The Eurobasket 2025 quarterfinals wrapped up tonight in Riga, Latvia. They set the stage for some exciting semifinal matchups. Germany fought hard to defeat Luka Doncic’s Slovenia team, winning 99-91. They will now face Finland, who made history by beating Georgia 93-79. These two winners will clash in the semifinals at the Xiaomi Arena.
Germany, champions back in 1993, continued an impressive run of form. This marks their fourth straight semifinal appearance in major basketball events. They finished third at EuroBasket 2022, won the World Cup in 2023, and placed fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Finland, on the other hand, reached new heights. Their victory guarantees their best-ever finish, topping their sixth-place showing from 1967.
The game between Germany and Slovenia was a nail-biter. Slovenia, led by Doncic, started strong. They held an 11-point lead after the first period, 32-21. They still led by six at halftime, 51-45, and by four after the third quarter, 74-70. But Slovenia just couldn’t hold on in the final period.
Luka Doncic delivered another incredible performance. He picked up his fourth foul very early in the second half, with just 2 minutes and 13 seconds played. This forced him to play carefully. Despite this, Doncic scored 39 points, hitting 11 of 25 shots from the field and 12 of 15 free throws. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out seven assists, and drew 12 fouls. Sadly, his heroic efforts weren’t enough.
Slovenia was still ahead 86-85 after a clutch three-pointer from Doncic with 4 minutes and 10 seconds left. However, Germany turned up the heat in the closing minutes. They finished the game on a powerful 14-5 run. A big help came from the free throw line, where Germany shot 12 more attempts than Slovenia, converting 37 total compared to Slovenia’s 25.
Germany’s key players stepped up big. Franz Wagner, who was a thorn in Portugal’s side in the Round of 16, finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. Point guard Dennis Schröder added 20 points and seven assists. Center Daniel Theis contributed 15 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Their balanced attack proved too much for Slovenia.
In the earlier quarterfinal, Finland showed off their shooting prowess against Georgia. They secured their 93-79 win largely thanks to an amazing 17 three-pointers. They shot 55% from downtown, sinking 17 of 31 attempts. Their bench depth also made a huge difference, pouring in 44 points compared to Georgia’s mere four bench points.
Georgia actually started better, leading 10-8 after five minutes. But then Finland found their rhythm from long range. They went on a huge 20-5 run, ending the first period with a comfortable 13-point lead, 28-15. The Finnish team never looked back from there.
Finland kept their dominance through the second period. They even stretched their lead to 20 points at one point, 57-37. They went into halftime up by 17 points, 57-40, having already hit 10 three-pointers on just 15 attempts. Their offense was simply unstoppable.
The Finns started the second half strong again, pushing their lead back to 20, 62-42. But Georgia refused to quit. They mounted a comeback, cutting the lead to nine points by the end of the third quarter. Early in the fourth, they got even closer, making it 73-67 with still 7 minutes and 44 seconds left on the clock.
Just when Georgia seemed to be gaining momentum, Miro Little hit a crucial three-pointer as the 24-second shot clock expired. This timely basket gave Finland back control. Then, Georgia’s frustration boiled over. Players like Goga Bitadze, who had 14 points and six rebounds, and Tornike Shengelia, with 15 points and five assists, were ejected. This emotional unraveling sealed their fate.
Coach Lassi Tuovi’s Finnish squad saw excellent performances from several players. Mikael Jantunen led with 19 points, followed by Lauri Markkanen with 17. Edon Maxhuni scored 15 points, and Sasu Salin added 14. For Georgia, Alexander Mamukelashvili topped their scoring with 22 points, and Dudu Sanadze contributed 19.
The semifinals are scheduled for Friday at the Xiaomi Arena in Riga. First, Germany will take on Finland at 5:00 PM local time (3:00 PM in Lisbon). Later, Greece and Turkey will battle it out starting at 9:00 PM (7:00 PM). The big final will then take place on Sunday.