Giannis Antetokounmpo is heading to the Olympics for the primary time, after he scored 23 factors and Greece held off Croatia 80-69 on Sunday. The sport was one of many 4 males’s basketball qualifying event finals being held to find out the remaining spots within the 12-team subject for the Paris Video games.
“The very best athletes on the earth compete within the Olympic Games,” Antetokounmpo stated. “Now we have nothing to lose … I actually imagine we’ve got an unimaginable workforce and we will accomplish one thing particular.”
Georgios Papagiannis scored 19 factors for Greece, who additionally obtained 14 from Nick Calathes and earned an Olympic berth for the primary time since 2008.
“It’s very good to qualify as a result of that’s step one,” Papagiannis stated. “On the Olympics, we’re seeking to do one thing actually good there.”
Greece will probably be in Group A for the Paris Video games, with opening-stage video games in opposition to Australia, Canada and Spain – who additionally certified on Sunday by beating the Bahamas.
The defending champions USA, in addition to France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, South Sudan, Canada and Australia had already certified. France certified because the host nation; the opposite seven groups on the checklist certified based mostly on their finishes on the World Cup final summer time.
After the World Cup, 24 groups have been left to compete for the ultimate 4 slots. They have been determined within the winner-take-all qualifiers that began final week. Brazil grabbed the primary of these spots on Sunday, earlier than Greece, Spain and Puerto Rico adopted.
On Saturday, Antetokounmpo had come up in opposition to one other perennial NBA All-Star, Luka Dončić, within the semi-finals. Antetokounmpo and Greece beat Dončić’s Slovenia 96-68.
“They performed approach higher than us. They have been far more aggressive,” Dončić stated. “I feel they’ve a tremendous workforce. Clearly, they’ve Giannis. However different items are essential for them, too. And so they’re very well-coached … They outplayed us at the moment.”
