Paris Olympics: Qualification Scenarios for Luka Doncic’s Slovenia & Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece

Four coveted spots at the Paris Olympics are still on the line. Tournaments are being played across Spain, Latvia, Puerto Rico and Greece. The kingpins of each seal their spot. In the land of Athens, there is potential for both Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo to face off for their country’s dreams of being in the Olympics. However, what surprises are in store after the opening rounds of the qualifiers from Greece?

From Group A, Croatia is the only team to have booked their tickets to the semi-finals. New Zealand and Slovenia will clash today to decide the outcome of the group. Doncic and Co suffered an astonishing upset against the Croatians in their opener which sees them dead last in their group. Tonight’s game against the Kiwis is the one shot at redemption for Luka Doncic and Slovenia.

A lot needs to go their way for them to secure a spot in the semi-finals. First and foremost, it’s of paramount importance that Luka Magic and his men emerge victorious. Within it, there are a few intricacies that will ultimately decide who joins Croatia. According to Diario AS, Slovenia needs to beat New Zealand by 10 or more points to qualify. A narrow margin would mean the Oceania team goes through.

Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t have to battle such odds. In Greece’s first game, the nation’s pride only needed 18 minutes to assert his will over the Dominican Republic. The Greek Freak torched the rivals for 32 points without missing any of his 11 shots in the game. In tonight’s clash against Epgyt, all Greece has to make sure is they don’t lose to top Group B. If they do, there will be a group tie which could further complicate things.

If everything goes in their favor, NBA fans could have a delight awaiting them. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic could potentially face off in the Finals of the qualifiers where a spot at the Paris Olympics will be at stake and the intensity will reach the summit.

Luka Doncic needs to play better

Slovenia’s loss to Croatia was the biggest upset that set Group A to be invigorating right until the end. Luka Doncic posted a 26-point triple-double it paled in front of Dario Saric’s impact-making stat line. Battling through injuries still, the Dallas Mavericks guard found it difficult to make shots, just shooting 35%. Moreover, his net differential was -24.

“I think Croatia played great. They outplayed us. Our defense wasn’t good, so we got to work on our defense, starting with me. We gotta play way better than this, and we gotta play with way better energy,” he said acknowledging his woeful performance.

Croatia returned the favor and held out a fighting chance for Slovenia though. New Zealand pulled off a thrilling comeback in the final seconds to upset Croatia, despite a monster 29 points and 18 rebounds from Ivica Zubac. It reignited the lost hopes of the Slovenians, who will be in spirit for the decider against the Oceania team.

Do you think both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Donic will secure a place in the semi-finals? Let us know what you think in the comments below.