Greece win over Croatia in EuroBasket 2022 opener

Dallas Mavericks two-way wing Tyler Dorsey played a key role in Greece’s 89-85 win over Croatia to open their EuroBasket slate on Sept. 2.

The opposition was doing everything they could to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo, which left Dorsey open to feast. He barely missed in the 1st half as he scored 20 of his 27 points on Friday. It helped Greece get out to an early lead, and they never looked back.

Croatia has a talented squad that is led by Bojan Bogdanovic, Dario Saric, and Ivica Zubac, who did not make it an easy win for the Greeks. They fought back in the second half and made things close by ratcheting up their offense, but Tyler Dorsey made too many key shots after Croatia shut Giannis off from getting inside.

Greece was one of the favorites to win EuroBasket 2022 entering the tournament, and Friday’s performance did little to stop that momentum. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dorsey were both fantastic in the victory that solidified the Greeks as the favorites to win Group C. Here is a closer look at Dorsey’s performance, and what is next for him and his national team.

Tyler Dorsey keys Greece's win over Croatia in EuroBasket 2022 opener

Dorsey showcased his strong skill set that included knocking down catch and shoot triples, hitting step-backs, and using his quickness to blow past his defender for an easy score inside. The 26-year-old had 20 points in the first 20 minutes of the victory, and fans can see some of his highlights below.

Tyler Dorsey was impressive on both ends of the floor as he finished with 27 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals in 29 minutes of action. He was nine of 17 from the field, including making five 3-pointers in the win over Croatia.

Dallas Mavericks fans should be excited about their latest two-way signing. Dorsey has been fantastic for the Greek National Team after winning the Greek Cup MVP last season. The 6'5 wing was a second-round pick in 2017, and he is looking to prove that he deserves a place in the Mavs rotation and one of their 15 regular roster spots. So far so good from Dorsey.

Tyler Dorsey and Greece are back in action on Saturday at 1:50 p.m. CT as they face Italy. The Italians lost Danilo Gallinari, who suffered a torn ACL in World Cup qualifying, but they should provide another stern test for one of the favorites.

Expect Giannis Antetokounmpo to put up some monster numbers in Greece’s second game, which should create plenty of open looks for Dorsey.