FIBA: EuroBasket Round of 16 set; Jokic, Giannis, Doncic advance

The knockout round drama begins in FIBA play as the 2025 EuroBasket round of 16 bracket is officially locked in after 8 days of group phase competition across 4 cities. Now, the action shifts to the 16 national teams that qualified and they will hit the court in single-elimination action, with the winners edging closer to continental glory.

All the matches of Round of 16 onwards to the quarterfinals, semifinals, 3rd place game, and Final will be in Riga, Latvia.

NBA superstars Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic have all led their teams to the next round, as Serbia, Greece, and Slovenia enter the next phase as teams to look out for.

The 2025 EuroBasket Round of 16 matchups are as follows:

Turkey vs Sweden — Group A’s top team faces a fourth-seed survivor vs Sweden

Germany vs Portugal — A dominant German team seeks to continue its flawless run against Portugal

Lithuania vs Latvia — A classic Baltic derby loaded with history and passion

Serbia vs Finland — Lauri Markkanen and the Scandinavian upstarts meet perennial powerhouse Serbia with the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic

Poland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina — A grudge match with playoff stakes

France vs Georgia — Can France flex its group dominance against the gritty Georgians?

Italy vs Slovenia — Luka-led Slovenia meets a confident, balanced Italian squad in one of the weekend’s marquee seesaws

Greece vs Israel — Giannis’ Greece must quiet Deni Avdija’s scoring burst in what could be a classic narrative showdown

Among the key storylines of the tournament thus far, include:

-Turkey topped Group A (after beating Serbia) with a perfect 5–0 record; Germany did the same in Group B. 

-Greece led Group C followed by Italy, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Georgia – with Spain, the defending champion, shocking many by missing the cut.

-Group D survivors include France, Poland, Slovenia, and Israel.

-Rivalries renewed: The Baltic battle of Lithuania vs Latvia sets the tone for regional pride – always a high-stakes matchup.

-Blockbuster clash: Italy vs Slovenia stands out – not just for the presence of Luka Doncic, but for the contrasting styles of play for both teams.

-Star spotlight: Greek dominance led by Giannis Antetokounmpo faces a disrupted but resilient Israel, fresh off a gritty loss against Luka and Slovenia despite a 34-point outing from Deni Avdija. 

-Trending teams: Finland, led by Lauri Markkanen’s MVP-caliber play, enters as a serious threat and a potential dark horse in Serbia vs Finland, while Alperen Sengun of Turkey continues to amaze by leading his team to an undefeated run so far in the tournament.