Giannis powers Greece by Italy,Poland outlasts Slovenia, Luka in NBA stars' EuroBasket openers

LIMASSOL, Cyprus (AP) — American-born guard Jordan Loyd hit seven 3-pointers and finished with 32 points to help Poland outlast Slovenia and Los Angles Lakers star Luka Doncic 105-95 Thursday in both teams' EuroBasket opener.

Loyd's efforts spoiled a strong effort by Doncic, the slimmed-down NBA star, who finished with 34 points and nine rebounds in the Group D matchup in Katowice, Poland. Poland led 47-46 at the half, then outscored Slovenia 33-23 in the third quarter to take control.

Fellow NBA and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had a much easier outing, scoring 31 points in 29 minutes for Greece as it downed Italy 75-66 in Group C in Limassol, Cyprus. Greece shot 62% from the field and hit seven 3s in the victory.

In another Group C matchup, Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 19 points to lead Georgia to an 83-69 upset victory over defending champion Spain.

Mamukelashvili added seven rebounds and six assists as Georgia outrebounded Spain 46-29. Spain shot poorly in a disjointed performance — only making 6 of 13 free throws — but still only trailed 61-58 in the fourth quarter when Georgia went on an 11-2 run to take a decisive lead.

American-born guard Kamar Baldwin had 12 points for Georgia, including a 3-pointer in the final seconds.

Juancho Hernangómez led Spain with 13 points in the Group C game at Spyros Kyprianou Arena.

“They deserved to win. They played way better. They played more physically than us,” Hernangómez said. “We played really, really bad ... so let’s get better for the next game.”

France, playing without Victor Wembanyama at the tournament, eased past Belgium 92-64 with the rest of its NBA talent on display in a dominant performance in Katowice, Poland.

Washington Wizards shooting guard Bilal Coulibaly had 12 points and seven rebounds. NBA teammate Alex Sarr provided one of the game highlights late in the first quarter, dunking off a running, behind-the-back pass from Sylvain Francisco.

“We needed to make a strong debut as a team and I think that's what we did," France shooting guard Isaia Cordinier said. “Everybody brings something to the team. ... The danger comes from everywhere.”

Israel beat Iceland 83-71 in Katowice, leading throughout following a 10-0 run in the first quarter. Roman Sorkin scored 31 points for Israel in their Group D opener.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

Italy's' Simone Fontecchio defends against Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Eurobasket, European Basketball Championship Group C match between Greece and Italy at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chara Savvidou)

Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts after his team won Italy during the Eurobasket, European Basketball Championship Group C match between Greece and Italy at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chara Savvidou)

Spain's Juancho Hernangómez walks onto the court with teammates after loosing to Georgia during the EuroBasket, European Basketball Championship Group C match at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chara Savvidou)

Spain's Sergio De Larrea reacts during the Eurobasket, European Basketball Championship Group C match between Spain and Georgia at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chara Savvidou)

Georgia's Alexander Mamukelashvili celebrates after his team won Spain during the Eurobasket, European Basketball Championship Group C match between Spain and Georgia at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chara Savvidou)

NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Weathers was steamed when he found out he was joining the New York Yankees.

“I had had just finished up my bullpen and I get back to the house — I have like a little travel sauna,” he recalled Thursday. “I literally probably had sat on my couch for about two seconds and I got a phone call from Peter Bendix that I had been traded.”

Bendix, Miami's president of baseball operations, sent the 26-year-old left-hander to New York for four prospects on Tuesday: outfielders Brendan Jones and Dillon Lewis, and infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus.

Weathers is the son of David Weathers, a pitcher who helped the Yankees win the 1996 World Series after he was acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline.

“We’ve kind of had a weird, similar paths as to how we got to New York,” Ryan Weathers said.

David was in the Dodger Stadium bullpen when he found out two minutes before the trade deadline he had been dealt to the Yankees. Manager Rene Lachemann called him on the bullpen phone and said Weathers needed to speak with general manager Dave Dombrowski.

“I went in the locker room and Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, John Burkett, Robb Nen, they said, `Hey man, good luck. You're going to win a World Series ring,' and they turned out to be prophetic,” David Weathers said.

David learned his son had been traded while watching a basketball game with wife Kelli at Loretto High School in Loretto, Tennessee, where he has coached baseball.

“One of my friends came up and said, `I think Ryan’s been traded to the Yankees.' And I said: `Well, if he has, I hadn’t heard anything about it,'" David recalled. "We laughed, and about that time my phone started ringing. It was Ryan.”

When Ryan makes his Yankees debut, they will become the fifth father-son duo for the pinstripes, joining Yogi and Dale Berra, Clay and Cody Bellinger, Mark Leiter and Mark Leiter Jr., and Ron Davis and Ike Davis.

Ryan was in shock when he spoke with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone.

“I just couldn’t believe that the New York Yankees were a team that I could ever have a chance to play for," he said.

New York’s rotation at the season's start projects to also include Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Luis Gil while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón rehab from injuries.

Weathers, 26, was 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA in eight starts last year in his second straight injury-shortened season. He missed time with a strained left flexor, made his season debut on May 14, then didn’t pitch for Miami between June 7 and Sept. 11 because of a left lat strain.

He was 5-6 with a 3.63 ERA over 16 starts in 2024, when he was sidelined by a strained left index finger.

“This is the best I’ve probably felt in a year-and-a-half,” Weathers said. “I really did a dive and worked with company on figuring out how to lengthen my lat out, lengthen my back out. We really adjusted a lot of my lifting patterns. We really adjusted my mobility and my prep work, and I think my arm is reaping the benefits right now.”

Ryan grew up in big league clubhouses and remembered the Cincinnati Reds' room with Ken Griffey Jr. and Joey Votto. He played pickle with Dusty Baker, Ramón Hernández, Eric Milton and Juan Castro.

“There’s been a lot of hours put in the Cincinnati Reds' batting cages,” Weathers said. “I just remember Pops taking me to the field every day. I know when his arm was hurting, he’d still throw me BP.”

Ryan was the seventh overall pick by San Diego in the 2008 amateur draft and made his first big league appearance against the Dodgers in the 2020 NL Division Series — among only six players to make a major league debut in the postseason. His dad's knowledge helped him during tough times.

“When I first started going through it and getting adversity and getting traded, he really helped me along those lines of figuring out: This is what you do with your new team. This was what you do in your day-to-day,” Ryan said. “So I’ve been doing mechanics since I was age 10.”

He has remained close with pitcher Aaron Harang, a teammate of his father who last played in 2015.

“He still texts me all the time,” Weathers said. “When I was younger, I didn’t really care about pitching. I just wanted to hit bombs in the outfield, so I didn’t really think about it.”

For David, pitching in the World Series was less nerve-racking than being in the seats at Ryan's games.

“It’s way tougher being a dad and watching your son pitch than being a pitcher,” David said. “When he pitches, man, it is just like all day, it’s like I’m pitching. I’m thinking about what I would do, how I would attack these guys.”

Notes: New York finalized its $2 million, one-year contract with right-hander Paul Blackburn.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sept. 24, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson, File)