Greece slam dunks China 105-80, ahead of match with Turkey

Greece China 1
  • Winner-take-all game in Canada ends 105-80 to Greeks, who move on to semi-finals and hope of final Tokyo 2020 spot
  • Chinese run of nine straight appearances at Summer Games ends

The Greek Men’s National Basketball Team played a determined and energetic game crushing China  in the group stage of the Canadian Pre-Olympic Tournament, “grabbing” the qualification for the knockouts, where it is called in the first big “final” to challenge Turkey on July 4th.

Kosta Antento
Kostas Antetokounmpo

The representative team comfortably reached the victory with 105-80, for the 3rd and last day of the A ‘phase, “finishing” in the second place of the A’ group with a record of 1-1 and excluding China from the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Even in the absence of Greece’s NBA heavyweights Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, China’s slim hopes of progressing were swiftly extinguished.

Greece established their dominance early, racing to a 28-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Greece closed out the game to win 105-80 with Giannoulis Larentzakis top scoring on 21 points.

Hu Mingxuan top scored for China with 16 points, after impressing against Canada in the 30-point defeat, also adding a team-high five assists.

NBA champion Kostas Antetokounmpo, the younger brother of Giannis and Thanasis, played 13 minutes for Greece.

The trio first played together for Greece at the 2019 Fiba World Cup in China, which is where the hosts failed to qualify as Asia’s top team.
It was 56-32 at the half and even with China outscoring Greece by 27-24 in the third quarter, it was never going to be enough.

Greece will take on Turkey at 4:35 pm PT on Saturday, July 3 for a shot at the finals and a berth in the Tokyo Summer Games 2021.

China has been eliminated from Olympic contention and will miss being part of the men’s basketball competition at the Games for the first time since 1984.

Greece Vs CHina