Antetokounmpo’s Greece strong in qualifiers
Giannis Antetokounmpo looked like a player intent on leading Greece to its first Olympic berth since 2008.
Antetokounmpo had 32 points in 19 minutes, going 11 of 11 from the field, as Greece rolled to a 109-82 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday in Group B of the Olympic qualifying
Piraeus, Greece, tournament.
Thomas Walkup added 17 points for Greece, which led by as many as 27 and can advance to the semifinal round of the tournament with a victory over Egypt on Thursday.
The tournament in Greece is one of four that will settle the final four spots in the men’s basketball field for the Paris Olympics. Other tournaments are ongoing in Latvia, Puerto Rico and Spain.
Group play at all four sites continues through Thursday, with semifinal games Saturday and the title games Sunday.
An appearance in the Olympics is one of the few things Antetokounmpo has yet to accomplish in his basketball career.
Croatia is advancing in its bid to earn one of the final Olympic berths, but not with the kind of momentum it had hoped.
New Zealand beat Croatia 9086 in Group A in Piraeus. Corey Webster had 21 points and Shea Ili added 18, including a go-ahead layup in the final minute to help New Zealand rally for the win.
Ivica Zubac had 29 points and 16 rebounds, Dario Saric added 19 points and eight rebounds and Mario Hezonja had 16 points for Croatia, which was able to secure a place in the semifinals with the four-point differential. The loss, however, kept NBA star Luka Doncic and Slovenia in contention. (AP)