The Greek men's basketball team won 80-69 against Croatia in the final round of the qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics in Piraeus, Greece on the 8th. With the victory, Greece has secured a berth to the Olympic finals, which only took one berth in Greece's regional qualifying round, and is headed to Paris. It is the first time in 16 years that Greece has advanced to the Olympic finals since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After defeating Slovenia, which Luka Doncic is holding out, the team has defeated Croatia, an ambush.
Yannis Antetokounmpo contributed the most to Greece's advance to the Olympic finals. Antetokounmpo, who failed to play in the NBA playoffs due to his calf injury, shook off his injury and performed well at the qualifying tournament. He was also the MVP of Greece's regional qualifying tournament.
Antetokounmpo also had 23 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in the final, recording the highest number of points in his team. Thrilled by his advance to the Olympics, Antetokounmpo even shed tears in front of his son after the game. On top of that, Georgios Papayanis displayed his presence by scoring 19 points including four three-point shots, and Nick Calátez (14 points) displayed stellar performance in the third quarter.
In Croatia, Ivica Zubacic, the main center of the NBA's Clippers, struggled with 19 points and 12 rebounds, but failed to advance to the Olympics. Dario Saric (14 points and 12 rebounds), who played for Golden State last season, also achieved a double-double, but failed to prevent his team from losing.
Greece ended the first quarter tied at 22-22, but the gap widened in earnest from the second quarter. Papayanis and Vasilye Toliofulos scored three-pointers to beat Croatia. Antetokounmpo stopped following suit at the end of the first half, and Greece ended the second quarter 45-39 with Kostas Papanikolou's three-pointer.
The outcome was decided in the third quarter. Croatia was chased by Saric and Zubacic early in the third quarter, but Greece defended its lead by Nick Calátez. Calátez scored 11 points in the third quarter alone, including two 3-pointers. Greece, which gained momentum, took a break and added Antetokounmpo, who came out again, to end the third quarter with a score of 66-53. 동행복권파워볼
There was no reversal in the fourth quarter, either. With double-digit score gaps maintained, Antetokounmpo started to clear up the situation after the middle of the fourth quarter. Greece, which maintained its lead, eventually won the ticket to the Olympics on its home turf. Greece will have a showdown with Australia, copyright, and Spain in Group A of the men's basketball team at the Paris Olympics.