Greece, led by Milwaukee Bucks two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, opened its 2025 EuroBasket tournament against Italy on Thursday at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Cyprus.Greece, alongside Italy, was drawn into a tough Group C. Their group features Spain, Cyprus, Georgia, which shocked Spain earlier, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.The Greek team prepared for the tournament by participating in the 2025 Acropolis Tournament (Aug 20–22). They faced Latvia and Italy in Athens, with Giannis starring in the 104-86 win over Latvia.Italy, on the other hand, prepared by participating in the Trentino Basket Cup with two dominant wins, beating Iceland (87-61) and Senegal (80-56) on June 2 and 3, respectively.Both teams will be back in action Saturday, as they match up with Cyprus, while Italy will take on Georgia.Greece vs. Italy game summaryThe Greeks led by 10 points, 22-12 at the end of the first quarter. Giannis recorded eight points from 4-out-of-6 shots from the field, three rebounds and two turnovers. Nicolo Melli recorded nine points from 4-out-of-6 field goal shots and one assist for the Italians.The Azzurris mounted a comeback during the second quarter, but it wasn't enough to take the lead. At halftime, Greece led by eight points, 36-32.Giannis Antetokounmpo increased his scoring to 14 points to go with four rebounds and one assist.Italian forward Melli ended the half with 14 points, three rebounds and one assist. Simone Fontecchio had a quiet first half, recording just two rebounds and missed all six of his field goals and three of his 3-point shots.