Quarterfinals: Greece vs Nigeria

[GustavoGanso]

Yeah, was a clearly foul on 3PT Spanoulis, but Greece lost for themselves

11 missed FT

Papanikolaou and Printezis too much time on the bench

i'm little sad too but congratulations to Nigeria

beat Lithuania and Greece in the same torunament is not for everyone.

[Straight forward]

Congrats Nigeria! Great effort, great fight. They played primitive, but with so much heart

Greeks seemed kinda sleepy in this game. And you can't expect refs to call a foul (it's a question if it was) on such a crazy shot from nowhere at the last second of the game. Such calls are extreamely rare and this case obviously wasn't for exclusion.

[septynix]

But this was the biggest robbery ever in our history.

What about the Great train robbery?

...and a team of decent American players with a few weeks practice is still good enough to beat a top European team in a big game. I was worried for a few years back in the 2000s.

Kaf kaf kaf kaf. Get a hobby, man.

Aaaand back to topic. Ok, to be fair, I think refs definitely helped, overall Greece is a better team. But boy oh boy am I glad about the outcome. Never was a fan of Greek NT ("hey, maybe lose this game and avoid Spain... whoops, hey Spain! Awww we lost to Spain, damn referees!!") and Nigeria did beat Lithuania so, you know, was hoping maybe this Lithuanian NT is not that unstable/sucky.

And the game itself was pleasant to watch, so thank you.

[Olympiacos]

what a pathetic choke job. it couldn't have happened to a better group of fans.

Oh look, the guy called "Gabe" that harasses and insults everyone who is not American at the FIBA message boards has dropped in to rub it in and brag about the refs robbing Greece.

Yes, such a pathetic fan base, that we are upset that we just got robbed of the Olympics by the refs and everyone here knows it. Even the Lithuanians admit it, and for Lithuanians to admit that for a Greek team - that is unbelievable.

[NorCal]

I think it's obvious why. Nigeria knew the refs were on their side. It was obvious after Greece took the lead, all of a sudden every call mysteriously went to Nigeria, even ones that were so obviously called wrong.

People debate about for example did the refs purposely make Spain beat Greece 2 years ago - well I think we know now that FIBA has an agenda against Greece. This game was a clear highway robbery.

The refs could say the missed call at one end was a mistake, but then Spanoulis was practically thrown to the floor and the guy is holding his arm while he shooting, right in front of the refs and no fouls.

In any league or tournament in the world - the refs blow the whistle on that. Even in the NBA where they have almost an unwritten rule not to call fouls on the last shot, even in NBA that is called 99 out of 100 times.

Unbelievable. But all we will see now is how "Nigeria upset Greece" and all this nonsense. I would have no problem if he lost fairly, but this is too much, to lose like this by the refs in a game where both teams fought so hard and made so many clutch plays.

This was even worse of a robbery than the refs did to Serbia against Turkey 2 years ago.

This from the guy who yesterday was accusing USA fans of setting up excuses for our own team weeks prior to the Olympics even starting. Biggest hypocrite I've ever met- just STFU.

To all the rest of the Greek fans- you guys are good sports and I have a lot of respect for you and how you support your team.

[Psofimis]

Next time he can go to a tournament with no C at all.

And the usual journalists will talk about his new in innovation...

Before we continue trash eachother let me say that even Pedoulakis would take 3 centers with him and propably got us the ticket.Imagine the failure.
I want zouros in a greek team so I can spit on him each week....If we take him on Olympiakos I ll poison his food with my crap.He deserves worse....

[Hepcat]

...and a team of decent American players with a few weeks practice is still good enough to beat a top European team in a big game. I was worried for a few years back in the 2000s.

By rights that's the kind of comment that can and should come back to bite you on the ass during the Olympics. On any given day....

[Olympiacos]

Congrats to Nigeria! They deserved it! Out team wasn't well prepared for them despite the fact that we played a strong friendly against them in Brazil.

