{"id":404022,"date":"2025-09-05T09:52:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T07:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/nieuws\/spanje-knokt-maar-strandt-in-eurobasket\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T09:52:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T07:52:18","slug":"spanje-knokt-maar-strandt-in-eurobasket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/nabeschouwingen\/spanje-knokt-maar-strandt-in-eurobasket\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanje knokt maar strandt in EuroBasket"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We don\u2019t 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\u2019s 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\u2019s Greece.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spain \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8 vs Greece \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddf7 | 1XBET Highlights | FIBA EuroBasket 2025\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/99zJxn6hzkE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Death in the corners<\/h2>\n<p>Greece started the matchup flawless from beyond the arc. Spain tried a defense that collapsed around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/giannis-antetokounmpo\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1698\">Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> in the paint. But the two-time MVP is no longer just a bull charging at whatever stands before him. He\u2019s an excellent playmaker for the rest of the team, and this time he has sharpshooters who punish his kick-outs.<\/p>\n<p>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\u201320, but the toll was a pile of fouls and an offensive onslaught that looked impossible to overcome.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">With more heart than head<\/h2>\n<p>And it seemed that way until Spain got back in the game during the second quarter. First, thanks to Xabi Lopez-Arostegui\u2019s 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\u2014the best they had\u2014started dominating in isolation against the clearly overmatched Santi Aldama.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jaime Pradilla sneaks it in over Giannis \ud83e\udd39\u200d\u2642\ufe0f<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">#EuroBasket<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MakeYourMark?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">#MakeYourMark<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9wPyuFiFln\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/9wPyuFiFln<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EuroBasket\/status\/1963691012900974669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">September 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>It also helped, of course, that Greece\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Youthful pride<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The problem with the Milwaukee Bucks star isn\u2019t facing him once; it\u2019s doing so without leaving him the offensive rebound for a second assault that\u2019s always on the way. That\u2019s how he collected 6 offensive boards that really hurt Spain. The basket-trading sent the clash to a tight finish where Spain just doesn\u2019t know how to close.<\/p>\n<p>All along, the Spanish squad left behind a trail of missed free throws\u201419-of-29 in the first 48 minutes, and it didn\u2019t get any better in those last 120 seconds. Scariolo\u2019s 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\u2026<\/p>\n<p>All of it culminated in five straight free throws\u2014three by Juancho Hernangomez and two by Santi Aldama\u2014from 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.<\/p>\n<p>This closes a dreadful tournament from the free-throw line. Last night\u2019s 21-of-37 (56%) makes Spain the second-worst team in the competition in this category (61%), only ahead of Sweden.<\/p>\n<p>Ending Sergio Scariolo\u2019s era as head coach in this fashion stirs mixed emotions of pride and disappointment\u2014both at the highest level.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jugadores destacados<\/h2>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/h4>\n<p>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\u2019s not about his individual numbers; it\u2019s about the lanes he opens for everyone else.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The GREEK FREAK delivers! \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddf7<\/p>\n<p>Giannis leads Greece to a win over Spain with a MONSTER performance.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcca 25 PTS | 14 REB | 9 AST<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">#EuroBasket<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MakeYourMark?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">#MakeYourMark<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/w2HheMpmqG\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/w2HheMpmqG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EuroBasket\/status\/1963710849303867840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">September 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>Statistics:<\/strong> 25 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tyler Dorsey<\/h4>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Statistics<\/strong>: 22 points (6\/9 3PT), 5 rebounds, 4 assists.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jaime Pradilla<\/h4>\n<p>Sometimes not knowing (or not wanting to know) your own limitations <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EuroBasket\/status\/1963691012900974669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">can lead to wonderful outcomes<\/a>. 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\u2019s top scorer, but that doesn\u2019t capture the full extent of his impact.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Statistics<\/strong>: 14 points, 4 rebounds<\/p>\n<p><em>(Cover photo courtesy of FIBA Eurobasket)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We don\u2019t know how the game felt for the neutral viewer, but for those of us who watched with a certain emotional attachment to a &#8230; <a title=\"Spanje knokt maar strandt in EuroBasket\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/nabeschouwingen\/spanje-knokt-maar-strandt-in-eurobasket\/\" aria-label=\"Lees meer over Spanje knokt maar strandt in EuroBasket\">Leeg meer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14501,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5237],"tags":[627,5375],"class_list":["post-404022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nabeschouwingen","tag-eurobasket","tag-het-spaanse-nationale-basketbalteam","no-featured-image-padding"],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Nora Elisabeth van den Heuvel","author_link":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/auteur\/nora-elisabeth\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14501"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=404022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404022\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=404022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=404022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}