Welcome to Digits Sports’ coverage of the FIBA Olympic Qualifier Tournaments. Each day, there will be game summaries and analysis of all games.

Riga, Latvia Venue

Brazil vs. Montenegro

• Score: Brazil 80 - 72 Montenegro

Brazil’s notable performers:

• Bruno Caboclo: 25 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 12-16 FG

• Marcelinho Huertas: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 8-15 FG

• Gui Santos: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3-5 FG

Montenegro’s notable performers:

• Nikola Vucevic: 17 points, 13 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 7-14 FG

• Marko Simonovic: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-15 FG

• Kendrick Perry: 11 points, 3 assists, 4-18 FG

Brazil’s slow, sloppy start on both ends — including unnecessary turnovers and bad defensive rotations — led them to a 23-15 deficit at the end of the first quarter, and Montenegro soon extended the lead up to 13 a few minutes into the second quarter.

Montenegro was firing on all cylinders. Nikola Vuevic was getting whatever he wanted, scoring eight 1st quarter points, and it seemed like everybody on the team was finding holes in the defense and getting to drive and kicks.

Brazil stayed in it, largely due to Bruno Caboclo’s two-way play and Marcelinho Huertas’ scoring production against Montenegro’s lackluster pick & roll defense. Star guard Yago Santos only played 17 minutes and had four points due to injury, but Brazil still found its way to victory. Leo Meindl and Lucas Dias both contributed two late threes that helped Brazil pull away.

Montenegro’s offense slowed down significantly in the second half due to Brazil’s defense level stepping up. The Europeans’ top guard Kendrick Perry’s great start soon became a disasterclass, as he concluded the game shooting 4-18 from the field. Role players such as Marko Simonovic, Petar Popovic, and Dino Radoncic all did their jobs, and the team will be the favorite in their next game against Cameroon.

Huertas’ dagger led Brazil to victory.

Georgia vs. Latvia

• Score: Georgia 55 - 83 Latvia

Georgia’s notable performers:

• Sandro Mamukelashvili: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 6-12 FG

• Goga Bitadze: 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2-2 FG

Latvia’s notable performers:

• Arturs Strautins: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 5-5 FG, 4-4 3PT

• Mareks Mejeris: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5-5 FG

• Arturs Zagars: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 3-7 FG
  

Latvia was the story of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, as in their debut at the flagship event, they finished 5th whale knocking off powerhouses such as France and Spain. Now, they are hosting an OQT and have continued their dominance with nearly a 30 point victory over Georgia.

By halftime, Latvia already found themselves with a 45-24 lead, powered by a 28 point second quarter. Georgia surely cannot be happy with this result, as they found major struggles on the offensive end, especially after their surprising 16th place finish at last year’s World Cup.

For Latvia’s run in the World Cup last year, it was due to their massive team effort. So many players could do so many things for them, which made them so great. That was the theme of today’s game as well. Two players who were not major contributors at last year’s World Cup combined for 29 points on 100% shooting, which just personifies this Northern European squad. Surely, playing in front of their home crowd was a part of their dominance today.

Luckily for Georgia, they probably cannot play much worse. They shot 25% from beyond the arc and had 16 turnovers. Undeniably, it was a rough showing all around. They now focus their attention to the Philippines, who they will be favored against. It becomes a must-win game to find themselves in the semifinals, however.

Standings:

Group A:

1. Latvia: 1-0

2. Georgia: 0-1

3. Philippines: 0-0

Group B:

1. Brazil: 1-0

2. Montengro: 0-1

3. Cameroon: 0-0

Riga OQT MVP Ladder

1. Bruno Caboclo - Brazil

2. Arturs Strautins - Latvia

3. Marcelinho Huertas - Brazil

4. Mareks Mejeris - Latvia

5. Nikola Vucevic - Montenegro

Riga OQT Leading Scorers

1. Bruno Caboclo: 25.0 (Brazil)

2. Arturs Strautins: 18.0 (Latvia)

3. Marcelinho Huertas: 17.0 (Brazil)

4. Nikola Vucevic: 17.0 (Montenegro)

5. Marko Simonovic: 15.0 (Montenegro)

Piraeus, Greece Venue

Egypt vs. Dominican Republic

• Score: Egypt 77 - 90 Dominican Republic

Egypt’s notable performers:

• Ahmed Metwaly: 24 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, 8-13 FG, 4-9 3PT

• Khaled Abdelgawad: 10 minutes, 14 points, 4-4 FG, 7-9 FT

• Anas Mahmoud: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-9 FG

Dominican Republic’s notable performers:

• Jean Montero: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 8-17 FG

• Chris Duarte: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6-15 FG

• Angel Nunez: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 4-8 FG

• Victor Liz: 12 points, 3-6 FG

The Dominican Republic found themselves in a hole at the end of the first quarter, having fallen behind 22-16. They soon showed that the early deficit did not matter despite missing Karl-Anthony Towns, the country’s best player who played in the FIBA World Cup last summer.

