Classic Games: Greek drama ends with historic win over USA in 2006 World Cup Semi-Final
MIES (Switzerland) - The United States have been the most dominant team in international basketball for more than a decade, going unbeaten at every Olympics and FIBA Basketball World Cup since 2008.
MIES (Switzerland) - The United States has been the most dominant team in international basketball for more than a decade, going unbeaten at every Olympics and FIBA Basketball World Cup since 2008.
It's been such an awe-inspiring run that fans have to go all the way back to the 2006 World Cup Semi-Finals in Japan to find the last time a USA team lost at a major event. And it's probably the most famous game in modern international hoops history, a 101-95 Greece triumph.
As part of our Classic Games series, this title showdown will be streamed in full at 9PM CEST (GMT+2) on Thursday on FIBA's Facebook and YouTube channels.
Led by coach Panagiotis Yannakis, a former European Championship-winning point guard for the country, Greece entered the last-four on a roll. They had won FIBA EuroBasket 2005 and then gone unbeaten at the World Cup.
The USA, having won the World Cup in 1994 but finished third in 1998 and then sixth four years later in Indianapolis, were eager for a return to the top of the podium. They had also fallen three times at the 2004 Olympics and ended up with the bronze medal.
Undefeated themselves before the clash in Saitama, the United States jumped out to a 20-14 advantage by the end of the first quarter. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony were early in their fantastic NBA careers.
"WE HAVE TO LEARN THE INTERNATIONAL GAME BETTER. WE LEARNED A LOT TODAY BECAUSE WE PLAYED A TEAM THAT PLAYS AMAZING BASKETBALL AND PLAYS TOGETHER."
Greece had a veteran team, virtually the same one that had stunned France with a come-from-behind triumph in the FIBA EuroBasket 2005 Semi-Finals, and comprehensively beaten Germany in the title game.
Despite falling behind early, the Europeans battled back with sublime performances from Theo Papaloukas, Vassilis Spanoulis, Dimitris Diamantidis and Sofoklis Schortsanitis.
Spanoulis was terrific, pouring in a team-high 22 points. Greece outscored the USA, 31-21 in the second quarter for a 45-41 lead at half-time.
A Diamantidis three-pointer nearly four minutes into the second half pushed the Greek advantage to 62-50. Greece poured in 32 points in the third quarter, capped by a Spanoulis drive for a 77-65 lead.
Something that hurt the Americans over and over was their inability to stop the one-two punch of Papaloukas and Schortsanitis. The latter scored 14 points and Papaloukas 12 assists to go with his 8 points.
"He (Schortsanitis) was getting the ball off pick-and-rolls," USA center Dwight Howard said. "They were running the same play the whole second half and he was getting in there every time."
The USA battled until the end. Wade scored on spectacular drives and Kirk Hiinrich gave the USA hope by making four three-pointers, including one from the left corner with 2:40 remaining to cut his team's deficit to 91-86.
Spanoulis then buried a three-ball from the top of the key. Another Hinrich three-pointer trimmed the Greek lead to 95-91 with 38 seconds to go.
Papaloukas had one of his most famous performances for Greece in the win over the USA
James flew through the lane for a two-handed dunk with 18 seconds to go to leave the Americans behind, 99-95. Greece held on, though, for victory, leading to celebrations in Athens where fans ran into the streets in a state of ecstasy .
"We have to learn the international game better," USA coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the game. "We learned a lot today because we played a team that plays amazing basketball and plays together."
FIBA