Eight of the last 16 nations still standing after the preliminary rounds will see action at the Sinan Erdem Arena in Istanbul for a chance to advance to the Quarterfinals of the EuroBasket 2017. Here is the complete schedule of the four matches scheduled on September 9.
Slovenia versus Ukraine (12:30 p.m. local time)
Slovenia topped Group A after finishing the preliminary rounds with a perfect 5-0 win-loss record. The Slovenia National Team will take on Ukraine which finished fourth in Group B with a 2-3 record.
Slovenia will again be led by the Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic, NBA top draft prospect Luka Doncic, and the former NBA player Anthony Randolph.
Slovenia racked up impressive wins against the European powerhouse teams including France and Greece, making them one of the favorites to win the EuroBasket 2017.
Ukraine finished the group stage tied with Georgia but advanced to the round-of-16 by virtue of their head-to-head result against Georgia. In that pivotal game, Pustovyi poured in 19 points and grabbed 17 rebounds while Denys Lukashov handed out 11 assists to help Ukraine defeat the Zaza Pachulia-led Georgia.
Slovenia holds a 2-1 win-loss record against Ukraine in EuroBasket games. The winner between Slovenia and Ukraine will advance to the Quarterfinals and will next face the winner between Latvia and Montenegro round-of-16 game.
Germany versus France (3:15 p.m. local time)
Germany started group stage play with back-to-back wins over Ukraine and Georgia before losing to Israel. The Germans bounced back with a hard-fought win over Italy before dropping its last game in the group stage against Lithuania.
France lost in overtime against host Finland in its first game.
France then won three straight games against quality opponents including Greece, Iceland, and Poland. In its final group stage game, France suffered a demoralizing loss against Slovenia.
Germany is led by Dennis Schroder of the Atlanta Hawks who is averaging 23.6 points per game. France will continue to lean on the experience of Joffrey Lauvergne of the San Antonio Spurs, Evan Fournier of the Orlando Magic, and Boris Diaw.
The winner of the Germany-France match will next face either Spain or Turkey in the EuroBasket 2017 Quarterfinals.
Finland versus Italy (6:45 p.m. local time)
Finland finished second place in Group A a 4-1 win-loss record. The Finns will play Group B third place finisher Italy for a spot in the EuroBasket 2017 Quarterfinals.
The Finland National Team won its first game of the tournament at the expense of France before losing to Group A top finisher Slovenia. Finland won its final 3 games against Poland, Greece, and Iceland to advance to the round-of-16 knockout phase.
Italy won its first two games against Israel and Ukraine before losing two in a row against Lithuania and Germany. The Italians defeated Georgia in its last group stage game to finish with a respectable 3-2 record.
Finland is led by the 20-year-old Chicago Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen is averaging 22.6 points per game on 55.1 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from the three-point area. Italy is paced by Marco Belinelli of the Atlanta Hawks with 17 points per game.
The winner between Finland and Italy will meet either Serbia or Hungary in the Quarterfinals.
Lithuania versus Greece (7:30 p.m. local time)
Lithuania topped Group B with a 4-1 win-loss record and will next meet Greece for a spot in the EuroBasket 2017 Quarterfinals. Greece finished with a 2-3 win-loss slate in Group A.
Lithuania suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Georgia in its first group stage game but swept its four remaining games against Israel, Italy, Ukraine, and Germany.
Lithuania is led by Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors, Mindaugas Kuzminskas of the New York Knicks, and the former Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans Donatas Motiejunas.
Greece won its first game against Iceland and then lost its next three games against France, Slovenia, and Finland. The Greeks won their last game against Poland to secure a spot in the round-of-16.
Greece is led Georgios Papagiannis of the Sacramento Kings, and former NBA players Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Nick Calathes, and Kostas Papanikolau. The Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo skipped the EuroBasket tournament due to an injury.
The winner between Lithuania and Greece will play either Croatia or Russia in the Quarterfinals of the EuroBasket 2017. The winners of the 4 scheduled games will also get the chance to qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
