Piraeus, Greece – July 07, 2024 – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece are one step closer to the Paris Olympics after dismantling Luka Doncic and Slovenia 96-68 in a dominant semifinal victory at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
While Antetokounmpo contributed 13 points and 4 rebounds in just 21 minutes, it was a complete team effort that propelled Greece to the final. Thomas Walkup led the scoring with 19 points, while Vasileios Toliopoulos added 14.
Giannis Leads Greece Past Doncic, Slovenia in Dominant Performance to Reach Olympic Qualifying Final 3 The matchup marked the first time NBA superstars Antetokounmpo and Doncic faced off in their senior national team careers. However, the Greek defense stifled Doncic, forcing him into 10 turnovers despite his 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.
“They played way better than us. They were way more aggressive,” Doncic admitted. “They have an amazing team. Obviously, they have Giannis. But other pieces are very important for them, too. And they’re very well-coached. … They outplayed us today.”
Walkup echoed the importance of teamwork, stating, “Since coach (Vassilis) Spanoulis took this whole deal over, it’s been one goal and that’s to get to the Olympics. We’re one game away from it. We have to stay humble and focused.”
Greece will now face the winner of the Dominican Republic and Croatia on Sunday, July 9th, with a coveted Olympic berth on the line.