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By Stathis Trapezanlidis/ info@eurohoops.net
Some shots are different than others. They decide titles and qualifications, they make history. The ball weighs tons in the hands of players and the hard work of an entire team is judged in a second! Eurohoops presents the ten greatest shots in the modern history of the EuroBasket, in the last 30 years. The selection was made with the criticalness of occasion as the main criterion, so in the list there are only knockout games.
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[lptitle title=”10. Panagiotis Fasoulas“]
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Greece – France 61-59
Quarterfinal 1993
With the score line at 59-59, five seconds before the end of the game Patavoukas missed the second free throw, Fasoulas jumped with better timing, got the offensive rebound and scored the winning basket that sent the Greek team to the semifinal of the EuroBasket. The French were in control throughout the game but the Greek team brought on a counter attack in the final minutes. Twelve years (2005 EuroBasket) later the Greek team did it again almost in the same way against the French, in the semifinal in Belgrade this time.
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[lptitle title=”9. Vlado Ilievski “]
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FYROM – Lithuania 67-65
Semifinal 2011
Vlado Ilievski gave FYROM their biggest win in their history in a EuroBasket with the three-pointer he scored 11 seconds before the end of the quarterfinal against Lithuania. The Lithuanians were up two points, Darius Songaila committed a mistake and Ilievski took advantage of it, making perhaps the biggest shot of his career. With that three-pointer, FYROM knocked out the hosts Lithuania from the semifinals of the EuroBasket and achieved one of the biggest surprises of the tournament.
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[lptitle title=” 8. Theodoros Papaloukas“]
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Greece – Slovenia 63-62
Quarterfinal 2007
Theodoros Papaloukas left his mark on another big upset of the Greek team, who were losing 49-61, 2 minutes and 41 seconds before the end of the quarterfinal in the EuroBasket in Spain against Slovenia. The Greek playmaker, with the clock showing 14 seconds, got the ball, went past his personal opponent and scored a tough basket in front of the much taller Nesterovic, sealing the big upset. Greece got the qualification to the semifinal of the tournament where they were defeated by the hosts, Spain.
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[lptitle title=”7. Milos Teodosic“]
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Serbia – Slovenia 96-92
Semifinal 2009
In an unbelievable game that was decided in overtime, Milos Teodosic made one of his best appearances with the national team of Serbia against Slovenia in the semifinal. It wasn’t a buzzer beater but some crucial three-pointers in the final minute of the game. Not one but two. With the first one (at 21 seconds) he takes the game into overtime, where he’ll do it again (at 26 seconds) and give the win to his team. The Serbian point guard finished the game with 32 points and 6/10 three-point field goals.
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[lptitle title=” 6. Juan Antonio San Epifanio“]
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Spain – Soviet Union 95-93
Semifinal 1983
With a really tough shot, San Epifanio secured the win for Spain in the semifinal against Arvydas Sabonis’s always powerful in those years Soviet Union. Time was running out for the Spaniards, who were up a point, to bring off their offense and the Spanish star got the ball at the top of the paint and from that position, playing 1v1, he scored and sent Spain to the final! There the Spaniards were defeated, but Epi’s basket had already made history.
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[lptitle title=” 5. Hedo Turkoglu“]
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Turkey – Germany 79-78
Semifinal 2001
The home team, Turkey, had high hopes in the tournament that they were hosting. Nowitzki’s Germany almost did some damage in the semifinal but Hedo Turkoglu scored one of the most important baskets of his career and gave his team the qualification to the final. The Turkish star chose to go 1v1 in the final play and he was vindicated, scoring three seconds before the expiration of the game. In the final, Bodiroga and Stojakovic’s Serbia defeated the Turks.
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[lptitle title=”4. Dirk Nowitzki“]
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Germany – Spain 74-73
Semifinal 2005
The Spaniards were the favorites to win the tournament but Dirk Nowitzki had a different opinion. The German superstar made an excellent appearance in the semifinal and when he was needed in the end he got the big shot that decided the confrontation. In the previous play Juan Carlos Navarro gave Spain a one-point lead with the famous “bombita,” but Dirk Nowitzki had the last word. He dodged Garbajosa nicely and with a shot that he made 3 seconds before the expiration of the game, he gave Germany the qualification to the final.
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[lptitle title=” 3. Dimitris Diamantidis“]
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Greece – France 67-66
Semifinal 2005
Greece brought off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the EuroBasket against France in the semifinal in Belgrade, coming back from 62-55 47 seconds before the end. In the last few seconds Rigaudeau made the one free throw he took, Nikos Zisis took over the last offense and after driving to the basket he saw Dimitris Diamantidis at the three-point line from where he scored perhaps the most famous shot by a Greek player in the last twenty years! Greece qualified to the final where they easily won the trophy against Dirk Nowitzki’s Germany.
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