Portugal held on for a narrow 124-121 victory over Greece in their MT20WC European subregional qualifier, Group C, on 17 August 2026. The hosts came from behind to make it competitive but could not find the winning basket. By then the visitors had already built enough of a cushion, though Greece refused to let the game drift away. To be fair, the final margin tells only part of the story.
Portugal sit top of the group with eight points from four matches, while Greece remain fifth with none. The hosts have now lost all four games without picking up a single point. Portugal's perfect record means they control the tie, but the margin of victory was tighter than their position suggests.
Greece's recent results show a pattern of narrow defeats — 147-148 against Czechia last weekend, and earlier losses to Spain, Cyprus and Denmark by single digits. Portugal have been less consistent, drawing 156-156 with Sweden and thrashing Israel 163-69. Things came to a head in this one, but neither side collapsed.
And here's the thing about a 124-121 scoreline: you cannot read much into it without seeing the flow. The hosts made it a game, but Portugal saw it out when it mattered most. Greece dragged themselves within range, but the visitors held firm under pressure.