Greece vs Cyprus

Cyprus came out sharp and aggressive, racing to a 29-17 lead after the opening quarter. The visitors shot efficiently from range and capitalised on early Greek turnovers, exposing a defence still finding its rhythm.

Greece responded emphatically in the second quarter, outscoring Cyprus 22-14 behind increased defensive pressure. Coach Vassilis Spanoulis' side tightened their rotations, forced tougher shots, and cut the deficit to four points at halftime (39-35).

The third quarter was where Greece took control. A 21-13 run — anchored by strong interior defence and transition scoring — gave Greece a 60-48 lead heading into the fourth. Cyprus could not get closer than single digits in the final period as Greece managed the clock effectively, taking the fourth 23-18 to close out the 82-75 win.

Quarter scores: 17-29, 22-14, 21-13, 23-18.

Greece's defensive switch at the start of the second quarter. After conceding 29 points in the first 10 minutes, Spanoulis' team held Cyprus to 46 points across the final three quarters combined. The half-court defence in the third period — where Cyprus managed just 13 points — effectively ended the contest.

Kostas Papanikolaou returned to action after missing the Poland friendly for medical reasons, and the captain's presence stabilised Greece in the second-quarter turnaround. His leadership on both ends was a clear factor in Cyprus's reduced offensive output after Q1.

Tyler Dorsey continued his strong form from the Poland win (where he had 19 points), providing Greece's primary perimeter scoring punch and creating separation when the offence stalled.

Nick Calathes orchestrated the offence with composure, particularly in the third-quarter push where Greece broke the game open.

Multiple Greek players rotated through, with the 13-man squad listed by the Hellenic Basketball Federation — including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Dinos Mitoglou, Giannoulis Larentzakis, and Vassilis Toliopoulos — all contributing to the depth that Cyprus could not match in the second half.

Player of the match: Not officially awarded, but Kostas Papanikolaou's return and impact on both ends made the most significant difference.

The 29-17 first quarter demonstrated Cyprus's ability to compete early, but Greece's 66-46 advantage across quarters 2-4 reflected the gap in depth and conditioning. Greece's second-half defence (Cyprus scored only 31 points across Q3 and Q4) was the decisive metric. After beating Poland 89-81 on 22 August, Greece's scoring dropped to 82 against a Cyprus side that had lost all four World Cup qualifiers by wide margins earlier this summer — but the defensive improvement was the more relevant takeaway for Spanoulis.

Greece completed their Aegean Acropolis preparation with a 2-0 record (89-81 vs Poland on 22 August, now 82-75 vs Cyprus). They now travel to Riga, Latvia for a critical FIBA World Cup 2027 European Qualifier against Ukraine on 28 August. A second Second Round qualifier follows against Spain on 31 August. These games will determine whether Greece advance to the next phase of qualification.

For Cyprus, this was a final warm-up after their World Cup qualifying campaign ended in the First Round (0-4 record). Their defeat to Greece was closer than the 123-50 and 111-79 losses to Croatia and Germany in July, showing competitive signs ahead of future fixtures.

A controlled, professional performance from Greece once the early shock wore off. Cyprus competed hard for 10 minutes but could not sustain it. The real test for Spanoulis' side comes in Riga on Friday against Ukraine.