The Greek men’s national basketball team achieved their goal of qualifying for EuroBasket 2025 after a thrilling 93-89 overtime victory over the Czech Republic. Under the guidance of coach Vassilis Spanoulis, Greece extended their impressive record to four wins in five games during the qualifiers, securing their spot at next summer’s European Championship, set to take place across Cyprus (Limassol), Finland (Tampere), Poland (Katowice), and Latvia (Riga) from August 27 to September 14.

The turning point came late in the game, with a massive three-pointer by Vassilis Toliopoulos, who tied the game at 77-77 with just 2 seconds left in regulation, sending the match into overtime.

Despite a challenging second quarter, Greece finished strong in the Czech Republic, with standout performances from Ioannis Papapetrou, Toliopoulos, Giorgos Papagiannis, Dimitrios Koutsoukou, and their strong defense against Tomas Satoransky. Greece will wrap up the qualifiers in Patras against the Netherlands on February 24, where they will also honor the 2005 European Championship-winning team.

Czech Republic vs Greece: The Match

Greece started the game with intensity, playing solid defense and offense. With contributions from Toliopoulos, Papagiannis, Papapetrou, and Miltos Mitoglou, they built a commanding 27-11 lead at the 8-minute mark. The Greeks maintained their focus, finishing the first quarter with a 27-13 advantage. By the first break, Greece had shot 59% from the field (10/17), with seven assists, four steals, and zero turnovers.

However, the Czech Republic responded in the second quarter. Capitalizing on three consecutive Greek turnovers, they reduced the deficit to 29-22. A corner three by Petr Pekar brought the game level at 29-29 midway through the period. Greece struggled in the second quarter, shooting just 1/8 from the field with five turnovers, allowing the Czechs to rally. Czech forward Ondrej Hustak gave the hosts the lead at 33-31, and by halftime, the Czech Republic had surged ahead 40-37, outscoring Greece 27-10 in the second frame.

In the third, Papagiannis hit Greece’s first three-pointer in 11 attempts, and the game began to swing back in their favor.

Clutch Moments and Overtime Drama

As the game neared its conclusion, Czech center Jan Balvin tied the game at 51-51. Greece responded with a 7-0 run, highlighted by a big three from Janis Larenzakis, bringing the score to 58-51. With Toliopoulos and Papapetrou knocking down crucial long-range shots, Greece led 69-64 with 5 minutes to go.

In the final moments of regulation, the Czechs made a late push. Satoransky hit a three-pointer to bring the Czech Republic within two points at 74-72, before hitting another to give them a 75-74 lead with 54.3 seconds remaining. Larenzakis missed a potential go-ahead three, but Satoransky’s free throws gave the Czechs a 78-75 advantage with 25 seconds left. Papapetrou made an error with 12 seconds left, but Satoransky missed both free throws after a foul by Papapetrou. Then, Toliopoulos hit a game-tying three-pointer with 2 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Toliopoulos nailed another deep three-pointer for an 87-83 lead, and Koutsoukou sealed the win with a pair of free throws, making it 89-85. Satoransky’s late three-pointer narrowed the gap to 89-91, but Greece held on to claim the 93-89 victory and their spot in EuroBasket 2025.