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Greece may have walked away with the win, but Cyprus walked away with the spotlight. Hosting EuroBasket for the first time, the island showed it could deliver big-stage basketball, capped off by a dramatic 90-86 Greek victory over Spain that had fans on their feet until the final buzzer.
The matchup had everything. Greece came out firing, hitting 8 of its first 10 three-pointers and storming to a 50-35 halftime lead. Giannis Antetokounmpo was unstoppable in the paint, while Tyler Dorsey torched Spain from long range.
But Spain wasn’t done. Bit by bit, the defending champions chipped away, slicing the lead to 63-68 by the end of the third quarter. A Juancho Hernangómez three-pointer tied it at 71 early in the fourth, and with three minutes left, Spain even pulled ahead. Suddenly, what looked like a Greek runaway was a full-blown thriller.
In the closing moments, though, Greece held its nerve. Giannis muscled in for rebounds, Kostas Sloukas nailed crucial free throws, and Papanikolaou buried a clutch three-pointer. Spain had its chances, including three missed free throws in the final seconds, but Greece survived 90-86 to clinch first place in its group and a round-of-16 clash with Israel.
For Cyprus, the tournament itself was a milestone. The national team may not have won a game, but the island proved it could host Europe’s best, with strong fan turnout, even if not quite at the levels organizers had hoped for. Last night's final at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol was a defining moment, showcasing what could be possible if Cyprus embraced basketball. The arena was packed to the brim for what turned out to be the most epic, nail-biting game of the series.
Still, the sight of packed sections cheering on stars like Antetokounmpo and Hernangómez was a first for Cypriot basketball; even President Nikos Christodoulides couldn’t keep his eyes off the action. For many, the spectacle was a glimpse of what the sport could mean for the island’s next generation.
“This wasn’t just about the scoreboard,” said one local fan after the final. “It was about showing Cyprus can stand alongside Europe’s basketball nations.”
As Greece celebrates and Spain regroups, Cyprus takes its own bow. The wins may have belonged to others, but the island’s first EuroBasket left its mark and put Cyprus firmly on the basketball map.
