Papanikolaou hopeful despite Greece's loss: 'This team's journey has just started' / News - Basketnews.com

Despite Greece losing to Germany in the EuroBasket quarter-finals, Kostas Papanikolaou thinks that the future can be better for his team in the tournaments to come.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Germany presented Greece with an insurmountable obstacle in the EuroBasket quarterfinals, as the Greeks suffered their first loss in the 2022 EuroBasket.

Player of the Game EFF 22 Dennis Schroder Points 26 Accuracy 8-15 Rebounds 3 Assists 8

The Germans finished the match with 17/31 three-point shooting and will now face Spain in the semifinals with the aim of reaching the end of the line. The team coached by Gordon Herbert forced Greece to their fifth defeat in a EuroBasket quarter-final game.

It's the fourth time in a row that the two-time European champs get eliminated before reaching the semi-final stage.

Kostas Papanikolaou, one of the team's captains, appeared confident that Greece can have a brighter future in the upcoming tournaments.

"First of all, 107 points is too many," the 32-year-old forward told Greek public broadcaster ERT.

"I think we allowed Germany to play comfortably in their rhythm and that gave them confidence. It was difficult; we discussed at half-time that we should come in strong and break their rhythm, but we did not show up as we should," the player of Olympiacos Piraeus continued.

Asked whether Greece entered the game in a state of trance, allowing Germany to score 28 points on 8/10 three-point shots in the first six minutes, Papanikolaou replied that "I think the whole team didn't meet expectations. We did not fall asleep, it was a strong game but we let them feel comfortable on the floor".

However, the Greek forward is optimistic that this loss can lay down the foundation for something better for the blue-and-white squad.

"Every loss is painful, but I don't think this team's journey is over. It starts this year and it will last. We failed to get the result we wanted, but I hope that we have laid the foundations for the summers to come. I think that we all share the same desire to give everything we can," Papanikolaou concluded.

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