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2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Giannis, Greece and Doncic, Slovenia to Face-Off in the Semi-Finals
The much-awaited semi-finals event is all set to go down following the conclusion of group stage in Piraeus, Greece
With the group stage contention firmly in the history books, the semifinals of the 2024 OQT are set to begin on July 06. The five-day tournament presented many surprises, tough matchups, and awesome moments leading up to the eventual knockout stage.
Playing on their home turf, Greece will take on Slovenia in a guaranteed nailbiter, featuring two of the biggest names in International Basketball. Both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic have been nothing but sensational in their performances.
The Greek Freak was dominant in the tournament opener against the Dominican Republic, scoring 32 points and two steals in a decisive 109-82 win. Despite Giannis sitting out the next game, the Greeks didn’t miss a beat as they beat Egypt 93-71 on Thursday.
Slovenia had a rough start to their campaign after losing to Croatia but managed to break even after a deserved win over New Zealand. Slovenia needed to win by at least 10 points and more, and Doncic delivered as anticipated, scoring a triple-double 36 points, 11 boards, and 10 assists.
A first-time meeting between two NBA elites
Giannis and Luka have battled it out multiple times on an NBA court but have never managed to go head-to-head in international competitions until now. The two greats are combined for 13 NBA All-Star appearances and 11 All-NBA First team selections.
With bragging rights and the 2024 Olympics qualification at stake, this matchup is building up to be a can't-miss event.
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Greece vs Slovenia preview: Greeks hold the advantage
Hellas (native name for Greece) will look to build pressure through attacking offense and contain Slovenia with alert defense. Besides Giannis, Gregor Hrovat and Kostas Papanikolaou are two standout scoring forwards who can shoot from the field and more than impress from beyond the arc.
Hellas are known for being excellent shot creators, and part of the process of staying consistent with this skill is clever ball movement. In the first two games, the Greeks combined for 31.5 assists (per game), just three better than Slovenia's 28.5 assists.
Furthermore, The Greeks have led the tournament in most key metrics, such as Points per game, field goal percentage, three-point shooting, assists, and steals per game. With that said, no team should be underestimated as upsets in professional sports aren’t uncommon..
Having led the Mavericks to the finals despite health concerns, Doncic is the kind of guy who doesn't believe in giving up. The six-year NBA veteran knows his potential and how much he can push his abilities.
How and when to watch the game?
The game will take place at Peace and Friendship stadium in Athens, Greece. The remaining games of the OQT will be available for streaming on FIBA’s official platform, Courtside 1891.
Tipoff will be on Saturday, July 06 at 10:30 ET, 16:30 CET, and 22:30 PHT.
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