No Giannis, no problem for the Greek national team. The squad kicked off their FIBA World Cup campaign on Saturday with a dominant 92-71 win over Jordan in Group C.
Antetokunmpo was forced to withdraw from the international tournament after failing to recover in time from offseason surgery on his left knee. Based on Greece’s first game, however, it is clear that the team is more than capable of competing at the highest level without the Milwaukee Bucks superstar.
After the game, Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo was asked to comment on his younger brother’s absence from the squad. Thanasis was quick to play down Giannis’ absence as he sounded off on Greece’s win over Jordan.
“Just play hard and focus,” Thanasis said on his team’s mindset, via INQUIRER Sports’ Jonas Terrado. “You know, we got to focus and enjoy the game.”
You have to take Greece’s win with a grain of salt, though. Jordan doesn’t exactly represent the toughest competition out there, and the Greeks entered the game as the favorites.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo-less side will be back in action on Monday, and will be facing a much bigger challenge. This comes in the form of tournament favorites Team USA, who are also coming off a blowout win against New Zealand, 99-72.
The good news for Greece is that its opening-day win puts it in a great position to move on to the knockout stage. Even if Greece loses against the Americans, its third and final game in the group stage will be against New Zealand, and a win that matchup, should get the Greeks through and one step closer to a medal finish in the FIBA World Cup.
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