Historic Breakthrough: Israel Stuns Greece for First Time in 28 Years
As they gear up for the real challenge, Ariel Beit Halachmi’s squad claimed an impressive 75–58 victory over powerhouse Greece, building further confidence for what lies ahead. Deni Avdija and Roman Sorkin led the Blue-and-White charge.
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Israel’s national basketball team continues its preparations for the EuroBasket tournament kicking off later this month, currently taking part in a warm-up competition in Cyprus. After defeating the host nation in their opening game, the team followed up on Sunday with a commanding win over Greece, their first against the Greeks since 1997.
The opening minutes were marked by a back-and-forth exchange of baskets and plenty of whistles as both sides played physically. Greece exploited some defensive lapses in the paint to carve out a slim lead. Each time Israel closed the gap, the Greeks responded, maintaining their advantage and heading into halftime up 41–39.
The turning point came after the break. Israel stormed out of the locker room with a run that flipped the game in their favor. Guard Guy Palatin made an instant impact on both ends of the floor, joining forces with Avdija and Sorkin to seize control. The Blue-and-White eventually pushed the margin close to 20 points, dominating defensively by holding Greece to just 17 second-half points while scoring 36 themselves.
In the end, Israel celebrated a 75–58 triumph, their second win in as many days, adding another boost of momentum before the main event.
Captain Tomer Ginat reflected: “In the second half we really came out aggressive, that’s what we talked about at halftime. Ariel and the staff told us we had to raise the intensity, defend like we know how, and run. You could feel it right from the start. We’re very happy with this game and the last two wins. It’s been a 10-day trip abroad where we’ve stuck together, won and lost together, and experienced situations similar to what we’ll see in the championship, like back-to-back games. Now we head home for a few days before another warm-up in Montenegro.”
Forward Nimrod Levi added: “We came out much more aggressive, all of us. Guy Palatin brought a lot of energy. We rebounded better, defended much better, and that let us run and get easy points. We did the job. The preparation’s been good so far, we’ve worked on what Ariel wanted, and while there’s still work to do, we’ve definitely improved. Plus, the players and staff have really bonded.”
Scoring for Israel: Deni Avdija (6 rebounds) and Roman Sorkin (7 rebounds), 16 points each; Tomer Ginat, 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists; Kadary Richmond and Nimrod Levi, 7 points each; Yovel Zoosman, 5 points, 5 rebounds; Bar Timor, 4 points; Rafi Menco and Guy Palatin, 3 points each; Eitan Burg, 2 points.