Israeli team kicks off EuroBasket with a clear win over Iceland

The Israeli basketball team got off to a strong start in this year’s EuroBasket, beating Iceland 83-71 in the opening game on Thursday evening in Katowice, Poland.

The win will prove critical if Israel wants to fulfill its dark-horse status in Group D. Each of the tournament’s four groups features six teams, with the top four advancing to the Round of 16.

From there, a knockout tournament will determine the strongest team in Europe.

Israel landed in a challenging yet manageable Group D, being seeded with the host nation and next opponent, Poland, along with title contenders France and Slovenia. The group is rounded out by Iceland and Belgium.

The perfect Avdija & Sorkin connection doesn't exis...😮‍💨😮‍💨#EuroBasket x @TherealIBBA pic.twitter.com/2jSpiOAslU

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 28, 2025

On Thursday, Israel managed to defeat Iceland easily, despite a middling performance from NBA star Deni Avdija.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Roman Sorkin led all scorers with 31 points on excellent shooting splits of 9-of-12 from two-point range and 4-of-7 from three, while adding five rebounds.

“I'm happy my shots fell and my teammates found me. The most important thing is the win that we got, the rest doesn't matter. It's a long tournament. It took group work to stop Tryggvi Hlinason; he's an amazing player, and it was a pleasure to play against him,” Sorkin said after the game.

Bilbao star Hlinason posted his first-ever EuroBasket double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough.

Avdija struggled with his three-point shot (0-of-5) but still managed to deliver a well-rounded overall game, scoring 20 points and adding 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.

“It was very important, the first game is always very hard, and it's something you work for the whole summer,” said head coach Ariel Beit-Halahmy.

“Our opponents weren't easy to face, but I'm glad we found a way in the second half. We will get better in the next games, but it's important to win the first one,” he added.

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s duo Yam Madar and Tomer Ginat also contributed their share to the win.

Former NBA hopeful Madar scored seven points and facilitated six assists. Team captain Ginat also scored seven points, adding six rebounds and six assists.

“It’s really not just me here that’s important; it’s the entire team,” said Sorkin.

“We’re happy that we won, the margin of victory is important. We made it harder than it should have been, but it’s the first game and we’re excited – but let’s move on. It was a good game from my point of view on a personal level; they found me in the right places. What’s important now is the next game.”

In the other games in the group, heavy favorite Slovenia lost to Poland 105-95, despite the efforts of Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic and his 34 points, four rebounds, nine assists, five steals, and two blocks.

France, meanwhile, easily held off Belgium with 92-64 in their opening game.