Pagonis Masterclass Powers Greece Past Germany
Panagiotis Pagonis delivered a dominant performance, scoring 24 points and grabbing 8 rebounds to steer Greece to a convincing 73-58 victory over Germany at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket. Greece held a slim 28-23 lead at halftime, but Germany stayed within striking distance, entering the final period trailing 46-44. It was in the fourth quarter where Greece asserted control, outscoring Germany 27-12 to seal the win. Despite shooting just 33% from the field on 70 attempts, Greece compensated with tenacious defence, forcing 19 turnovers and registering 10 steals, while limiting Germany to a poor 57% from the free-throw line. Germany, though defeated, saw Jordan Muller chip in with 15 points, while Lars Lenke and Noah Isichei provided significant impact off the bench with 8 and 7 points respectively, contributing to a strong 33 bench points for Germany. However, Pagonis' offensive efficiency, bolstered by Apostolos Nikolaidis' 15 points and 6 assists, proved too much. This victory provides significant momentum for Greece in the tournament.