A 27-9 second half led the Americans to a 43-31 halftime lead. The Dominicans started the second half on a 7-0 run, signaling that the game would be all but over. The fast tempo and strong defense of the Dominican Republic was overpowering against the Africans. Egypt was able to make it somewhat of a game, winning the fourth quarter 29-22.

The strong guard play from the Dominicans came up huge in this game. When they face Greece as their next game, they are going to need a similar level of play. Jean Montero, Chris Duarte, Victor Liz, and Andres Feliz combined for 52 of the team’s points and consistently got downhill to create opportunities for themselves and others.

Egypt, too, was missing some of its top players from last summer’s FIBA World Cup, making this game even tougher for them. Their next game will be against Greece, where they are surely heavy underdogs. It is likely that game against Greece will be their last game of this summer, but they surely will go out there and fight for all 40 minutes like they did in this game.

Slovenia vs. Croatia

• Score: Slovenia 92 - 108 Croatia

Slovenia’s notable performers:

• Luka Doncic: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 8-23 FG, 0-9 3PT

• Klemen Prepelic: 19 points, 2 assists, 5-12 FG, 4-11 3PT

• Josh Nebo: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 5-8 FG

• Vlatko Cancar: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3-7 FG

Croatia’s notable performers:

• Dario Saric: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 7-14 FG

• Goran Filipovic: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 7-9 FG, 6-7 3PT

• Ivica Zubac: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-11 FG

• Danko Brankovic: 15 points, 2 steals, 7-7 FG

• Mario Hezonja: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 5-15 FG

Slovenia came out sluggish, and they were unable to overcome the first quarter hole that they fell into. The first quarter ended 31-16 in Croatia’s favor, and Luka Doncic started the game shooting 1-9.

Croatia eventually got the lead up to 29 points in an absolutely dominant display of basketball. They drained 46% of their triples for the game, but perhaps more impressively, they rained down 39 points on Slovenia in the third quarter, officially putting a cap on the game. Croatia got here the hard way, as rather than qualifying for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament from the 2023 FIBA World Cup, they came through the Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments held last summer.

Croatia was clicking on all cylinders to start the game. Goran Filipovic was hitting threes from the get go, while Dario Saric and Ivica Zubac were getting baskets on the interior immediately. Combine this with a slow Doncic start, and it was difficult for Slovenia to find any momentum to find a way to win. Saric finished with a triple double.

Doncic, too, found his way to a triple double despite a bad start. His efficiency also was not ideal. Klemen Prepelic came off the bench and added 19 points as a dynamic scoring option. Slovenia will enter its next game against New Zealand as a favorite in what has now become a must-win game.

Standings:

Group A:

1. Croatia: 1-0

2. Slovenia: 0-1

3. New Zealand: 0-0

Group B:

1. Dominican Republic: 1-0

2. Egypt: 0-1

3. Greece: 0-0
   

Piraeus OQT MVP Ladder

1. Dario Saric - Croatia

2. Goran Filipovic - Croatia

3. Luka Doncic - Slovenia

4. Jean Montero - Dominican Republic

5. Ivica Zubac - Croatia

Piraeus OQT Leading Scorers

1. Luka Doncic: 26.0 (Slovenia)

2. Ahmed Metwaly: 24.0 (Egypt)

3. Goran Filipovic: 21.0 (Croatia)

4. Dario Saric: 19.0 (Croatia)

5. Klemen Prepelic: 19.0 (Slovenia)
   

Valencia, Spain Venue

Finland vs. Bahamas

• Score: Finland 85 - 96 Bahamas

Finland’s notable performers:

• Mikael Jantunen: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-12 FG, 5-8 3PT

• Edon Maxhuni: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-9 FG, 4-6 3PT

• Elias Valtonen: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5-10 FG, 3-6 3PT

Bahamas’ notable performers:

• Buddy Hield: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 7-16 FG, 6-12 3PT 

• Deandre Ayton: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 8-12 FG

• V. J. Edgecombe: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 7-11 FG

• Eric Gordon: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4-10 FG

This game was a whole lot of offense, as the teams combined to shoot nearly 40% from beyond the arc with a total of four 20 point scorers. This up tempo, high scoring game provided loads of entertainment despite Finland missing Lauri Markkanen.

