Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Greece met Luka Doncic’s Slovenija at the Semi-Final of the FIBA Olympic Qualifiers 2024. Held at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus, the Greek team had the support of the entire home crowd against an offense-minded away side. With only four spots remaining for the Paris Olympics, the game meant a lot more than a rivalry between the two NBA stars. It was also a matter of national pride for the duo, as well as to help their teams qualify for the final.
With all said and done, the game proved to be a nightmare for the away team. Slovenia, who reached the semi-final after defeating New Zealand, succumbed to a massive 96-68 loss at the hands of the Greeks. The team from the land of philosophers proved to be too hot to handle for the Balkans.
Greece Overpowered Slovenia from the Get-Go
While the majority of the neutral fans expected the game to be a close one, Greece did not provide any breathing space for Slovenija. From the start of the first quarter, the team made sure to put enough pressure and make Slovenia crumble. Giannis led from the front, scoring his team’s first points with a two-and-one. Moreover, the home team took a 5-0 lead in just over a minute, with the ‘Greek Freak’ getting all the points.
From there on, Greece took control of the game and was up 9-0 at the 2:15 minute mark. As required, Slovenia took a timeout to get things together. However, it wasn’t meant to be as Giannis got two more points before Thomas Walkup made it 13-0 with an easy layup. Luka Doncic finally opened the scoring for his team to make it 13-2 but the game looked in the home team’s favor. The first quarter ended with total domination from Greece, who finished the first 10 minutes with a 32-14 score.
Slovenia’s Comeback Looked Way off the Mark
Antetokounmpo once again scored the first points for his team, courtesy of his offensive rebound. Doncic looked to control his side of the game and scored multiple points with the help of free throws. He ended up scoring eight points in the second quarter as the ‘Little Europe’ managed to win a low-scoring second quarter 15-19. After 20 minutes of action, the two teams headed for the half-time break, with Greece still leading 47-33.
As there were only two quarters remaining in this epic Olympic Qualifier, the onus was on Lucas Doncic to take this team through. However, the way the Greeks played, led by Giannis, it was always going to be a monumental task for the away side to snatch a win.
A Close Third Quarter but Destination Still Far
Greece again wrote its name in the scoring books like the previous two quarters. Walkup’s three inside the first 40 seconds gave his team a solid 17-point lead. Furthermore, he put more salt on the away team’s existing wounds by scoring another three, extending the lead to 20. Doncic tried his best and got the lead back to 17 with a stepback three. However, Thomas Walkup stepped on the court with a different mindset in the third quarter and hammered another three.
Back-to-back 3-pointers demotivated the Slovenian players to dispute Doncic’s best efforts. The remaining part of the third quarter saw back and forth between the two teams, with the Greeks being slightly better. After the end of the third, Greece led the game 66-50, winning the quarter 19-17.
Greece Hits the Final Nail in the Fourth
The fourth and final quarter looked like a replica of the first. The Greek team came out with a bang, scoring from behind the arc in the first 15 seconds. With six long shots in the last 10 minutes, the home team did not leave any room for the away team to make a comeback. The entire crowd was behind its team and they delivered. Doncic and his team were left in broken pieces as they lost 30-18 to close it out.
Greece eventually slumped Slovenija 96-68 in the semi-final of the FIBA Olympic Qualifiers. Walkup was named the Player of the Game for leading the scoring charts with 19 points. From Slovenia, it was Luka who led the list, playing 34 minutes and scoring 21 points.
With this win, the Greeks have clinched the final spot while Slovenija can pack its bag to leave for home.
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