FIBA World Cup – Greece vs New Zealand
The duel between Greece and New Zealand will be one of the more interesting ones in the final round. It will likely be a contest for the second spot in the group. However, we’ll see how the Greeks match up against the Americans in the second round. Nevertheless, it appears that Greece isn’t quite the same without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the New Zealand team might have a realistic chance to challenge them. Both teams defeated Jordan, who gave them a hard time. Greece managed to overcome Jordan’s resistance only in the final quarter, while New Zealand needed overtime for their victory.
Despite missing key players, Greece is favored in this duel, but it wouldn’t be unexpected for the popular Tall Blacks to surprise. In the previous World Cup, Greece defeated New Zealand with a score of 103:97. In the preparation period, Greece lost all their matches against quality opponents like Italy, Serbia, Germany, and the USA. New Zealand doesn’t have that same reputation, but they are certainly capable of causing problems for Greece. In a preparation match against Italy, they performed well, and in the first half against the USA in the opening round, they held their ground. Such performances fuel the hopes of the New Zealanders to advance to the next phase.
The Greeks will need to tighten their defense. If the game opens up on both sides, the balance might slowly shift in favor of New Zealand. A promising basketball spectacle is on the horizon.
written by: Mladen Radosavljevic