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 Piraeus, Greece, Olympic qualifying 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.
“Giannis loves to be here. He loves to represent his country,” Greece coach Vassilis Spanoulis said. “He’s very humble. He’s part of the team. For a superstar you don’t find this easy. … He’s about winning.”
The tournament in Greece is one of four that opened Tuesday to 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.
On Wednesday, he didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the strained left calf that caused him to sit out of the Milwaukee Bucks‘ playoff run in April. He got to the rim at will, went 9-of-13 from the free-throw line and knocked down his lone 3-point attempt.
New Zealand 90, Croatia 86
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 90-86 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.
“I think it’s just a gutsy win from our team,” New Zealand captain Reuben Te Rangi said.
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.
Slovenia can make it out of Group A and into the semifinals if they beat New Zealand by 21 points when the teams meet Thursday. If not, New…
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