Greece in do-or-die game
Greece’s basketball team will take on Australia on Friday in a do-or-die game. With Greece now 0-2 in the Olympic Basketball Tournament, a victory over the Boomers is critical to their chances of reaching the quarterfinals.
There are three scenarios that would advance Greece to the Olympic quarterfinals, two of which are directly related to the outcomes of other teams. The first scenario is Greece beating Australia by up to 2 points and Spain beating Canada. This means Greece will finish third, along with Australia, and hope to qualify as one of the tournament’s two best third-placed teams. The second sees Greece edging Australia by 3 to 9 points and Canada beating Spain. In this case, Greece will finish third in a tie with Australia and Spain, hoping to advance as one of the tournament’s two best third-place teams.
The third scenario entails Greece beating Australia by 10 or more points and Canada overcoming Spain. Greece will finish second in a three-way tie with Australia and Spain.
Following the group stage, a draw will determine the pairings in the quarterfinal stage, with the eight teams separated into four groups based on their performance in the first three games of the competition.
Meanwhile there was good news for Greece on Thursday as point guard Nick Calathes recovered from the injury he sustained in the loss to Spain, and will be available against the Aussies.
