Giannis Antetokounmpo gets introspective in discussing 20,000 points
Giannis Antetokounmpo got introspective after he reached 20,000 career points.
Provided by Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Greece to a 92-89 victory over Finland in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament.Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, secured 17 rebounds, and made crucial free throws to seal the win.The victory earned Greece the third-place bronze medal in the 24-country summer tournament.
If you’re not watching European and international basketball right now, you’re just missing out.
Greece and Finland fought in an incredible, ebb-and-flow game to a heart-stopping 92-89 finish, with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo pushing Greece over the edge for the win.
It was a crucial game Sept. 14 in Riga, Latvia, with two top teams, Greece and Finland, ferociously aiming for the third-place trophy in FIBA EuroBasket, a 24-country summer tournament.
The intensity matched that of an NBA playoff game as Finland − with the country’s president sitting courtside − refused to let any deficit prevent them from challenging the well-rounded Greek team. The difference was that Finland never could take the lead.
That’s because Antetokounmpo had a magnificent all-around game, leading everyone and everything.
He had 30 points in 31 minutes on 9-of-11 shooting from the field.
He made 12 of 16 free throws, including two to seal the win with 4 seconds left in the game.
He had 17 rebounds and six assists.
His efficiency rating was … 43 (an average rating is 15).
Giannis Antetokounmpo is emotional as he brings 3 of his children courtside – after leading Greece to a podium finish in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament.
Greece takes third place after beating Finland.
G:
30 pts
17 reb
6 ast
Screenshot from Courtside 1891 streaming service pic.twitter.com/4AjrBf9Nja
— Lori Nickel (@LoriNickel) September 14, 2025
Finland, led by Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen with 19 points and 10 boards, has a strong offensive game centered around 3-point shots. Its strategy was hack-a-Greek early with Antetokounmpo, and Finland’s fans even did the countdown chant (sped up of course) early on when Antetokounmpo went to the free-throw line.
It only seemed to supercharge the big man.
Besides converting 8 of 11 at the line in the first half, Antetokounmpo added blocks – some fiercely contested from behind – with dunks, bounce passes and momentum-killing defensive rebounds.
He had a little more freedom when he brought the ball up the court to move around, but still contested Finland’s double teams effectively and spread the ball around to his teammates.
Greece responded with solid 3-point shooting and more balanced scoring. Greece also started with a 24-15 lead by hitting 5 of 8 early 3-point attempts to set the tone.
Miikka Muurinen gave Finland a boost in a crucial second quarter and Finland, with four scorers in double figures, fought back late in the fourth quarter behind strong defense and pressure on Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo’s only blemish was a turnover on a bad pass with 21 seconds remaining that allowed Finland to climb back 89-87 with Greece barely holding on.
What happened next was wild.
Greece converted one free throw and missed another, but Antetokounmpo, double blocked out on the rebound, couldn’t get his hands on the ball and secure the possession for Greece.
Finland fired off a 3-pointer on the other end and got fouled. Elias Valtonen sank the first two of three free throws but missed the third. Finland rebounded but missed the putback.
Antetokounmpo cooly sank two free throws with 4 seconds left (this time, curiously, Finland fans did not count).
Greece, which got 20 points from Tyler Dorsey, excelled in fast breaks that ultimately were too much for Finland. Greece’s podium finish may have helped soften the blow of losing to mighty Turkey a few days earlier in the EuroBasket semifinals.
This is the sixth time Greece has medaled in EuroBasket history, with two golds, one silver and now three bronze medals.
Vassilis Spanoulis won bronze as a player in 2009. With the win over Finland, he now has a podium-place finish as the Greek coach.
“I’ve heard everything in life, through ups and downs, good or bad,” Antetokounmpo told EuroBasket social media, with the sounds of Greek countrymen cheering in the background. “When you’re one of the best players – I don’t talk too much. I like my actions to talk. I’m not… I don’t fake.
“I like basketball. I don’t like media. I don’t like being famous. I just like basketball. Everyday, sometimes when you don’t play well, you know, people talk (expletive) about you.
“But this for me – is almost like a relief. A relief because I did it for the country. I did it for myself. I did it for my family. And finally, finally, finally – I (expletive) did it. So I am proud.”