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Lithuania takes on Greece in the Second Round opener of the FIBA World Cup. The Lithuanians will look to book their ticket to the quarter-finals, while the Greeks will stay alive only if they emerge victorious on Friday.
This is a battle between two European powerhouses, but it has a clear favorite in the Lithuanians. Coach Kazys Maksvytis has seen his players dominate their opponents in the opening round (3-0), and the Lithuanians are confident they can have a deep run in the tournament.
They now want to beat the Greeks and clinch a Top 8 spot before the collision with Team USA (3-0) for the top place in the group on Sunday.
Greece (2-1), meanwhile, will look to take full advantage of its second-half performance against New Zealand on Wednesday (51-31) and will rely on perimeter shooting and defense to stay in the game until the end.
Still, the Lithuanians are heavy favorites in this game and have the upper hand heading into Friday's clash.
Lithuania vs. Greece FIBA World Cup Game Details
Date: Friday, Sept. 1
Time: 8:40 a.m. ET
Venue: Mall of Asia in Manila, Philippines
Jonas Valanciunas leads the way for Lithuania in the FIBA World Cup with an average of 13.7 points and 10.0 rebounds for a PIR of 16.3. Mindaugas Kuzminkas leads the team in PIR (17.3) to go with 12.7 points, while Rokas Jokubaitis averages 12.0 points and 5.3 assists for a PIR of 15.3.
On the other hand, Ioannis Papapetrou is the top scorer of Greece with 16.3 points and is coming off a 27-point game vs. New Zealand (career-high). Giannoulis Larentzakis is also elite offensively (15.3 points), while Giorgos Papagiannis has been consistent inside the paint (11.0 points, 5.7 rebounds).
Aside from these three players, Thomas Walkup will also be a key on Friday. The Olympiacos star guard plays the most minutes (30.3 per game) and dishes 7.7 assists to go with 10.7 points while running the majority of plays.
Lithuania vs. Greece where to watch
ESPN+ will stream the game, like the rest of the FIBA World Cup action, and fans will have to subscribe to the platform to watch it.
FIBA will also stream the game on its official streaming platform, Courtside 1891, which also needs a subscription.
What to expect in Lithuania vs. Greece game
Based on what we have seen of the two teams in the FIBA World Cup, it will be a major upset if Lithuania loses this one. The Baltics have played great basketball on both ends and have the upper hand heading into this one.
Meanwhile, after what we saw in the second half against New Zealand (51-31), we expect Greece to put up a fight, but the pressure is on its side, as a defeat will eliminate it from the Top 8 of the FIBA World Cup.
The Greeks will look to control the tempo and slow down the pace, as they have shown to struggle in transition.
On the other hand, the Lithuanians will seek to take advantage of their strength inside the paint with Jonas Valanciunas and Donatas Motiejunas. Their battle with Giorgos Papagiannis will be crucial for the outcome of the game, even though the Lithuanians still outplay the Greeks in every statistical category.