At halftime, Finland was edging the Bahamas 54-47, and early in the third quarter, Finland’s lead balooned up to 13. The Bahamas stayed resilient and started to tighten up on defense, only allowing 13 points in the third quarter, which led them to victory.

Their Big Three of NBA players — Deadnre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon — all showed up huge for the Americans. Five-star recruit and Baylor commit V.J. Edgecombe also played a great game, scoring 20 points in his national team debut. From the rest of the team, the Bahamians got just enough to beat Finland.

Finland, despite the loss, played a great game, especially in that first half. They drained 13 threes and had two players exceed 20 points. With Lauri Markkanen’s absence and Sasu Salin’s injury (who were Finland’s top two scorers at last year’s World Cup), they saw multiple players step up, undoubtedly a good sign for the future of the federation.

Lebanon vs. Spain

• Lebanon 59 - 104 Spain

Lebanon’s notable performers:

• Youssef Khayat: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 8-14 FG

• Omari Spellman: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4-11 FG

• Sergio El Darwich: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-12 FG

Spain’s notable performers:

• Usman Garuba: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 7-9 FG 

• Santi Aldama: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 6-13 FG

• Jaime Pradilla: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 5-6 FG

Lebanon never stood a chance against the basketball powerhouse that is Spain. They were expected to lose by approximately 30 points, but Spain made them lose by 45. La Familia didn’t allow more than 18 points in a quarter and scored at least 24 points in each quarter.

It was pure dominance by Spain, who finished 9th in last year’s World Cup. It was their worst finish since 1994, as their standard for basketball has always been among the highest of all countries. With that said, this 45-point victory has to be promising for their hopes to return to their seventh consecutive Olympics.

This Spanish team is a mixing of generations. Veterans and multi-time medalists Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull join players such as Usman Garuba, Santi Aldama, Jaime Pradilla, and Juan Nunez in what might be their last harrah in the red and yellow.

Lebanon likely look forward to their next game against Angola as slight underdogs, but given how close it is expected to be, they will not see themselves in this light. It will probably be a win-or-go-home game, as the winner will book a spot in the semifinals of the tournament. It’s best if they put this result behind them and prepare for a huge game.

Standings:

Group A:

1. Spain: 1-0

2. Lebanon: 0-1

3. Angola: 0-0

Group B:

1. Bahamas: 1-0

2. Finland: 0-1

3. Poland: 0-0
   

Valencia OQT MVP Ladder

1. Buddy Hield - Bahamas

2. Deandre Ayton - Bahamas

3. Usman Garuba - Spain

4. Santi Aldama - Spain

5. V. J. Edgecombe - Bahamas
   

Valencia OQT Leading Scorers

1. Buddy Hield: 24.0 (Bahamas)

2. V. J. Edgecombe: 20.0 (Bahamas)

3. Mikael Jantunen: 20.0 (Finland)

4. Edon Maxhuni: 20.0 (Finland)

5. Youssef Khayat: 20.0 (Lebanon)
   

San Juan, Puerto Rico Venue

Italy vs. Bahrain

• Score: Italy 114 - 53 Bahrain

Italy’s notable performers:

• Nicolo Melli: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 6-7 FG

• Danilo Gallinari: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-6 FG

• Achille Polonara: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 5-11 FG

• Nico Mannion: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 4-7 FG

Bahrain’s notable performers:

• Ahmed Haji: 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 4-14 FG

• Mohammed Hamoda: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-6 FG

• Zee Hamoda: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3-8 FG

This game was the largest margin of victory in modern Olympic Qualifying Tournament game history. The 61 point win was pure dominanceby the Italians from start to end, showing no mercy to the clearly inferior Bahrain squad.

Italy is looking to make the Olympics via an OQT for the second straight cycle, and the team couldn’t ask for a better start to the campaign. Although they only had a 19-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, Italy put its foot on the gas and won each quarter by at least 10 points. Italy’s fourth quarter was more absurd than the other three, outsourcing Bahrain 38-11.

Italy had a total of seven players score in double figures and drained 41% of their threes. They only had seven turnovers in contrast to their 39 assists. It was as perfect of an all-around, team-orientated game that Italian fans could ask for.

Bahrain had an incredible run to make their way into the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. They came through the Asia Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in a complete shock. Unfortunately, it appears that they are not ready to compete with the best of the best. They will be underdogs against Puerto Rico tomorrow, which will likely be their last game of the summer. Regardless, making it here is a success in itself.

