It’s time for the final round of group play in the men’s Olympic basketball tournament, meaning it’s now or never for some of the biggest stars in the sport to keep their countries in the gold-medal hunt. We’ve got four juicy matchups on tap from Pierre Mauroy Stadium, so let’s get to it.
What to watch for in Olympic basketball: Aug. 2
Can Giannis keep Greece alive?
It took a Herculean effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo to get Greece back to the Olympics for the first time since Beijing, and it’ll take something similar — and some help — to keep see it through to the quarterfinals. Despite two massive efforts from its NBA MVP, Greece dropped each of its first two games in Paris against Canada and Spain. Now it’s at the bottom of Group A, and it’ll take a win over Australia (tip at 7:30 a.m. ET) and likely some help to get out of the group.
Greece can’t finish better than third in the group; even with a win, it’ll finish tied on points with Spain, which holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. But there is still a path here: The two best third-place teams also move on to the quarterfinals, and if Greece wins by a big enough margin, its point differential could see it through.
That’ll be easier said than done, though, based on how Greece has looked so far — and based on how tough Australia looks right now with Josh Giddey, Patty Mills and Jock Landale. The Dunkaroos beat Spain before taking Canada to the brink and have a ton of depth and international experience.
SEE MORE: How to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo at the 2024 Paris Olympics
France, Germany battle for Group B
Both France and Germany are assured of a spot in the knockout rounds after starting 2-0, but there’s still plenty on the line here beyond bragging rights. The knockout bracket is selected via a random draw, with two very important exceptions: 1) teams from the same group can’t meet again in the quarterfinal round and 2) the two highest-ranked teams are placed in the same pot and therefore end up on opposite sides of the bracket.
The winner of this game (3:00 p.m. ET) stands a very good chance of winding up as one of the two highest-ranked teams — and therefore winding up on the opposite side of the bracket as the U.S., assuming Team USA handles business against Puerto Rico in its final group game. Neither France nor Germany is likely scared of anyone in this competition, but not having to face the Americans until the gold-medal game is a real bonus.
Victor Wembanyama has been as-advertised in his first Olympics, but France’s offense has struggled for consistency over its first two group Games, and there’s an argument to be made that the Germans have been the more impressive team overall.
SEE MORE: Mind the Gap: Wemby set to enjoy massive size advantage over tournament’s smallest player
Canada looks to stay perfect
The other team in the conversation for highest ranking? Canada, which has built on its bronze-medal momentum from last year’s World Cup en route to gutsy wins over Greece and Australia. The Canadians boast the deepest roster of NBA talent this side of the U.S. and a bona fide superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A win over Spain (tip at 11:15 a.m. ET) would put them in excellent position to avoid Team USA and stamp them as the Americans’ top rival for a fifth straight gold,.
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