Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, shoots from the ground as Spain’s Alex Abrines, higher proper, and Spain’s Santi Aldama defend throughout a males’s basketball recreation on the 2024 Summer time Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (Gregory Shamus/Pool Picture through AP)
Santi Aldama had 19 factors and 12 rebounds and Spain defeated Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece to earn its first victory of the Paris Olympics males’s basketball and stay in rivalry to advance to the knockout spherical.
Sergio Llull completed with 13 factors. Spain improved to 1-1 in Group A with one group-stage recreation left to play in opposition to Canada.
Antetokounmpo had 27 factors and 11 rebounds.
After shedding their opening video games on Saturday, Greece and Spain each got here out basically enjoying for his or her event lives, with the loser dealing with a must-win situation on Friday — and sure a lot of assist — to have any probability of advancing.
READ: Paris Olympics: Canada holds off Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece
That group is now Greece, which is able to meet Australia in its closing probability to earn a victory earlier than 4 groups’ medal hopes finish.
Greece lower what had been a 14-point halftime deficit to a degree early within the fourth quarter.
It then tied it at 71 on an emphatic, driving left-handed dunk by Antetokounmpo over Aldama, whom he’d been jostling with all through the sport.
SCHEDULE: Males’s basketball at Paris Olympics 2024
However Aldama responded on the opposite finish with a driving layup and Spain steadied over the subsequent jiffy, scoring the subsequent eight factors.
“It’s robust with a man like him to make the defensive play,” Aldama stated. “You’ll be able to both make the defensive play or attempt to block the shot. … I attempted, received posturized, however subsequent play.”
Greece pulled again to inside 80-77 with 59 seconds left, however Antetokounmpo had a 3-pointer from the highest of the important thing bounce off the rim.
Spain does have an enormous well being concern going ahead after Rudy Fernandez left late within the fourth quarter after a collision underneath the basket and was helped by trainers to the locker room.
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