Mexico vs. Lithuania

• Score: Mexico 84 - 96 Lithuania

Mexico’s notable performers:

• Joshua Ibarra: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-14 FG

• Gabriel Giron: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-10 FG

• Fabian Jaimes: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 6-9 FG

• Paul Stoll: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 12 assists, 2-8 FG

Lithuania’s notable performers:

• Marius Grigonis: 21 points, 2 steals, 8-13 FG, 4-7 3PT

• Tadas Sedekerskis: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-5 FG

• Domantas Sabonis: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 6-9 FG

Mexico’s rotation doesn’t go very deep, but their top players were able to keep Mexico in this game for the first half. In fact, Mexico found themselves up 9-0 to start the game and only down five at halftime. However, the third quarter soon shifted the tide for Lithuania.

They improved on both ends, getting out in transition and getting easy baskets. In the third quarter, Lithuania outscored Mexico 34-17. Although the third did not go how Mexico envisioned, their play in the first half and fourth quarter (where they outscored Lithuania 23-13) should be encouraging for their incoming game against Ivory Coast, a must-win game.

All of Mexico’s starters produced to the point where they should likely be considered favorites over Ivory Coast. Joshua Ibarra did a good job against Domantas Sabonis. Gabriel Giron and Fabian Jaimes did their job as scorers, while Paul Stoll continued his job as the Mexican team’s ball-handler and playmaker.

Lithuania’s third quarter should be encouraging, but they were underwhelming in the other quarters. They are likely going to need Domantas Sabonis to play better, but they still have to love scoring 96 points despite not a great game from their star.

Standings:

Group A:

1. Lithuania: 1-0

2. Mexico: 0-1

3. Ivory Coast: 0-0

Group B:

1. Italy: 1-0

2. Bahrain: 0-1

3. Puerto Rico: 0-0

San Juan OQT MVP Ladder

1. Marius Grigonis - Lithuania

2. Nicolo Melli - Italy

3. Danilo Gallinari - Italy

4. Achille Polanara - Italy

5. Nico Mannion - Italy
   

San Juan OQT Leading Scorers

1. Marius Grigonis: 21.0 (Lithuania)

2. Joshua Ibarra: 18.0 (Mexico)

3. Gabriel Giron: 15.0 (Mexico)

4. Nicolo Melli: 14.0 (Italy)

5. Danilo Gallinari: 14.0 (Italy)
   
   

Across the OQTs

MVP Ladder

1. Bruno Caboclo - Brazil

2. Dario Saric - Croatia

3. Goran Filipovic - Croatia

4. Buddy Hield - Bahamas

5. Luka Doncic - Slovenia

6. Deandre Ayton - Bahamas

7. Usman Garuba - Spain

8. Arturs Strautins - Latvia

9. Marius Grigonis - Lithuania

10. Santi Aldama - Spain

Leading Scorers

1. Luka Doncic: 26.0 (Slovenia)

2. Bruno Caboclo: 25.0 (Brazil)

3. Buddy Hield: 24.0 (Bahamas)

4. Ahmed Metwaly: 24.0 (Egypt)

5. Goran Filipovic: 21.0 (Croatia)

6. Marius Grigonis: 21.0 (Lithuania)

7. V. J. Edgecombe: 20.0 (Bahamas)

8. Mikael Jantunen: 20.0 (Finland)

9. Edon Maxhuni: 20.0 (Finland)

10. Youssef Khayat: 20.0 (Lebanon)

Storylines of the Day

1. Piraeus is the most entertaining venue: Man, is Piraeus just great. Look at the teams present. You have Croatia’s three-headed monster of Ivica Zubac, Dario Saric, and Mario Hezonja with lots of shooting. Dominican Republic plays through its fast, fun guards, and that’s before mentioning that Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are in that tournament. New Zealand is yet to play, but they are never an easy out either. Watching this tournament play out is going to be absolutely incredible.

2. Group B of Valencia is awesome: Perhaps the best singular group in any OQT is Group B in Valencia: Bahamas, Finland, and Poland. Bahamas and Finland was an absolute blast to watch, and it is expected that each remaining game in this group will be the same. NBA players Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon suited up for the second straight summer for the Bahamas, and they were joined by an array of young talent and fun players. Finland, despite not having Lauri Markkanen, went down fighting against the Bahamas, and had many players step up to the challenge. Poland will play tomorrow agains the Bahamas, and when at their best, they’re elite. Jeremy Sochan will join an elite core that finished 4th in 2022 EuroBasket and 8th in the 2019 World Cup. Incredible hoops loading…

3. Host curse to be broken?: In 2021, no OQT hosts advanced to the Olympics. After watching Spain and Latvia dominate their opponents today, it may be a safe bet to say that one of the four hosts will advance to the Olympics. Even if one of these two teams don’t make it, Puerto Rico and Greece figure to be very competitive in their own tournaments. The curse will be lifted in 2024.

