Giannis Leads Greece to Crucial Victory Over Australia
In a pivotal Olympic basketball matchup, Greece secured a crucial 77-71 victory over Australia, keeping their quarterfinal hopes alive. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team’s star player, played a significant role in the win, emphasizing the team’s determination and resilience.
“We didn’t want to leave this tournament without getting a win,” Antetokounmpo stated post-game. “We felt like we had a very good team to not get the win. And we competed. We fought for all three games. And I think this has been a game that we had to fight for until the end.”
Greece, entering the day 0-2 in Group A play, needed to win by 10 or more points and for Canada to defeat Spain to secure advancement to next week’s knockout stage in Paris. Though Greece’s six-point victory fell short of the 10-point mark, a Canada win against Spain later in the day could still enable Greece to advance as one of the best third-place teams.
Australia, after trailing by 19 points, staged a comeback to close the gap to 71-69 with less than three minutes remaining. However, critical plays by Antetokounmpo, including a key assist to Vasilis Toliopoulos for a 3-pointer, and another 3-pointer by Thomas Walkup with just over a minute left, sealed the win for Greece.
Patty Mills, a standout for Australia, drew an offensive foul on Antetokounmpo but couldn’t capitalize as Australia turned the ball over on their next possession. Despite Dyson Daniels’ brief injury scare and subsequent return, Australia couldn’t overcome Greece’s late-game surge.
With this win, Greece remains in contention, depending on the outcome of the Canada-Spain game. Australia can also advance if Canada prevails over Spain. The dynamic in Group A remains tense as teams vie for the final spots in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics.
