We don’t know how the game felt for the neutral viewer, but for those of us who watched with a certain emotional attachment to a piece of cloth, a set of colors, and specific players, it was a roller coaster. Last night, Spain’s national team was eliminated from EuroBasket 2025 in the group stage. In a way, it was predictable after Bosnia forced them into a must-win situation against Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece.
For the umpteenth time, Spain fought against fate and left it all on the floor, only to fall short at the finish line just as it did against Canada in the last Olympic Games and the most recent World Cup. With more heart than finesse, they pushed a Greek squad that opened the game dominating with an iron fist.
Death in the corners
Greece started the matchup flawless from beyond the arc. Spain tried a defense that collapsed around Giannis Antetokounmpo in the paint. But the two-time MVP is no longer just a bull charging at whatever stands before him. He’s an excellent playmaker for the rest of the team, and this time he has sharpshooters who punish his kick-outs.
Eight-of-10 from three in the first quarter put Spain on its heels. Tyler Dorsey owned the right corner, hitting three triples from that spot. Giannis took just one field goal in that first stretch, which Greece won 31–20, but the toll was a pile of fouls and an offensive onslaught that looked impossible to overcome.
With more heart than head
And it seemed that way until Spain got back in the game during the second quarter. First, thanks to Xabi Lopez-Arostegui’s shooting, as he nailed two outside shots in quick succession to heat up in the second period. Then, in a back-and-forth where Spain looked on par, even though Antetokounmpo—the best they had—started dominating in isolation against the clearly overmatched Santi Aldama.
Key names like Sergio De Larrea, Mario Saint-Supery, and Jaime Pradilla began to enter the fray. They represented the spark that allowed Spain to go toe-to-toe in the second half.
It also helped, of course, that Greece’s three-point shooting cooled off. But above all, Spain increasingly went to shorter sets and transition plays, avoiding the half court that has been so troublesome lately.
Youthful pride
Spain entered the fourth quarter trailing by two possessions and stayed within that margin throughout the final period. They even took the lead with 8 and then 4 minutes left. It was a back-and-forth that showcased the same names and allowed Spain to exploit mismatches in the paint with smaller defenders through Pradilla, Aldama, and Joel Parra. Meanwhile, De Larrea and Saint-Supery sped up the tempo, forcing Giannis to launch one power drive after another.
The problem with the Milwaukee Bucks star isn’t facing him once; it’s doing so without leaving him the offensive rebound for a second assault that’s always on the way. That’s how he collected 6 offensive boards that really hurt Spain. The basket-trading sent the clash to a tight finish where Spain just doesn’t know how to close.
All along, the Spanish squad left behind a trail of missed free throws—19-of-29 in the first 48 minutes, and it didn’t get any better in those last 120 seconds. Scariolo’s team piled up turnovers thanks to the rush forced by its struggles in a static offense. Quickly launched threes, young guards driving to the paint with no payoff, long passes that went nowhere…
All of it culminated in five straight free throws—three by Juancho Hernangomez and two by Santi Aldama—from which Spain mustered a single point while trailing by four. Then, with the game nearly lost, Lopez-Arostegui drew another three-shot foul but managed to convert just one of his first two attempts.
This closes a dreadful tournament from the free-throw line. Last night’s 21-of-37 (56%) makes Spain the second-worst team in the competition in this category (61%), only ahead of Sweden.
Ending Sergio Scariolo’s era as head coach in this fashion stirs mixed emotions of pride and disappointment—both at the highest level.
Jugadores destacados
Giannis Antetokounmpo
One of the players who creates the most advantages in the world, plain and simple. Someone is only as good as the defense facing him, and Spain threw everything they had at Giannis, sometimes without much effect. It’s not about his individual numbers; it’s about the lanes he opens for everyone else.
Statistics: 25 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists.
Tyler Dorsey
The most accurate marksman for Greece. Kostas Sloukas and Kostas Papanikolau also stood out, but the naturalized point guard was ruthless. After sinking three triples in the first quarter, he added three more and drained a few daggers along the way. Though Sloukas turned out to be the most decisive sidekick.
Statistics: 22 points (6/9 3PT), 5 rebounds, 4 assists.
Jaime Pradilla
Sometimes not knowing (or not wanting to know) your own limitations can lead to wonderful outcomes. Pradilla stepped up to dance with Giannis for a good number of possessions in which he never looked overmatched. In many cases, he prevailed. Once again, he symbolized competing from a place of disadvantage. He was Spain’s top scorer, but that doesn’t capture the full extent of his impact.
Statistics: 14 points, 4 rebounds
(Cover photo courtesy of FIBA Eurobasket)
