second Round.
Greece found out all about Portugal's toughness, as Elijah Mitrou-Long (11 points) and Vasileios Toliopoulos (10 points) were the only ones reaching double digits, but doing so while shooting 7-of-24 from the field.
Spanoulis' men struggled to find open looks, even when they got some, their legs just did not have the lift, clearly tired from the physical battles of Mario Gomes' defensive schemes.
Low-scoring affair, tough, physical battle? You can already guess who enjoyed the game the most: Diogo Brito, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, and a game-high efficiency rating of 21.
When Portugal needed to find points, Rafael Lisboa was their go-to guy, coming up with 16 points and 5 assists off the bench. Travante Williams played nearly 32 minutes, finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds.
Portugal never made the Second Round before. Now, with this win and the tiebreaker over Greece, don't be surprised to see them talking about a famous first World Cup appearance in 2027.
FIBA