PARIS (France) - Looking at this matchup, the temptation is to just break it down to Germany's balanced team play behind leader Dennis Schroder against Greece superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The rest of the Greeks must show up as they face a historic chance in the 2024 Paris Olympic Quarter-Finals.
History will be at stake in the first Quarter-Finals of the Paris Games as either Germany or Greece will reach the Semi-Finals of the Olympics for the first time in an intriguing showdown.
The world champions Germany have three top-eight showings - 1984, 1992 and 2021. Dennis Schroder and co. have come to France with the clear goal of getting past this game and get within one victory of a first-ever medal. Germany are sky-high on confidence right now, especially after blasting hosts France to finish the group stage undefeated.
Greece, meanwhile, have three fifth-placed finishes in their last appearances - 1996, 2004 and 2008. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been otherworldly in his Olympics debut but it wasn't until he got more help did Greece finally register their first victory in the tournament against Australia.
Key matchup
Daniel Theis vs Giannis Antetokounmpo
While the rest of the Greece team might not want to hear it, but the key to Hellas is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Meaning the key for Germany will be to slow down the former NBA champion and MVP.
Daniel Theis will initially get the assignment for Germany as the team's most athletic big man, who has also battled against Antetokounmpo for years in the NBA. Germany will have to run waves at the Greek star with Johannes Thiemann likely the main defender when Theis heads to the bench. Antetokounmpo scored 34 and 27 points in Greece's two losses with 5 combined assists. In Greece's win over Australia, he scored 20 points on just 11 shots and dished out 6 assists. So which Antetokounmpo will show up?
X-factors
Greece's other starters must show up - especially offensively
Germany will not shy away from running the ball and getting easy points and show their offensive firepower. The Greeks do not have nearly the same array of scoring options, and the rest of the starters besides Antetokounmpo will need to step up.
Kostas Papanikolaou had 17 points against Canada but the other three starters combined for only 11 points. Vasilis Toliopoulos picked up 14 points off the bench versus Spain as the only other player in double figures with the other four starters combining for 27 points.
That changed against Australia with starting point guard Thomas Walkup draining four three-pointers in scoring 18 points; Dinos Mitoglou starting his first game and providing 13 points and 7 rebounds; and Toliopoulos adding 13 points in the win.
Stats don't lie
Pretty much across the board, the stats speak overwhelmingly for Germany in this showdown. Germany out-score Greece 89.3 points to 77.7 points per game, and Germany make 88.6 percent of their free throws compared to 68.8 percent.
Greece rank dead last in three-point shooting at just 30.3 percent from long range. So Hellas struggle to hit three-pointers - something they will probably need to keep up with Germany's scoring machine. Greece also will have problems getting easy points as Germany committed the fewest turnovers in the tournament at just 10.0 per game.
Past matchups
Greece holds a 12-8 all-time advantage over Germany overall including an 87-64 win in the group stage at the 2008 Olympics. Starting with their victory over Germany in the Final of the FIBA EuroBasket 2005, Greece had won five straight games before Germany defeated the Greeks 107-96 in the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA EuroBasket 2022.
FIBA