Six of the eight quarterfinalists have been set for the lads’s basketball event on the Paris Olympics, with three groups nonetheless in rivalry for the ultimate two spots and the opposite three groups not within the combine.
The U.S., Germany, and Canada are the group winners, whereas Australia and France have secured top-two seeds of their respective teams and Brazil has clinched one of many two wild-card spots reserved for third-place groups.
The end result of the Serbia/South Sudan recreation on Saturday will decide the final two quarterfinalists. If Serbia wins by three or extra factors, Serbia and Greece will advance to the single-elimination spherical. If South Sudan beats Serbia or loses by only one or two factors, they’ll advance, virtually definitely with Serbia. The one situation by which Serbia can be eradicated (in favor of South Sudan and Greece) is that if South Sudan wins Saturday’s contest by 24 or extra factors.
Puerto Rico, Japan, and Spain have been eradicated from medal rivalry.
Listed here are a couple of extra gadgets of curiosity from the Olympics:
- Successful Saturday’s recreation towards Puerto Rico by at the least 5 factors would guarantee Crew USA of ending pool play because the top-seeded staff, probably making a extra favorable path to the medal spherical. That’s a precedence, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed on Friday, in line with Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. “We wish the No. 1 seed,” Kerr mentioned. “It provides you the most effective matchup within the quarterfinals. So if we drop down to 2 or three — which I feel is unlikely, however we’ve received to maintain our enterprise — we presumably have a a lot harder opponent.”
- Veteran guard Jrue Vacation might return to the U.S. beginning lineup on Saturday, however he’ll must be cleared to play first. Based on Windhorst, Vacation sustained a minor ankle damage in Wednesday’s recreation vs. South Sudan and is taken into account questionable for Saturday’s contest.
- Kevin Durant has led Crew USA in scoring (37 factors) and plus-minus (+46) by way of two video games, however he’s comfy with persevering with to come back off the bench if that’s what Kerr prefers, Windhorst writes in a separate ESPN.com story. “It’s basketball, it actually doesn’t matter who begins,” Durant mentioned. “It’s about actually who completed the sport, who put their impression on the sport whereas they’re within the recreation. So I simply attempt to do my greatest to impression it any manner I can.”
- Though the Greek nationwide staff went simply 1-2 in pool play and is in peril of being eradicated earlier than the quarterfinals, Giannis Antetokounmpo is savoring his first Olympic expertise, which included serving as Greece’s flag-bearer, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I’d win one other championship (within the NBA). I’d win one other MVP. Who is aware of?” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “However I’d by no means carry the flag once more.”
