Luka Doncic and his Slovenian team advanced to the semifinals of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Piraeus, Greece, after a commanding performance where Doncic contributed 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in Slovenia’s 104-78 victory over New Zealand on Thursday. This win ensured Slovenia’s place in the semifinals, as they needed to secure a victory by at least 10 points.
The upcoming semifinal showdown will feature Slovenia against Greece, setting the stage for a clash between NBA stars Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The winner of this highly anticipated matchup will progress to the final on Sunday, with an opportunity to secure a spot in the Paris Olympics, while the defeated team will be eliminated from the tournament.
Josh Nebo played a significant role for Slovenia with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Shea Ili led New Zealand’s efforts with 28 points.
Across other venues, the semifinal matchups scheduled for Saturday are as follows:
– In Valencia, Spain: Finland vs. Spain; Bahamas vs. Lebanon.
– In Piraeus, Greece: Slovenia vs. Greece; Croatia vs. Dominican Republic.
– In Riga, Latvia: Brazil vs. Philippines; Cameroon vs. Latvia.
– In San Juan, Puerto Rico: Lithuania vs. Italy; Puerto Rico vs. Mexico.
Each venue will host its finals on Sunday, with the winners of those matches earning their tickets to the Paris Olympics.
Despite a narrow 96-94 loss to Georgia, the Philippines managed to advance to the semifinals of their tournament in Riga, Latvia, due to favorable circumstances. This unexpected progression led to logistical adjustments as the team had flights scheduled for Friday.
Philippines coach Tim Cone expressed surprise and optimism despite the loss, stating, “I guess we’re going to have to move them back a little bit. That’s how surprised we are to be here and talking to you guys. It’s the first time I’ve felt good about losing.”
Georgia needed to achieve a victory margin of at least 19 points to have a chance of advancing. Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 26 points, supported by Goga Bitadze’s 21 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Brownlee was the top performer for the Philippines with 28 points, along with eight rebounds and eight assists.
In a closely contested match, Finland rallied from a 12-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to secure an 89-88 victory over Poland, keeping their Olympic aspirations alive and advancing to the semifinals. Mikael Jantunen led Finland with 20 points, complemented by Alexander Madsen’s 18 points, as the duo combined to shoot an impressive 12 for 13 from the field. A.J. Slaughter and Jeremy Sochan contributed 21 and 20 points respectively for Poland, which was subsequently eliminated.
Greece comfortably secured their spot in the semifinals with a 93-71 victory over Egypt at Piraeus, where Giannis Antetokounmpo was rested for the match. Konstantinos Mitoglou and Georgios Papagiannis both scored 16 points for Greece, while Kostas Popanikolaou added 15 points. Ahmed Metwaly led Egypt with 22 points in a losing effort.
Cameroon clinched their semifinal berth in Riga with a hard-fought 77-74 win over Brazil, a result that ensured their progression while Brazil, despite losing, advanced from their group. Jeremiah Hill led Cameroon with 22 points, while Leo Meindl paced Brazil with 19 points. Brazil’s scenario was influenced by the dynamics of their group standings, where any loss by 15 points or more could have seen them eliminated in favor of Montenegro.
Lebanon overcame Angola 74-70 in Valencia to advance to the semifinals, with Omari Spellman’s 22 points and 13 rebounds playing a crucial role in their victory. Lebanon’s Karim Zeinoun contributed 15 points, including a pivotal 7-0 scoring run early in the fourth quarter that shifted the game in their favor. Angola’s Gerson Goncalves and Bruno Fernando combined for 25 points in a losing effort, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.
In San Juan, Mexico erased a nine-point deficit in the second half to defeat Ivory Coast 92-81 and secure their place in the semifinals. Paul Stoll led Mexico with 23 points and 11 assists, supported by Joshua Ibarra’s 22 points and 11 rebounds. Ivory Coast’s Nisre Zouzoua and Vafessa Fofana each contributed 16 points in the losing effort.
Puerto Rico outclassed Italy 80-69 in San Juan behind Jose Alvarado’s 29 points and George Conditt IV’s 15 points, dominating the second half with a 45-29 scoring run. Danilo Gallinari led Italy with 14 points, but their efforts fell short as they were outplayed after halftime.
Overall, the Olympic qualifying tournaments have showcased intense competition and unexpected outcomes, setting the stage for thrilling semifinal and final matchups that will determine which teams earn coveted spots in the Paris Olympics.
