Montenegro Upsets Greece in FIBA World Cup 2023, Secures Victory in Athens
Montenegro defeated Greece 67-65 in a thrilling Second Round matchup of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, held in Athens. This marks the second consecutive win for Montenegro against Greece in the tournament, following their initial victory in Manila.
Game Recap
The game came down to the wire, with Montenegro securing the win on a late play orchestrated by Derek Needham. Needham executed a pick-and-roll with Zoran Nikolic, drawing the defense before dishing a crucial assist for a game-tying dunk. On the subsequent possession, Needham found Emir Hadzibegovic for another dunk, giving Montenegro a 67-65 lead.
A last-second drive by Vasileios Toliopoulos for Greece was unsuccessful, as his layup attempt rimmed out as time expired.
Team Standings
With the win, Montenegro and Greece are now tied at 2-1 in Group B. The teams are scheduled to play a rematch in Podgorica on Monday.
Game Statistics
Here’s a breakdown of key game statistics:
- Greece: 65 points
- Montenegro: 67 points
Key Players
Nikola Vucevic of Montenegro was named the TCL Player of the Game, scoring 20 efficiency points. Kostas Papanikolaou led Greece with 18 efficiency points.
Game Information
The game was played at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, with referees Daniel Garcia (VEN), Kristian Paez (ECU) and Peter Praksch (HUN) overseeing the match. The attendance was 6,193.
Previous Matchup
Montenegro previously defeated Greece 73-69 on September 3, 2023, in a Second Round game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup. ESPN reported the final score.
FIBA provides detailed box scores and game stats for both matchups.
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