That's an epic fail for Greece...
Zouros proved that he is a mediocre coach who is making coach career based on his public relationships. Like most of the Greek coaches.

Greece was always playing good defence but this year we weren't playing defence at all. Our offence was much based on Spanoulis creation and nothing more.

That's a good time for most of the Greek fans and journalists to stop believing that Greece is the basketball centre of the world and there are others nations which can play good basketball too...

Anyway, congrats to Nigerian NT. Good luck to them against Russia...

The fact that the refs stole the game should have no bearing whatsoever right? So please explain why Serbia didn't fire Ivkovic after they lost to Turkey. I mean if this loss was the fault of Zouros and not the refs, then surely the loss of Serbia in the semifinal two years ago was also the fault of Ivkovic.

I see there are a lot of NBA fans posing as Greeks here.

[KWSN-Men]

Playing a knock out game against a very decent underdog which has nothing to loose is a very difficult task for a team which came over without its centers and relies on the three point shots. The Greek players kept their cool until the end. They didn't shoot badly, but Nigeria did a great job too and dominated in the paint. Greece couldn't answer because they lacked depth in the paint.

In the end Nigeria commited a clear foul, but the referee, like the neutral fans will favor the underdog in this situation. Logic suggests that the favorite team shouldn't have put itself in this position.

Too bad, I had the feeling that Zouros would play good basketball with the centers. Now it will probably cost him his position.

Zouros is an idiot.

[Psofimis]

You have been confirming my thoughts with your basketball views, you confirm them again now.

I hope you feel better now that you "offended" me.

I didnt offend you by telling you what you are and its my right to hate albanians pao fans...
Its not racism.I just hate albanians pao fans more than the greek ones.

[MZT Skopje]

How the fuck could greece lose this match. You did look in great form against Porto Riko. 120 euros bye bye.

[fasoulaki]

Zouros gambled and lost. He thought too much about the Olympic Tournament and not enough about the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Regarding the refs. I had the impression that they favored us during the game.
Bouroussis got free throws at some points allthough he did not even jump.
You cannot expect to get a foul in the 2 last two seconds of the game.

The game was lost 2 seconds before when the Nigerian defender managed to kick the ball out.

So Zouros is out of the NT for sure. Who will be the next? Will Giannakis return?

[Tasos Peiraias]

How the fuck could greece lose this match. You did look in great form against Porto Riko. 120 euros bye bye.

Yeah,our players played as sleepy,but the refs helped a little!!

[KWSN-Men]

Before we continue trash eachother let me say that even Pedoulakis would take 3 centers with him and propably got us the ticket.Imagine the failure.
I want zouros in a greek team so I can spit on him each week....If we take him on Olympiakos I ll poison his food with my crap.He deserves worse....

Pedoulakis is a mediocre knows and knows it.

Zouros is a mediocre coach that thinks he is something special.

[Olympiacos]

The only reason that I understand for Spanoulis' foul not being called is that referees swallowed their whistles. This Greek defeat is a disappointment

So how come Nigeria did an offensive foul on the other end and was given 2 free throws?

The refs cannot do that. They cannot award 2 free throws, not even on a Greek foul, but on an offensive foul by Nigeria, and then a second later "swallow the whistle" on a clear foul by Nigeria.....

A foul that would have granted 3 free throws in a 1 point game. After just seconds earlier, Nigeria got 2 free throws. Instead of swallowing the whistle on Nigeria's miss, they got the foul call. Never mind that the Nigerian guard did an arm hook and made an offensive foul........

It really shows how most of the Americans here have zero class and are here to do nothing but antagonize others and bash on anyone that isn't a Team USA supporter, how they come here to trash talk some of them (not all) after such a robbery by the refs.

If Team USA had this happen to them, I bet that Team USA would never even compete at a FIBA tournament again. But it happens to Greece and it's just "Greece deserved to lose", "congrats to Nigeria", etc.

Unbelievable lack of class from some of you guys here. (I'm not referring to you Navarro).