The fatal Eurobasket for MVPs, after Nikola Jokic's Serbia, Giannis Antetokounmpo's Greece, fell in the quarter-finals of Eurobasket 2022 on Tuesday in Berlin, eliminated by Germany (107-96) who will face Friday in half Spain, faller of Finland.
The 31 points collected by the double NBA MVP previously were not enough for the Greeks, already led 96-82 at the time of the second unsportsmanlike foul of the "Greek Freak", excluded in the last five minutes.
But when the Milwaukee Bucks star sent his arm into the face of Alba Berlin winger Johannes Thiemann, Germany were already racing ahead.
And Giannis Antetokounmpo already seemed on the way back, one lap after the other double MVP, Nikola Jokic, ejected in the round of 16 with Serbia.
A sickly clumsiness in the third quarter weighed down Greece, which conceded a 20-1 (77-62) when it returned to the locker room in the lead (61-57).
Yet undefeated in the group stage, she left the European Championship at the quarterfinal stage for the third time in a row.
Spain in half
The band of three Antetokounmpo brothers had already shown signs of feverishness in the round of 16 against the Czech Republic (94-88).
Far from being serene, the Greek selection had taken control only in the middle of the last quarter, a moment led by the Czechs (70-69).
Dominated on the rebound (32 against 46), the Greeks offered many second chances to the Germans, pushed at home by a full house of 14,000 spectators and above all very successful at three points (17/31, 55%).
Like the five shots behind the line of the back of Bayern Munich Andreas Obst.
Germany, only tamed by Luka Doncic's Slovenia in the group stage, reached the last four of a Euro for the first time since 2005. The Nationalmannschaft lost in the final despite its legend Dirk Nowitzki on the floor then and in the stands on Tuesday.
Before the final, a tough team from Spain who fell from Finland (100-90) awaits them on Friday to climb for the eleventh time in a row in the last four.
La Roja, in reconstruction after the retirements of the Pau brothers and Marc Gasol as well as Sergio Rodriguez, was carried by its pivot Willy Hernangomez (27 pts).
The New Orleans Pelicans player recorded his best performance in a major tournament with his selection.
Top scorer of the match with 28 points, the Finn Lauri Markkanen could not prevent the elimination of his team, who led by nine points at halftime (52-43).