Welcome to Digits Sports’ coverage of the FIBA Olympic Qualifier Tournaments. Each day, there will be game summaries and analysis of all games.

Riga, Latvia Venue

Brazil vs. Montenegro

• Score: Brazil 80 - 72 Montenegro

Brazil’s notable performers:

• Bruno Caboclo: 25 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 12-16 FG

• Marcelinho Huertas: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 8-15 FG

• Gui Santos: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3-5 FG

Montenegro’s notable performers:

• Nikola Vucevic: 17 points, 13 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 7-14 FG

• Marko Simonovic: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-15 FG

• Kendrick Perry: 11 points, 3 assists, 4-18 FG

Brazil’s slow, sloppy start on both ends — including unnecessary turnovers and bad defensive rotations — led them to a 23-15 deficit at the end of the first quarter, and Montenegro soon extended the lead up to 13 a few minutes into the second quarter.

Montenegro was firing on all cylinders. Nikola Vuevic was getting whatever he wanted, scoring eight 1st quarter points, and it seemed like everybody on the team was finding holes in the defense and getting to drive and kicks.

Brazil stayed in it, largely due to Bruno Caboclo’s two-way play and Marcelinho Huertas’ scoring production against Montenegro’s lackluster pick & roll defense. Star guard Yago Santos only played 17 minutes and had four points due to injury, but Brazil still found its way to victory. Leo Meindl and Lucas Dias both contributed two late threes that helped Brazil pull away.

Montenegro’s offense slowed down significantly in the second half due to Brazil’s defense level stepping up. The Europeans’ top guard Kendrick Perry’s great start soon became a disasterclass, as he concluded the game shooting 4-18 from the field. Role players such as Marko Simonovic, Petar Popovic, and Dino Radoncic all did their jobs, and the team will be the favorite in their next game against Cameroon.

Huertas’ dagger led Brazil to victory.

Georgia vs. Latvia

• Score: Georgia 55 - 83 Latvia

Georgia’s notable performers:

• Sandro Mamukelashvili: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 6-12 FG

• Goga Bitadze: 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2-2 FG

Latvia’s notable performers:

• Arturs Strautins: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 5-5 FG, 4-4 3PT

• Mareks Mejeris: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5-5 FG

• Arturs Zagars: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 3-7 FG
  

Latvia was the story of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, as in their debut at the flagship event, they finished 5th whale knocking off powerhouses such as France and Spain. Now, they are hosting an OQT and have continued their dominance with nearly a 30 point victory over Georgia.

By halftime, Latvia already found themselves with a 45-24 lead, powered by a 28 point second quarter. Georgia surely cannot be happy with this result, as they found major struggles on the offensive end, especially after their surprising 16th place finish at last year’s World Cup.

For Latvia’s run in the World Cup last year, it was due to their massive team effort. So many players could do so many things for them, which made them so great. That was the theme of today’s game as well. Two players who were not major contributors at last year’s World Cup combined for 29 points on 100% shooting, which just personifies this Northern European squad. Surely, playing in front of their home crowd was a part of their dominance today.

Luckily for Georgia, they probably cannot play much worse. They shot 25% from beyond the arc and had 16 turnovers. Undeniably, it was a rough showing all around. They now focus their attention to the Philippines, who they will be favored against. It becomes a must-win game to find themselves in the semifinals, however.

Standings:

Group A:

1. Latvia: 1-0

2. Georgia: 0-1

3. Philippines: 0-0

Group B:

1. Brazil: 1-0

2. Montengro: 0-1

3. Cameroon: 0-0

Riga OQT MVP Ladder

1. Bruno Caboclo - Brazil

2. Arturs Strautins - Latvia

3. Marcelinho Huertas - Brazil

4. Mareks Mejeris - Latvia

5. Nikola Vucevic - Montenegro

Riga OQT Leading Scorers

1. Bruno Caboclo: 25.0 (Brazil)

2. Arturs Strautins: 18.0 (Latvia)

3. Marcelinho Huertas: 17.0 (Brazil)

4. Nikola Vucevic: 17.0 (Montenegro)

5. Marko Simonovic: 15.0 (Montenegro)

Piraeus, Greece Venue

Egypt vs. Dominican Republic

• Score: Egypt 77 - 90 Dominican Republic

Egypt’s notable performers:

• Ahmed Metwaly: 24 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, 8-13 FG, 4-9 3PT

• Khaled Abdelgawad: 10 minutes, 14 points, 4-4 FG, 7-9 FT

• Anas Mahmoud: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-9 FG

Dominican Republic’s notable performers:

• Jean Montero: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 8-17 FG

• Chris Duarte: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6-15 FG

• Angel Nunez: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 4-8 FG

• Victor Liz: 12 points, 3-6 FG

The Dominican Republic found themselves in a hole at the end of the first quarter, having fallen behind 22-16. They soon showed that the early deficit did not matter despite missing Karl-Anthony Towns, the country’s best player who played in the FIBA World Cup last summer.

