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