With the group stage well underway, today brought a battle between two strong teams. It was Team Greece vs. Team Australia in what ended up being a battle in the fourth quarter. The game ended with a 77-71 win for Greece, but this score doesn’t tell the full story. Looking at the points scored in each quarter, Australia only lost due to the abysmal showing in the second. They actually outscored Greece in the third and the fourth, only being down one point in the first. The Aussies should have taken this one, but second-quarter woes put a halt to their success.
Team Greece’s Reliable Duo
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Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thomas Walkup were the stars of this game and the reason they came away with the win. The Greek Freak finished with 20 points, two steals, six assists, and seven rebounds. He is the reason Greece’s basketball team made the Olympics for the first time since 2008. As of this moment he is averaging 27.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game to push his team forward.
Thomas Walkup isn’t as big of a force as Antetokounmpo, but in this game, he dug deep, giving them 18 points, one block, two steals, three assists, and two rebounds. Walkup went 4-7 from three and 7-14 from the field and was a major provider in the first. Walkup is averaging 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
The Greek Freak and Walkup were a spark for the starting five as the rest struggled to get going scoring-wise. In their last game against Spain they lost 77-84 and Antetokounmpo was the only starter who scored over ten points with 27. It was bench player Vasilis Toliopoulos falling behind him with 14 points. It seems like every game, it’s up to the All-Star center and one random teammate to get things rolling. This is not a sustainable way to win.
Team Australia Struggling in Group A
As of right now, the Boomers and Team Greece both share 1-2 records causing them to trail behind the 2-0 Team Canada. Spain will most likely join them in the 1-2 record category as they face Canada today. They lost to the Great White North 83-93 despite the good showing from Josh Giddey and Jock Landale. The overwhelming force of Canada’s starting five shut them down quickly.
It doesn’t look like the Aussies will do well outside of their group either. Team USA has had some slip-ups but remains at 2-0. France and Germany have also both been machines with 2-0 records. Canada is built to face these teams, Australia could do damage, but surviving would be difficult. They’re relying heavily on Landale and Giddey as Patty Mills has had some not so great games.
Both Teams in Jeopardy
With Greece winning this game, it muddles up the standings. This was the final game for both teams in the group stage and only two teams can advance. Canada will solidify their advancement with a win against Spain. This win will also cause the advancement of Team Australia due to point differential.
Greece put up a great fight and Antetokounmpo did everything he could to deliver for his team. It probably won’t be enough though. Greece built their team around the Greek Freak, and didn’t give him enough pieces to truly contend this year. They, like Team Australia, would most likely be taken down quickly in the knockouts. All fans can do is wait for the final buzzer in the Team Spain vs. Team Canada match to find out who is moving forward.
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