Greek center…
Greek center Iakovos Tsakalidis rises to score two points during yesterday’s match between Greece and Serbia-Montenegro on the final day of the European basketball Championships in Sweden. Greece won the game 72-64 to clinch fifth place in the rankings. It was the national squad’s fifth victory in six games – the only defeat being at the hands of Italy during Thursday’s quarterfinal game. Giorgos Vassilakopoulos, the head of the European branch of the international basketball federation, said Greece’s overall performance ‘helped re-establish the prestige of Greek basketball.’ It was Greece’s best showing at the European Championships since 1997, when the national squad finished fourth. Greece won the championships in 1987.
