Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the only basketball player to miss out on an Olympic spot, but one more win could change that.
Thomas Walkup scored 19 points, Antetokounmpo added 13 in 21 minutes and Greece beat Luka Doncic and Slovenia 96-68 in an Olympic qualifying semifinal on Saturday to move one win up from the Paris tournament.
“Since Coach (Vassilis) Spanoulis took over this contract, we’ve had just one goal – to go to the Olympics,” Walkup said. “We’re one game away from that goal. We just have to stay humble and stay focused.”
Doncic scored 21 points in a game played in Piraeus, Greece, that marked the first time the two NBA superstars faced off while representing their respective national teams.
“They played a lot better than us. They were a lot more aggressive,” Doncic said. “I think they’re a great team. Obviously they have Giannis, but the other guys are very important to them, too. And they’re very well-coached. … They dominated us today.”
The game was one of eight semifinals to determine the final four spots in men’s basketball at the Paris tournament.
Vasilios Triopoulos added 14 points for Greece, which will face Croatia in the Greek final on Sunday with the winner qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
The other semifinals were played on Saturday between Spain, Latvia and Puerto Rico.
Doncic played in the NBA Finals despite being injured during the Dallas Mavericks’ five-game loss to the Boston Celtics and averaged 31 points in Slovenia’s first two qualifying games, but he was mediocre against Greece’s powerful front line on Saturday.
Slovenia fell behind early as Greece scored 13 early points to lead 32-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Greece’s lead grew to as many as 23 points in the second quarter, but Slovenia stormed back late to cut it to 47-33 at halftime.
Greece again came out on a fast note in the third quarter, going on an 11-3 run to extend their lead and hold a 16-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Slovenia shot just 43 percent from the field (23 of 54), while Greece shot 54 percent (34 of 70) and had a 38-25 rebound advantage.
Croatia 80, Dominican Republic 77
Ivica Zubac shot 10-of-10 from the field to score 25 points and grab nine rebounds to help Croatia beat the Dominican Republic in the second semifinal in Greece on Sunday.
Dario Saric and Jalene Smith added 14 points apiece as Croatia advanced to Sunday’s final against Greece with a chance to return to the Olympics for the first time since 2016.
Christopher Duarte led the Dominican Republic with 17 points.
The game saw 13 ties and six lead changes, with the outcome unclear until the final seconds.
Trailing 78-74, Dominican Republic’s Jean Montero made a steal and was fouled on Croatia’s Smith’s 3-pointer with three seconds left.
Montero made all three of his subsequent free throws to cut the lead to one point.
The Dominican Republic quickly fouled Mario Hezonja, who made both of his ensuing free throws.
Duarte attempted a 3-point shot just before the buzzer sounded, but the shot hit the rim and missed.
Brazil 71, Philippines 60
In Riga, Latvia, Bruno Caboclo had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Brazil beat the Philippines 71-60 to reach the tournament final.
Marcelinho Huertas added 13 points to help Brazil keep alive their hopes of qualifying for their first Olympic Games since 2016.
Brazil will face Latvia in the tournament final on Sunday.
Justin Brownlee led the Philippines with 15 points and eight rebounds, but they shot just 38 percent from the field (24 of 64) and committed 15 turnovers.
The Philippines led 33-27 at halftime, but Brazil went on a 14-0 run to start the third quarter, part of a quarter in which Brazil led 24-6 and 51-39 going into the fourth quarter.
The situation remained the same in the final period, with the Philippines leading 53-46, but Brazil stormed back with an 8-0 run to end the match.
Latvia 72, Cameroon 59
In the second semifinal in Riga, Rihard Lomas scored 20 points and Latvia withstood several late pushes to hold off Cameroon, 72-59.
Rolands Smits added 13 points as Latvia advanced to Sunday’s final against Brazil, seeking to qualify for their first Olympic Games since 1936.
Latvia led 53-50 going into the fourth quarter and started the final quarter on a 9-0 run.
Cameroon cut the lead to 65-59 on a layup by Bris Eyaga Vidyas with 2:14 left, but Latvia ended the game at the free throw line.
Williams Narase led Cameroon with 14 points.
Bahamas 89, Lebanon 72
In Valencia, Spain, Deandre Ayton had 24 points and 15 rebounds and the Bahamas beat Lebanon, 89-72.
Buddy Hield had 19 points and 10 assists to help the Bahamas move within reach of their first Olympic appearance, where they will face Spain in the final on Sunday.
The Bahamas led by as many as 20 points at the half.
Lebanon closed the gap to 75-68 in the fourth quarter, but the Bahamas outscored Lebanon 14-4 with 3:50 left in the game.
Sergio El Dulwich led Lebanon with 22 points.
Spain 81, Finland 74
Willy Hernangomez scored 28 points and Spain rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Finland 81-74 in Valencia’s second semifinal of the day.
Lorenzo Brown and Santiago Aldama added 15 points apiece for Spain, which advanced to Sunday’s final against the Bahamas as the team seeks its seventh consecutive Olympic appearance.
Andre Gustafsson had 15 points for Finland, which hasn’t played in the Olympics since 1964.
The lead changed hands three times during the fierce final 10 minutes.
Finland went into the period trailing 59-56 and took a final lead at 66-64 on an Elias Valtonen 3-pointer, but Spain outscored Finland 18-8 the rest of the way.
Lithuania 88, Italy 64
Marius Grigonis scored 23 points, including six 3-pointers, to help Lithuania beat Italy 88-64 and reach the tournament finals in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Mindaugas Kuzminskas added 14 points for Lithuania, which remains on track to qualify for its first Olympic Games since 2016. Lithuania will face the winner of the match between Puerto Rico and Mexico on Sunday.
Lithuania took control of the game starting in the second quarter and continuing with a 21-4 run into the third quarter to extend their lead to 59-40.
Danilo Gallinari led Italy with 15 points.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-Paris-Olympics
