EuroBasket Daily Preview: 8 Teams Have Secured Early Qualification, Doncic Aims for Round of 16

On September 2nd Beijing time, the EuroBasket group matches will proceed, and so far 8 teams have advanced early to the Round of 16: Serbia, Turkey, Germany, Finland, Greece, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Other teams will battle for the remaining 8 spots —

20:00 on the 2nd: Greece vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Greek basketball team has decisively won their first three matches, securing their place in the Round of 16 ahead of schedule. Although Group C is considered the “group of death” on paper, Greece has yet to face significant pressure. They have not only won steadily but also helped Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed many warm-up games, gradually regain his rhythm.

Bosnia and Herzegovina fought hard in their third game against Italy but ultimately lost 79-96. This defeat puts Bosnia in a very difficult position, especially as missing their key player Zanan Musa has clearly weakened the team.

Since the start of the 21st century, the two teams have met 5 times in official matches, with Greece leading the series 4 wins to 1 loss.

20:00 on the 2nd: Belgium vs Israel

Belgium’s basketball team has struggled, holding a 1-2 record after three games. Particularly in their last loss to Slovenia, Slovenia controlled the game throughout the entire 40 minutes. Doncic became the fifth player in EuroBasket history to record a triple-double. Missing three core players—Kamara, Ajayi-Mitch, and Obasohan—has had a huge impact on Belgium.

Israel’s basketball team shows strong capability with a 2-1 record in their first three games. Avdija’s performance is improving, and the team boasts a deep roster, making them a “dangerous opponent” no team can underestimate. A win over Belgium in this match would secure Israel’s spot in the Round of 16.

The two teams have met only once before in an official match, with Israel winning that game. It dates back to the 2013 EuroBasket, where Israel defeated Belgium 87-69.

23:00 on the 2nd: Iceland vs Slovenia

Iceland’s basketball team is arguably the “unluckiest” in the tournament so far. Their 0-3 record is unsurprising, but the key point is that they had real chances to win in all three games: against Belgium, they held a 7-point lead midway through the fourth quarter; versus host Poland, they nearly caused an upset. Now, Iceland’s hopes of advancing are almost gone, and they will play the last two games for pride.

After Slovenia’s big win over Belgium, they are back in the fight for a knockout stage spot. Objectively, Slovenia played well even in losses to Poland and France but failed to convert their advantages into wins. Doncic is currently averaging 33 points per game, almost impossible to guard one-on-one. If teams double him, Slovenia’s shooters get open looks. If Israel beats Belgium, Slovenia’s win over Iceland will secure their Round of 16 berth.

The only official meeting between these two teams was eight years ago at EuroBasket, where Slovenia defeated Iceland 102-75.

23:15 on the 2nd: Cyprus vs Georgia

Cyprus is undoubtedly the weakest team in this tournament, having lost all three group matches against Bosnia, Greece, and Spain. It is expected they will finish the competition without a win.

Georgia started the tournament strongly—winning their opener against Spain, taking a crucial step toward the knockout stage. However, subsequent losses to Italy and Greece revealed Georgia’s core issue: inconsistent scoring, especially poor three-point shooting. Currently, only Iceland has a worse three-point percentage than them.

This match will mark the first-ever official meeting between these two national teams.

02:30 on the 3rd: France vs Poland

France began by defeating Belgium and Slovenia but then hit a slump—losing 69-82 to Israel in the third group game. France controlled the game through the first three quarters but completely collapsed on both ends in the final period, allowing Israel to secure an easy victory.

In contrast, Poland may be the biggest surprise of this EuroBasket. So far, Poland has achieved three straight wins: beating Slovenia and Israel, then battling to an 84-75 victory over Iceland. Jordan Loyd is playing at the peak of his career: scoring 32 points against Slovenia, 27 against Israel, and 26 against Iceland, showing excellent form.

In their previous four encounters, France has won all. Their most recent meeting was in the 2022 EuroBasket semifinals, where France routed Poland 95-54.

02:30 on the 3rd: Italy vs Spain

Italy holds a 2-1 record from their first three games. A positive sign is the return to form of their key players: Fontecchio, after underwhelming performances in the first two matches, exploded for 39 points and 7 three-pointers in the third. Additionally, Darius Thompson, nearly invisible in the first two games, has regained good form, which is a big boost for Italy.

Spain started poorly, losing their opener to Georgia, but quickly bounced back by beating Bosnia and then crushing Cyprus. One major issue for Spain seems to be the lack of a “go-to guy” in tight games, which raises questions about their ability to achieve top results under pressure.

In their last five head-to-heads, Spain has won 3 times while Italy has won twice.