The first day of the EuroBasket 2025 Round of 16 is in the books, and it didn’t disappoint. The favorites were seriously tested — and one of them paid the price — as Serbia was knocked out in a thrilling game by Finland.
The action continues today at Arena Riga in Latvia, with three more matchups leading up to Greece’s big clash with Israel (21:45), all with a place in the quarterfinals on the line. It’s another full day of basketball drama.
The day tips off with Poland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (12:00, Novasports Start). Poland finished second in Group D after beating both Slovenia and Israel, coming into the knockout stage with confidence but also showing vulnerabilities after two group-stage defeats. Jordan Loyd (22 PPG) and Mateusz Ponitka (17.8 PPG) lead the offense, but their defense will have its hands full with Jusuf Nurkić (16.4 points, 9 rebounds), who’s been the engine behind Bosnia’s campaign. Bosnia took third in Group C with a 3–2 record, including massive wins over both Greece and Georgia.
Next up is France vs. Georgia (15:15, ERT1 / Novasports Start). Despite suffering a group-stage loss to Israel, France topped their group and currently boast the tournament’s third-best offense. With scoring depth and ball movement as key strengths, they enter the matchup as clear favorites. Georgia, meanwhile, finished fourth in Greece’s group and arrives hoping to pull off a major upset, even after falling to Bosnia 84–76 in their last outing. Led by Alexander Mamukelashvili on offense and Goga Bitadze, who dominates both in scoring and on the boards, Georgia plays with nothing to lose. After toppling Spain earlier in the tournament, they now aim to knock out another heavyweight — the “Bleus.”
Closing out the day’s triple-header is the marquee matchup: Italy vs. Slovenia (18:30, Novasports Start). Luka Dončić goes head-to-head with Simone Fontecchio in what promises to be a thrilling battle. Italy finished second in Group C behind Greece with a 4–1 record, their only loss coming to the Greeks. Slovenia enters with the tournament’s second-best offense (93.8 points per game) and the top scorer in Luka Dončić (32.4 PPG), while Italy counters with the tournament’s best defense, allowing just 66.6 points per game. The big question: can Gianmarco Pozzecco’s squad contain “Luka Magic,” or will the Slovenian superstar continue his one-man show?
Round of 16 Results & Fixtures
Saturday, September 6
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Turkey 85 – Sweden 79
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Germany 85 – Portugal 58
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Lithuania 88 – Latvia 79
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Serbia 86 – Finland 92
Sunday, September 7
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Poland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (12:00)
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France vs. Georgia (15:15)
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Italy vs. Slovenia (18:30)
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Greece vs. Israel (21:45)
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, September 9
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Lithuania vs. Greece or Israel (17:00 or 21:00)
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Turkey vs. Poland or Bosnia (17:00 or 21:00)
Wednesday, September 10
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Germany vs. Italy or Slovenia (17:00 or 21:00)
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Finland vs. France or Georgia (17:00 or 21:00)