A 27-9 second half led the Americans to a 43-31 halftime lead. The Dominicans started the second half on a 7-0 run, signaling that the game would be all but over. The fast tempo and strong defense of the Dominican Republic was overpowering against the Africans. Egypt was able to make it somewhat of a game, winning the fourth quarter 29-22.

The strong guard play from the Dominicans came up huge in this game. When they face Greece as their next game, they are going to need a similar level of play. Jean Montero, Chris Duarte, Victor Liz, and Andres Feliz combined for 52 of the team’s points and consistently got downhill to create opportunities for themselves and others.

Egypt, too, was missing some of its top players from last summer’s FIBA World Cup, making this game even tougher for them. Their next game will be against Greece, where they are surely heavy underdogs. It is likely that game against Greece will be their last game of this summer, but they surely will go out there and fight for all 40 minutes like they did in this game.

Slovenia vs. Croatia

• Score: Slovenia 92 - 108 Croatia

Slovenia’s notable performers:

• Luka Doncic: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 8-23 FG, 0-9 3PT

• Klemen Prepelic: 19 points, 2 assists, 5-12 FG, 4-11 3PT

• Josh Nebo: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 5-8 FG

• Vlatko Cancar: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3-7 FG

Croatia’s notable performers:

• Dario Saric: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 7-14 FG

• Goran Filipovic: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 7-9 FG, 6-7 3PT

• Ivica Zubac: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-11 FG

• Danko Brankovic: 15 points, 2 steals, 7-7 FG

• Mario Hezonja: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 5-15 FG

Slovenia came out sluggish, and they were unable to overcome the first quarter hole that they fell into. The first quarter ended 31-16 in Croatia’s favor, and Luka Doncic started the game shooting 1-9.

Croatia eventually got the lead up to 29 points in an absolutely dominant display of basketball. They drained 46% of their triples for the game, but perhaps more impressively, they rained down 39 points on Slovenia in the third quarter, officially putting a cap on the game. Croatia got here the hard way, as rather than qualifying for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament from the 2023 FIBA World Cup, they came through the Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments held last summer.

Croatia was clicking on all cylinders to start the game. Goran Filipovic was hitting threes from the get go, while Dario Saric and Ivica Zubac were getting baskets on the interior immediately. Combine this with a slow Doncic start, and it was difficult for Slovenia to find any momentum to find a way to win. Saric finished with a triple double.

Doncic, too, found his way to a triple double despite a bad start. His efficiency also was not ideal. Klemen Prepelic came off the bench and added 19 points as a dynamic scoring option. Slovenia will enter its next game against New Zealand as a favorite in what has now become a must-win game.

Standings:

Group A:

1. Croatia: 1-0

2. Slovenia: 0-1

3. New Zealand: 0-0

Group B:

1. Dominican Republic: 1-0

2. Egypt: 0-1

3. Greece: 0-0
   

Piraeus OQT MVP Ladder

1. Dario Saric - Croatia

2. Goran Filipovic - Croatia

3. Luka Doncic - Slovenia

4. Jean Montero - Dominican Republic

5. Ivica Zubac - Croatia

Piraeus OQT Leading Scorers

1. Luka Doncic: 26.0 (Slovenia)

2. Ahmed Metwaly: 24.0 (Egypt)

3. Goran Filipovic: 21.0 (Croatia)

4. Dario Saric: 19.0 (Croatia)

5. Klemen Prepelic: 19.0 (Slovenia)
   

Valencia, Spain Venue

Finland vs. Bahamas

• Score: Finland 85 - 96 Bahamas

Finland’s notable performers:

• Mikael Jantunen: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-12 FG, 5-8 3PT

• Edon Maxhuni: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-9 FG, 4-6 3PT

• Elias Valtonen: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5-10 FG, 3-6 3PT

Bahamas’ notable performers:

• Buddy Hield: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 7-16 FG, 6-12 3PT 

• Deandre Ayton: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 8-12 FG

• V. J. Edgecombe: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 7-11 FG

• Eric Gordon: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4-10 FG

This game was a whole lot of offense, as the teams combined to shoot nearly 40% from beyond the arc with a total of four 20 point scorers. This up tempo, high scoring game provided loads of entertainment despite Finland missing Lauri Markkanen.

