EuroBasket Daily Preview: Doncic Faces France in Quest for First Win, Jokic vs Porzingis Showdown

On August 30th Beijing time, the EuroBasket group stage proceeds with a major matchday involving all 24 teams. Slovenia meets the strong French team, with Doncic aiming to secure the first win. Serbia battles Latvia, where Jokic is set for a duel with Porzingis.

August 30th, 18:30: Lithuania vs Germany

Lithuania has shown remarkable performance in the first two EuroBasket rounds. Against Great Britain, they set a single-game rebound record; versus Montenegro, they broke the team assists record. Their true challenge arrives in the third round against the formidable German team. Jokubaitis and Valančiūnas are expected to play crucial roles.

Germany won their first two games against Montenegro and Sweden, demonstrating why they were World Cup champions two years ago. Franz Wagner and Schröder have been in excellent form. Despite head coach Montbrun’s emergency hospitalization due to infection, Germany continues at full speed.

Over the past 30 years, Lithuania has won seven of eight official matches against Germany, but the last encounter was a victory for Germany's Schröder and teammates at the EuroBasket three years ago.

August 30th, 19:45: Czech Republic vs Estonia

The Czech Republic lost their first two matches to Portugal and Turkey, clearly showing their limited strength. If the Czech team wants a chance to advance, they must defeat Estonia; otherwise, they will surely be eliminated.

Like the Czech Republic, Estonia stands at 0-2 after two games. Losing to Serbia was expected, but they narrowly lost to Latvia by just two points.

Czech Republic and Estonia have met four times in major competitions. Estonia won only the first encounter in 2009, while the Czech Republic took the next three matches.

August 30th, 20:00: Iceland vs Belgium

Iceland lost their opening game against Israel 71-83. Their shooting was completely off, highlighting poor offensive quality, especially from beyond the arc, where they made just 5 of 29 attempts. Overall shooting percentage was 36%, a figure that makes winning in EuroBasket nearly impossible.

Belgium, like Iceland, also lost their EuroBasket opener, falling 64-92 to France. The Belgian team is average, particularly struggling offensively.

The last time these two teams met was six years ago in EuroBasket qualifiers, with Belgium winning both matches.

August 30th, 20:00: Italy vs Georgia

Italy lost their EuroBasket opener 66-75 to Greece, completely losing their offensive rhythm and shooting terribly. Team leader Fontecchio shot 1 for 11, scoring only 4 points. The only bright spot was Melli, who scored 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. For Italy to get their first win, other players must step up.

Georgia caused an upset in their opener by beating Spain, almost securing a spot in the knockout stage. Mamukelashvili played injured, contributing 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists; Bitadze added 15 points.

In the previous three major tournament meetings, Italy defeated Georgia each time, but always by narrow margins.

August 30th, 21:30: Great Britain vs Sweden

Great Britain lost their first two games to Lithuania and Finland. Now, they will give their all against Sweden, hoping to keep their hopes alive for advancing to the round of 16.

Like Great Britain, Sweden is also an average team. Their first match against Finland was promising, nearly causing an upset, but they ultimately fell short. In the second round against Germany, Sweden suffered a heavy defeat.

This will be the first official competitive match between Great Britain and Sweden.

August 30th, 23:00: Latvia vs Serbia

Latvia holds a 1-1 record after two rounds. They were crushed by Turkey in their opener but bounced back with a narrow 72-70 win over Estonia. Porzingis performed much better than in the first game, scoring 27 points (8/8 two-pointers, 0/4 three-pointers), playing a key role in the victory.

Serbia enters as the tournament favorite. They dominated Estonia in their first game and faced tough resistance from Portugal in the second, eventually winning 80-69. Captain Bogdan’s hamstring injury raises concerns.

These two national teams have met five times in official matches, with Serbia leading 4-1. Their last major tournament clash was at the 2017 EuroBasket, where Serbia won 92-82.

August 30th, 23:00: France vs Slovenia

France opened with a commanding 92-64 victory over Belgium. Despite pre-tournament injuries and player withdrawals, France remains a gold medal favorite. Against Belgium, five French players scored in double digits, though there is room for improvement, especially in three-point shooting. They shot 8 of 28 from beyond the arc, a 28% success rate.

Slovenian fans’ fears came true in the group opener as Slovenia lost 95-105 to Poland. Their defense was poor, allowing Poland many easy points. Doncic remained the most efficient player, scoring 34 points, but lacked effective support from teammates.

The two teams have met 10 times before, with France winning 6 of those. However, Slovenia has been in better form recently, winning 4 of the last 6 encounters. Their most recent meeting was at EuroBasket 2022, where Slovenia beat France 88-82.

August 30th, 23:15: Cyprus vs Greece

Undoubtedly, Cyprus is currently the weakest team in this EuroBasket. If not for being one of the host nations, they wouldn't have qualified. Their group opener loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina was expected. Now, they face an even tougher task against Greece.

Unlike Cyprus, Greece has clear ambitions in this EuroBasket, justified by having Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster. He has significantly raised Greece’s ceiling. Greece won their opener against Italy, setting a strong foundation for the group’s top spot battle.

This will be the first official match between these two national teams.

August 31st, 01:30: Montenegro vs Finland

Montenegro collapsed in the second half of their opener against Germany, losing the match. In their next game against Lithuania, they were overwhelmed by Lithuania’s exceptional passing, which set a EuroBasket record with 35 assists. Montenegro currently sits last with a 0-2 record. Vucevic must treat every remaining game as a do-or-die to lead the team forward.

Finland has shown perfect form in their first two games, defeating Sweden and Great Britain, currently holding a 2-0 record. Markkanen has been dominant, especially scoring 43 points against Great Britain, tying his personal EuroBasket record.

In their three previous official meetings, Montenegro leads 2-1, but the teams have not faced each other since 2011.

August 31st, 02:15: Turkey vs Portugal

Turkey started strongly, overwhelming Latvia in their opener and then beating Czech Republic in round two. Rocket center Sengun posted 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists, nearly becoming the fifth player in EuroBasket history to record a triple-double. Facing Portugal, Turkey has a great opportunity to achieve a three-game winning streak in this tournament.

Portugal began EuroBasket by defeating Czech Republic, taking an important step toward reaching the round of 16—a significant achievement if accomplished. In the second round, they predictably lost to the strong Serbian team.

Turkey has won all three previous official matches against Portugal.

August 31st, 02:30: Poland vs Israel

Poland defeated Doncic-led Slovenia 105-95 in their opener. Lloyd stood out with 32 points, shooting 7 of 8 from three-point range. Ponitka also contributed 23 points and 7 rebounds.

Israel also started EuroBasket with a win, beating Iceland 83-71. Sogkin dominated inside and showed spacing ability, shooting 13 of 19 for 31 points and 5 rebounds. Avdija had a well-rounded performance with 20 points and 9 rebounds, including 10 points from free throws.

In their last five meetings, Israel leads 3-2 but Poland has won the most recent two games.

August 31st, 02:30: Spain vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

As defending champions, Spain is struggling, losing their group opener to Georgia. The core issue with this Spanish team is the lack of a player who can step up and take responsibility in critical moments.

Bosnia and Herzegovina won their group opener against the clearly weaker Cyprus. Despite the win, Bosnia still faces unresolved issues in this tournament, especially after Musa’s injury, leaving the team without a reliable shooter.

These two teams have met only once in an official match, with Spain winning, but that game took place over 30 years ago.