By William Imbo
Basketball
After a week of intense basketball around the world, we now know the teams who will complete the men's field at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The 2024 FIBA men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQTs) finals, taking place in Greece, Latvia, Puerto Rico and Spain on Sunday (7 July), saw the remaining eight teams vie for the final four spots at Paris 2024.
Find all the details of each final, tournament winners, and the Paris 2024 groups they'll be joining below.
- FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Full schedule, results, standings and scores
FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Latvia: Latvia 69 - 94 Brazil
Brazil return to Olympic competition in emphatic fashion after missing the Games in Tokyo three years ago.
Despite the presence of a passionate home crowd in Riga, Brazil jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, and finished the first quarter in dominant form, pushing the lead to 34-11. Latvia, who were seeking their first ever apperance at the Olympic Games, pulled within 14 late in the second quarter.
But they would get no closer as Brazil extended their advantage to 26 by the end of the third quarter, with the final score resulting in a 94-69 win for Brazil and a ticket to the Olympic Games. Leo Meindl led all players with 20 points and 9 rebounds.
Brazil will join Japan, 2023 World Cup winners Germany, and Tokyo 2020 silver medallists and hosts France in Group B at Paris 2024.
See you in Paris! 🇧🇷#FIBAOQT x #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/WxRbdNuIqF
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 7, 2024
FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Greece: Greece 80-69 Croatia
Greece overcame a dogged Croatian team on Saturday evening, pulling away late in the fourth quarter to win 80-69. The icing on the cake came with 33 seconds left when Giannis Antetokounmpo banked in a three-pointer.
Hellas' win was a real team effort, as three players finished in double figures. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the high scorer with 23, while Georgios Papagiannis had 19. Ivica Zubac led Croatia with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Speaking at a press conference after the game, Antetokounmpo stated, "We knew that we had the opportunity to [do] something that we haven’t done for a lot of years. We had the opportunity to do it in our house, and I think the whole team, the coaching staff, the players, everybody, was extremely focused."
He added, “We came in every game, you know, we knew that we had four finals to play and I think from game one on Monday evening [whether] we played a very good team, or a not so good team, we were focusing on ourselves, and I’m so happy [with] how the games went so far, and [that] we took our ticket to the Olympic Games.”
Greece qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time since Beijing 2008, when they finished 5th. They'll join Tokyo 2020 bronze medalists Australia, 2023 World Cup third-place game winners Canada, and fellow OQT winners Spain in group A at Paris 2024.
FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Puerto Rico: Lithuania 68-79 Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico delighted home fans with a victory over Lithuania in San Juan, securing the final basketball quota for Paris 2024.
Lithuania held Puerto Rico to a tie through the first quarter, but gradually let the game slip through their grasp. A slew of missed scoring opportunities, coupled with stronger play across the board from Puerto Rico, was ultimately enough to send the Caribbean island back to the Olympic Games for the first time since Athens 2004.
Jose Alvarado led the team during their match with Lithuania, scoring 23 points and securing six rebounds.
He told reporters, “Obviously, you know, this game is very important for us and the island, but we knew it was more than just basketball. We knew how great we had to be to represent this island, and the love they gave us was amazing.”
“We just want to do as best as we can for them,” added Alvarado.
Puerto Rico will play in group C at Paris 2024, where they will face South Sudan, 2023 World Cup runner-up Serbia and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions United States of America.
FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Spain: Spain 86-78 Bahamas
Spain saw off a valiant challenge from The Bahamas to qualify for their seventh consecutive Olympic appearance, with four players posting doubt-digit scores.
Lorenzo Brown led the scoring with 18 points, including four three-pointers, while Santiago Aldama and Willy Hernangomez combined for 14 rebounds, seven a-piece.
The Bahamas were led by strong performances from Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton. Hield posted 19 points, while Ayton posted 17 points and 14 rebounds.
The game was tied after the first quarter, but a superb second quarter saw Spain enter halftime with an eight point lead at 42-34. Spain would hold on to their lead through the next half to win 86-78.
They’ll join Australia, Canada and Greece in group A of the Paris 2024 men’s basketball tournament.
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