By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
This is the point where the real tournament begins and you can expect everything. The heart of European basketball for the next week will be Istanbul, where all the teams are gathered after playing in four different locations around the old continent – in Kluj, Tel Aviv, Helsinki, and Istanbul – in the group phase.
Here’s what happened in the groups, but now it’s about time to get into the most exciting phase of the competition.
Saturday – September 9
Slovenia vs Ukraine (12:30)
In theory that’s the easiest game to predict. Slovenia is unbeaten, Goran Dragic is playing his best in a Eurobasket and Ukraine just squeezed in the last moment after beating a disappointed Israel. Add to that the recent injury of Olexandr Mishula and things are really not looking good for Ukraine.
Germany vs France (15:15)
Will Dennis Schroder push his team to the quarterfinals? The young German point guard is having a good tournament, but France has the know-how, the depth, and the players to counter almost everything the Germans can do on the court. While this seems like an equal match up, that has to do more with the – mediocre – way France played during the group stage than anything else.
Finland vs Italy (18:45)
Can Finland be as effective on the court without the push of its fans? Can Lauri Markkanen continue his amazing streak against established players like Gigi Datome and Nicolo Melli? The fact is that aside from Marrkanen and Petteri Koponen, Finland’s ability to play as a unit is its main weapon. That’s why Italy can be optimistic about the outcome. A coach like Ettore Messina should have some aces up his sleeve and this is the time to show all his cards.
Lithuania vs Greece (21:00)
The favorite of the game is without a doubt Lithuania, which has won four games in a row after losing a close call in the premier against Georgia. Greece, on the other hand, beat only the two weakest teams in Group A, Iceland and Poland. You can argue that against Poland some things clicked for the Greeks finally. Still, Lithuania is playing much better and the only thing that can turn the tide is the match up of the Greek guards against the only reliable point guard of Lithuania, Mantas Kalnietis.
Sunday – September 10
Montenegro vs Latvia (12.30)
It’s not all about Kristaps Porzingis. Latvia had already a good team that took off with the addition of a world class talent. And that’s the main difference between the two teams. Montenegro has the “big three” of Tyrese Rice, Bojan Dubljevic and Nikola Vucevic, but no other points of reference on the court. Considering the way Latvia playing during the group stage, Latvia has the advantage.
Hungary vs Serbia (15.15)
Hungary is in the knock out round for the first time since 1969 and will give a fight. Still, Serbia is aiming for a medal and finished on top of the “group of death” in Istanbul, so you get the picture. Adam Hanga and company will try their best, however even without key players Serbia is loaded and can get the job done.
Spain vs Turkey (18.45)
This is going to be big. Spain is the absolute favorite to go all the way, Turkey is an up-and-coming team but not quite there yet. It will be a big test for the young stars of the host nation which has a tradition of getting a medal every time they host a big tournament. However, this time things are not looking good for them.
Croatia vs Russia (21.30)
Russia demonstrated something unusual for the post-Kirilenko era: consistency. If they keep up like this, then they have more than a chance against Croatia, which is aiming towards the medals. Τhis game is probably the harder to predict. Croatia doesn’t really have a player to keep Timofey Mozgov out of the paint and the Russian defense will have a hard time against Bogdanovic and Saric. In any case, this is a must see game.