Orlando Magic players continue to make their mark on EuroBasket 2025. One day after Franz Wagner powered Germany to a dominant win over Montenegro in the Group A opener, his Magic teammate Goga Bitadze delivered one of the tournament’s biggest surprises so far by helping Georgia upset defending champion Spain.
In Limassol, Cyprus, Georgia shocked Spain 83-69 to open Group C play, with Bitadze playing a central role in the victory. The 26-year-old center finished as Georgia’s second-leading scorer, posting 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal. He shot 6-for-11 from the field and connected on 2-for-4 from beyond the arc in just 22 minutes of action. Bitadze’s contributions were further reflected in his +14 plus/minus and an efficiency rating of 15.
The performance underscored his growth after completing his sixth NBA season and third with Orlando. During the 2024-25 campaign, Bitadze averaged career-highs across several categories, finishing with 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, two assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. He also shot a career-best 61.1% from the field while playing 20.4 minutes per contest in 70 games.
Bitadze emphasized Georgia’s resilience and team spirit following the victory.
“This is just another game for us,” Bitadze said. “We’ve been saying every single day we are here to win every game. We really stayed together and showed the Georgian soul and all the hard work paid off. The job is not finished, now our confidence is high that we can beat any team.”
Franz Wagner and Goga Bitadze headline Magic’s strong EuroBasket 2025 start
Georgia’s head coach echoed the importance of focus despite the win.
“It’s good that we beat Spain, it’s better than to lose of course,” the coach said. “But we just need to keep our focus on our goal, and that is super hard. But we’ll try.”
Bitadze’s standout performance comes as another example of Orlando Magic players shaping the early stages of EuroBasket 2025. Wagner, fresh off a career-best NBA season where he averaged 24.2 points per game, scored 22 points with eight rebounds in Germany’s 106-76 victory over Montenegro a day earlier. His effort helped the defending FIBA World Cup champions open Group A play with a decisive win.
With Wagner leading Germany and Bitadze powering Georgia to an upset over Spain, the Magic’s international presence has quickly become one of the storylines of the tournament.
Georgia will now turn its attention to its second matchup in Group C against Italy on Saturday, a test that could further validate its upset victory. Meanwhile, Germany will continue Group A action on Friday when it faces Sweden.
For Orlando, the success of both Wagner and Bitadze underscores the progress of a roster that has become central to the Magic’s back-to-back playoff appearances in the NBA. Their continued growth on the international stage adds to the franchise’s momentum as it prepares for the 2025-26 season.