At halftime, Finland was edging the Bahamas 54-47, and early in the third quarter, Finland’s lead balooned up to 13. The Bahamas stayed resilient and started to tighten up on defense, only allowing 13 points in the third quarter, which led them to victory.

Their Big Three of NBA players — Deadnre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon — all showed up huge for the Americans. Five-star recruit and Baylor commit V.J. Edgecombe also played a great game, scoring 20 points in his national team debut. From the rest of the team, the Bahamians got just enough to beat Finland.

Finland, despite the loss, played a great game, especially in that first half. They drained 13 threes and had two players exceed 20 points. With Lauri Markkanen’s absence and Sasu Salin’s injury (who were Finland’s top two scorers at last year’s World Cup), they saw multiple players step up, undoubtedly a good sign for the future of the federation.

Lebanon vs. Spain

• Lebanon 59 - 104 Spain

Lebanon’s notable performers:

• Youssef Khayat: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 8-14 FG

• Omari Spellman: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4-11 FG

• Sergio El Darwich: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-12 FG

Spain’s notable performers:

• Usman Garuba: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 7-9 FG 

• Santi Aldama: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 6-13 FG

• Jaime Pradilla: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 5-6 FG

Lebanon never stood a chance against the basketball powerhouse that is Spain. They were expected to lose by approximately 30 points, but Spain made them lose by 45. La Familia didn’t allow more than 18 points in a quarter and scored at least 24 points in each quarter.

It was pure dominance by Spain, who finished 9th in last year’s World Cup. It was their worst finish since 1994, as their standard for basketball has always been among the highest of all countries. With that said, this 45-point victory has to be promising for their hopes to return to their seventh consecutive Olympics.

This Spanish team is a mixing of generations. Veterans and multi-time medalists Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull join players such as Usman Garuba, Santi Aldama, Jaime Pradilla, and Juan Nunez in what might be their last harrah in the red and yellow.

Lebanon likely look forward to their next game against Angola as slight underdogs, but given how close it is expected to be, they will not see themselves in this light. It will probably be a win-or-go-home game, as the winner will book a spot in the semifinals of the tournament. It’s best if they put this result behind them and prepare for a huge game.

Standings:

Group A:

1. Spain: 1-0

2. Lebanon: 0-1

3. Angola: 0-0

Group B:

1. Bahamas: 1-0

2. Finland: 0-1

3. Poland: 0-0
   

Valencia OQT MVP Ladder

1. Buddy Hield - Bahamas

2. Deandre Ayton - Bahamas

3. Usman Garuba - Spain

4. Santi Aldama - Spain

5. V. J. Edgecombe - Bahamas
   

Valencia OQT Leading Scorers

1. Buddy Hield: 24.0 (Bahamas)

2. V. J. Edgecombe: 20.0 (Bahamas)

3. Mikael Jantunen: 20.0 (Finland)

4. Edon Maxhuni: 20.0 (Finland)

5. Youssef Khayat: 20.0 (Lebanon)
   

San Juan, Puerto Rico Venue

Italy vs. Bahrain

• Score: Italy 114 - 53 Bahrain

Italy’s notable performers:

• Nicolo Melli: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 6-7 FG

• Danilo Gallinari: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-6 FG

• Achille Polonara: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 5-11 FG

• Nico Mannion: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 4-7 FG

Bahrain’s notable performers:

• Ahmed Haji: 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 4-14 FG

• Mohammed Hamoda: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-6 FG

• Zee Hamoda: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3-8 FG

This game was the largest margin of victory in modern Olympic Qualifying Tournament game history. The 61 point win was pure dominanceby the Italians from start to end, showing no mercy to the clearly inferior Bahrain squad.

Italy is looking to make the Olympics via an OQT for the second straight cycle, and the team couldn’t ask for a better start to the campaign. Although they only had a 19-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, Italy put its foot on the gas and won each quarter by at least 10 points. Italy’s fourth quarter was more absurd than the other three, outsourcing Bahrain 38-11.

Italy had a total of seven players score in double figures and drained 41% of their threes. They only had seven turnovers in contrast to their 39 assists. It was as perfect of an all-around, team-orientated game that Italian fans could ask for.

Bahrain had an incredible run to make their way into the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. They came through the Asia Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in a complete shock. Unfortunately, it appears that they are not ready to compete with the best of the best. They will be underdogs against Puerto Rico tomorrow, which will likely be their last game of the summer. Regardless, making it here is a success in itself.

