Showtime in China
FIBA WORLD CUP - GROUP F (MATCHDAY 1)
AGONAsport previews the first match of the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Group F between Greece and Montenegro.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
This is where it all begins. With high expectations weighing on their shoulders, the Greeks make their long-awaited debut at the 2019 World Cup in China, taking to the court against Montenegro.
Greece, Montenegro, Brazil and New Zealand make up Group F. All teams will play against each other, before the countries in the top two positions advance to the second group stages. The nations in the bottom two places move down to the classification matches.
The Episimi Agapimeni begin as one of the main competition favourites, and it’s not hard to see why. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2018/2019 NBA season, is the biggest star competing at the tournament and is under heavy pressure to live up to his reputation. Antetokounmpo has spoken of his overwhelming desire to steer Greece to international glory.
Nevertheless, basketball is far from an individual sport, and the likes of Nick Calathes, Giannis Bourousis, Kostas Sloukas and Giorgos Printezis are all capable of making the difference on the court. Calathes has long been one of the best players in the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos.
Greece have been excellent in the friendly matches. Overall, the Greeks competed in eight exhibition games, winning seven of them and only conceded the one overtime defeat against the talented Serbians. Giannis Antetokounmpo notably tallied a career-high 26 points for Greece in a comfortable friendly win over the Dominican Republic on Thursday.
Naturally, Greece are heavy favourites to defeat Montenegro on Sunday, but the World Cup debutants cannot be taken lightly. At the moment, Montenegro sit in 28th place of the FIBA World Rankings, and you can bet that they will be fired up to make an impression in their first appearance at the competition. Montenegro will try to slow the pace while playing tight defence against a Greek team boasting impressive firepower.
Interestingly, with a population of just 600,000, Montenegro are the smallest nation ever to compete at a World Cup.
It’s not yet known whether Kostas Sloukas will participate in this match. The Fenerbahce star has recently returned to full training after receiving an injury in a friendly against Italy in Athens.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Who else but Giannis Antetokounmpo? The NBA MVP is ready to shine in China. Visibly full of motivation to succeed with Greece, Antetokounmpo is in superb form, and the 24-year-old thrives when the spotlight is on him. His powerful, intense approach to the game should be enough to comfortably break Montenegro down.
Similar to his NBA team, the Orlando Magic’s Nikola Vucevic is the key cog for Montenegro at both ends of the court. The lone player on the squad currently in the NBA, Vucevic will be a key part of Montenegro’s offense as the 28-year-old looks to guide the young nation to a successful first appearance on the World Cup stage.
QUOTES
Thanasis Skourtopoulos: “We know how to cope with their tactics. We are expecting Montenegro to try and slow the pace of the game, but we’re ready to conjure up a response. Our players understand how to deal with these situations.”
Giannis Bourousis: “Montenegro have a very good team. We must play well if we want to win. They have stand-out players. It’s a tough match because it is the first at the competition, and it won’t be easy for either team.”
