EuroBasket playoff scenarios for teams from Groups C and D / News - Basketnews.com

Teams from EuroBasket groups C and D will play their last games in the group stage today. BasketNews takes a look at the possible playoff scenarios for each of the contending teams.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

With the teams from Groups C and D set to battle both for the playoff seeding and the playoff spots, there are multiple scenarios of how today's matches can impact the playoff matchups.

Finland / Schedule

Israel Finland89-87 Finland Poland89-59 Serbia Finland100-70 Finland Czech Republic98-88 Finland NetherlandsThu12:00

First, let's take a look at how the tiebreakers will be decided in the groups.

If 2 or more teams have the same win-loss record, the game(s) between these 2 or more teams decides the final placement.If those teams have the same win-loss record in the games between them, further criteria will be applied in the following order:

Higher points difference in the games between them. Higher number of points scored in the games between them. Higher points difference in all games in the group. Higher number of points scored in all games in the group.

If the criteria above still cannot decide the team placement, a draw would decide on the final classification.

Greece has already guaranteed first place in Group C. They will most likely know their opponent after the Czech Republic's game against Israel (17:30 CET). Unless Finland loses to the overwhelming underdog Netherlands (14:00 CET), only the match of the host country will decide the last playoff spot.

If the Netherlands beat Finland, the calculations would then start. If the Czech Republic then beats Israel, three teams - Finland, Czech Republic, and Israel - would have a win-loss record of two and three.

In such a case, the Czech Republic would need to capture a win by at least a 6-point difference since the home team would automatically overcome the second tiebreaker criteria with a win.

If Poland loses to Serbia and Finland wins against the Netherlands, Finland takes second place and leaves Poland third. If Poland pulls off an upset, they will take first place in Group D. If Finland loses, they will finish the group stage either third or fourth, depending on the outcome of the game between Israel and the Czech Republic.

Going back to Group C, all four playoffs teams are already clear. However, the exact seeding will be decided in two of the three matches today.

Italy, Ukraine, and Croatia will take second, third, and fourth place in the group. The exact places will become clear after the Croatia-Ukraine game at 14:15 CET today, assuming that Italy beats Great Britain in the last match of the day.

Croatia needs a win to avoid facing Serbia (most likely) in the Round of 16 from the fourth place. In such a case, Italy would face the Nikola Jokic-led team. Unless Croatia wins by at least 8, Ukraine would take the second spot in the group. If they do win by at least 8, Croatia then becomes second, sending Ukraine to third place, and leaving Italy fourth.

Each first-place team of both Groups C and D will face the fourth-place team of the other group, i.e. first place in Group C will face fourth place in Group D and vice versa. Similarly, second place in Group C will battle against third place in Group D and vice versa.

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