Mexico vs. Lithuania

• Score: Mexico 84 - 96 Lithuania

Mexico’s notable performers:

• Joshua Ibarra: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-14 FG

• Gabriel Giron: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-10 FG

• Fabian Jaimes: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 6-9 FG

• Paul Stoll: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 12 assists, 2-8 FG

Lithuania’s notable performers:

• Marius Grigonis: 21 points, 2 steals, 8-13 FG, 4-7 3PT

• Tadas Sedekerskis: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-5 FG

• Domantas Sabonis: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 6-9 FG

Mexico’s rotation doesn’t go very deep, but their top players were able to keep Mexico in this game for the first half. In fact, Mexico found themselves up 9-0 to start the game and only down five at halftime. However, the third quarter soon shifted the tide for Lithuania.

They improved on both ends, getting out in transition and getting easy baskets. In the third quarter, Lithuania outscored Mexico 34-17. Although the third did not go how Mexico envisioned, their play in the first half and fourth quarter (where they outscored Lithuania 23-13) should be encouraging for their incoming game against Ivory Coast, a must-win game.

All of Mexico’s starters produced to the point where they should likely be considered favorites over Ivory Coast. Joshua Ibarra did a good job against Domantas Sabonis. Gabriel Giron and Fabian Jaimes did their job as scorers, while Paul Stoll continued his job as the Mexican team’s ball-handler and playmaker.

Lithuania’s third quarter should be encouraging, but they were underwhelming in the other quarters. They are likely going to need Domantas Sabonis to play better, but they still have to love scoring 96 points despite not a great game from their star.

Standings:

Group A:

1. Lithuania: 1-0

2. Mexico: 0-1

3. Ivory Coast: 0-0

Group B:

1. Italy: 1-0

2. Bahrain: 0-1

3. Puerto Rico: 0-0

San Juan OQT MVP Ladder

1. Marius Grigonis - Lithuania

2. Nicolo Melli - Italy

3. Danilo Gallinari - Italy

4. Achille Polanara - Italy

5. Nico Mannion - Italy
   

San Juan OQT Leading Scorers

1. Marius Grigonis: 21.0 (Lithuania)

2. Joshua Ibarra: 18.0 (Mexico)

3. Gabriel Giron: 15.0 (Mexico)

4. Nicolo Melli: 14.0 (Italy)

5. Danilo Gallinari: 14.0 (Italy)
   
   

Across the OQTs

MVP Ladder

1. Bruno Caboclo - Brazil

2. Dario Saric - Croatia

3. Goran Filipovic - Croatia

4. Buddy Hield - Bahamas

5. Luka Doncic - Slovenia

6. Deandre Ayton - Bahamas

7. Usman Garuba - Spain

8. Arturs Strautins - Latvia

9. Marius Grigonis - Lithuania

10. Santi Aldama - Spain

Leading Scorers

1. Luka Doncic: 26.0 (Slovenia)

2. Bruno Caboclo: 25.0 (Brazil)

3. Buddy Hield: 24.0 (Bahamas)

4. Ahmed Metwaly: 24.0 (Egypt)

5. Goran Filipovic: 21.0 (Croatia)

6. Marius Grigonis: 21.0 (Lithuania)

7. V. J. Edgecombe: 20.0 (Bahamas)

8. Mikael Jantunen: 20.0 (Finland)

9. Edon Maxhuni: 20.0 (Finland)

10. Youssef Khayat: 20.0 (Lebanon)

Storylines of the Day

1. Piraeus is the most entertaining venue: Man, is Piraeus just great. Look at the teams present. You have Croatia’s three-headed monster of Ivica Zubac, Dario Saric, and Mario Hezonja with lots of shooting. Dominican Republic plays through its fast, fun guards, and that’s before mentioning that Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are in that tournament. New Zealand is yet to play, but they are never an easy out either. Watching this tournament play out is going to be absolutely incredible.

2. Group B of Valencia is awesome: Perhaps the best singular group in any OQT is Group B in Valencia: Bahamas, Finland, and Poland. Bahamas and Finland was an absolute blast to watch, and it is expected that each remaining game in this group will be the same. NBA players Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon suited up for the second straight summer for the Bahamas, and they were joined by an array of young talent and fun players. Finland, despite not having Lauri Markkanen, went down fighting against the Bahamas, and had many players step up to the challenge. Poland will play tomorrow agains the Bahamas, and when at their best, they’re elite. Jeremy Sochan will join an elite core that finished 4th in 2022 EuroBasket and 8th in the 2019 World Cup. Incredible hoops loading…

3. Host curse to be broken?: In 2021, no OQT hosts advanced to the Olympics. After watching Spain and Latvia dominate their opponents today, it may be a safe bet to say that one of the four hosts will advance to the Olympics. Even if one of these two teams don’t make it, Puerto Rico and Greece figure to be very competitive in their own tournaments. The curse will be lifted in 2024.