By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Barcelona swingman led Hungary to its first victory in European Championships in 48 years and flirted with the triple-double in the process by posting 31 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds.
It was by far the more versatile output we have seen in the tournament so far and one of the most diverse performances in the recent history of the competition.
Actually, only three other players have managed to notch 30+5+5 (points, rebounds, assists) in a single EuroBasket game after 1993: Lithuanians Sarunas Marciulonis and Arturas Karnisovas, along with Pau Gasol, the only other active player on the list.
HOF-er Marciulonis scored 32 points, dished 8 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds in a 82 – 69 victory over Italy for the preliminary round of the 1995 EuroBasket, where Lithuania won silver medal with him being named as MVP of the tournament.
Two years later, Karnisovas, now Denver Nuggets GM, led Lithuania notched 32 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in a 93 – 94 loss to France for the EuroBasket’s fifth place match.
As for Gasol, before leading the “Rojas” to the EuroBasket 2015 title, the great Spaniard had a 31/10/5 match in a loss for his team to Italy for the Group Stage.
The only two players who recorded a triple-double in European Championships remain Toni Kukoc, thanks to his 27 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists performance in a 92 – 77 win for Croatia over Finland for the EuroBasket 1995 and an other Croatian legend, center Stojko Vrankovic had also a triple double in Eurobasket 1993 with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks in the 3rd place game against Greece.
@HangaAdamOnline –31 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists for Hungary– joins 3 players in the club 30/5/5 #EuroBasket2017https://t.co/b3Die222Nd pic.twitter.com/JP6dtMUZVE
— Proballers (@WeAreProballers) September 4, 2017
Photo: FIBA Europe