Itoudis, Dorsey surprised by Giannis being the only Greek player to shoot free throws / News - Basketnews.com

Following Greece's defeat by Serbia for the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers, Dimitris Itoudis and Tyler Dorsey questioned the referees' calls, awarding zero free throws to any player other than Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

Serbia edged out Greece 100-94 in overtime, forcing their opponents to their second loss in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.

Player of the Game EFF 28 Nikola Jokic Points 29 Accuracy 11-16 Rebounds 8 Assists 6

It was a game that kept a large part of the basketball world glued to their screens. Nikola Jokic scored fewer points than Giannis Antetokounmpo's 40 (a new personal scoring-high for the Greek Freak and also a European qualifiers all-time record), but his side won the game.

However, one of the things that made a strong impression was the fact that while Giannis shot 14 free throws (making 10 of them), no other Greek player visited the charity stripe in a contest that lasted 45 minutes. By comparison, Serbia executed 26 free throws overall, with 10 of them coming from Jokic's hands.

After the game, coach Dimitris Itoudis and shooting guard Tyler Dorsey had something to say about the officiating.

"We fought a battle, and we did what we promised. We managed to take the lead twice in the game," Itoudis told Greek broadcaster NOVASPORTS before adding:

"In such a strong game, where our creators, like Nick Calathes and Kostas Sloukas, had the ball in their hands, only Giannis went to the free throw line. It's a bit weird. The game could have been different," the Greek tactician stressed.

Tyler Dorsey was the man who tied the game at 87 apiece with a corner three and eleven seconds left.

"We had a hard-fought game. We battled out there. It was a great atmosphere. I'm proud of everyone who went out there and put it on the line. We had a chance in overtime, but we just came up short. It was a difficult game," the Greek-American guard pointed out.

"We didn't get a lot of calls, but we're going to improve. They scored a lot of baskets in the paint. Giannis shot 10/14 free throws. No other player on our team shot any free throws. For me, that's eye-opening.

Kostas Papanikolaou

Team:Olympiakos PiraeusPosition:SFAge:32Height:204 cmWeight:102 kgBirth place:Trikala, GreeceProfileNewsStatistics

I don't know what's going on, but the film of the game needs to be reviewed. Giannis can't be the only one to shoot free throws on our team," the new Dallas Mavericks guard told the media in the postgame presser.

While Dorsey was ready to leave, a Serbian journalist asked him what he thinks it means.

"I don't know what it means, that's on the refs," the player replied.

"We don't decide the calls out there. I'm just looking at the stats sheet, and I'm surprised. In how many games does one player only shoot free throws on a team? I haven't seen one such game in my career," Dorsey continued.

When the same journalist asked Dorsey if that's the reason why Greece lost, Dimitris Itoudis intervened, asking him, "Why do you provoke?" before the naturalized guard added, "I only say it's surprising. If you find any other game, let me know."

Regarding the game, Itoudis admitted that Greece "needed better plays on offense. Ognjen Jaramaz has played a lot of games and is a class player. We conceded 8 points at the buzzer, whereby Jaramaz scored six and Jokic a fadeaway three-point shot."

The Denver Nuggets big man had 29 points and 8 rebounds, winning several one-on-one battles in the low post.

"Jokic cannot be stopped, but his creative inspirations and freedom can be contained. To a certain extent, that's what we did when Giannis was going on him one on one," Itoudis observed.

"I am satisfied with our effort. The next game against Belgium will be crucial regardless of what we did tonight. We still have 6 games, and we haven't secured anything yet. We don't know how teams will show up next time. Belgium's cohesiveness stems from the fact that they are a solid team," he continued.

The experienced tactician had the chance to chat with his friend and mentor Zeljko Obradovic, who watched the game sitting next to Novak Djokovic.

"Today, the atmosphere was amazing. Zeljko told me he had never seen a game like that before," Itoudis revealed.

On the other hand, forward Kostas Papanikolaou enjoyed the game despite watching his team lose.

Referring to Giannis and Jokic, the 32-year-old international said that "everyone saw why these two are among the best in the world. They have the elements that distinguish the good athlete from the top sportsman.

Giannis' 40 points is a difficult feat because defenses are different in Europe. He was guarded by Lucic, Kalinic, and Jokic. Giannis has evolved his game a lot and has found the way to do the best for himself and the team," Papanikolaou concluded.

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