With three Hawks involved in the 2025 edition of FIBA European Basketball Championship, there is a lot of excitement for them to show their skills on the international stage. As the tournament whittles down from group play to a single-elimination knockout bracket, the competition ramps up and the stakes get even higher.
Knockout play begins today, with 16 teams of the 24 initial teams advancing towards medal placement.
Kristaps Porzingis has helped carry team Latvia into knockout play — which begins with a battle against their geographic neighbors Lithuania headed by Jonas Valanciunas now of the Denver Nuggets. Porzingis has averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game so far in the group stage. His three-point shooting (20% on six attempts per game) has let him down some, but he’s proved to be at full stamina following a bout with post-viral syndrome.
You can stream EuroBasket 2025 on Courtside 1891, a subscription service provided by FIBA itself.
Zaccharie Risacher has also had a strong showing so far in the competition, helping power France into the round of 16. Risacher has played in all five games, averaging 10.2 points while averaging 48% shooting from three and 53% overall plus 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He’s been playing with improved physicality and taking on more of an expanded role with team France, showcasing his ball handling and slashing at times.
France will take on Georgia (the Republic of Georgia of course) tomorrow at 8 AM EST to advance into the quarterfinals.
Sadly, Vit Krejci’s quest for gold is over. The Czech national basketball team couldn’t not advance into the bracket after going 0-5 in group play. Ultimately, they finished 23rd only above Cyprus with their poor record and point differential. Krejci averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the five games with poor efficiency from the field.
