Current:Home > ScamsOlympics men's basketball quarterfinals set: USA faces Brazil, France plays Canada-InfoLens
Olympics men's basketball quarterfinals set: USA faces Brazil, France plays Canada
View Date:2024-12-23 12:36:18
VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France – Either France or Canada will be out of medal contention after the Tuesday men’s basketball quarterfinal games at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Just brutal. Following group play and the ensuing draw for the quarterfinals, the two teams will play each other immediately in the knockout stage. The loser will exit the Olympics incredibly disappointed.
The top two teams from the three groups plus the next two best third-place teams based on point-differential advanced.
The quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday are:
- Germany-Greece, 5 a.m. ET
- Serbia-Australia, 8:30 a.m. ET
- Canada-France, noon ET
- USA-Brazil, 3:30 p.m. ET
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
The U.S. caught a break, too. The USA-Brazil winner plays the Serbia-Australia winner, meaning the U.S. wouldn’t have to face Germany, Canada or France until the gold-medal game.
It’s a formidable eight filled with NBA All-Stars and MVPs, and it went down to the final game of group play between Serbia and South Sudan to determine the quarterfinalists.
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
Playing in its first Olympics in men’s basketball, South Sudan just missed a spot in the quarterfinals, losing to Serbia 96-85. Had South Sudan lost by just a point, it would have made the round of eight.
A closer look at the matchups:
USA-Brazil
The U.S. was the top overall finisher at 3-0 at a plus-64 point-differential in Group C. Though Greece was the second-best third-place team, FIBA rules state that two teams from the same group cannot play in the quarterfinals, so that prevented a Germany-Brazil matchup because both were in Group B.
The U.S. did its job in group play, wasn’t really challenged and had several players contribute offensively. They were sloppy with turnovers and gave up offensive rebounds, and those are areas coach Steve Kerr wants to clean up. Anthony Edwards (16.3 points per game) and Kevin Durant (16 ppg) are the top scorers. LeBron James averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds in group play.
Brazil beat Japan and lost to Germany and France in Group B. Vitor Benite, Raul Neto, Marcelinho Huertas and Bruno Caboclo are Brazil’s top players.
Germany-Greece
Giannis Antetokounmpo made it to the knockout stage, and he’s thrilled about the opportunity. But Germany is playing as well as any team in this event. Germany, the 2023 FIBA World Cup champion, clobbered France for the top spot in Group B and has experience and continuity with Franz Wagner (21.7 ppg), Mo Wagner, Dennis Schröder (19.7 ppg, 9.0 assists per game), Daniel Theis and Isaac Bonga. Greece had just one victory (vs. Australia) in Group A but that was enough. Antetokounmpo averaged 27 points on 68.9% shooting in three games.
Canada-France
So much is at stake in this game as both teams came to the Olympics with medal expectations. Canada has been fantastic – 3-0 in Group A – led by RJ Barrett (21.0 ppg), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19.0 ppg) and Dillon Brooks (14.3 ppg). Can France’s guards handle Canada’s guards? France finished 2-1, but it was an up-and-down effort. It almost lost to Japan (94-90), handled Brazil and was routed by Germany. Yes, France has experience (Nic Batum, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier) and the young star (Victor Wembanyama and his 17.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game), but it hasn’t put together a complete performance.
Serbia-Australia
Australia finished second in Group A with just one victory – against Spain – but it lost to Canada 93-83 and Greece 77-71. It is competitive with several NBA players, including Josh Giddey (15.0 ppg), Patty Mills, Jock Landale (17.7 ppg), Dante Exum and Dyson Daniels. Serbia is led by Nikola Jokic (18.7 ppg, 11.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists per game), Bogdan Bogdanovic (19 ppg) and a cast of high-level players who star in Europe. Serbia earned silver at the 2023 World Cup, and it is capable of medaling in Paris. Both teams are well-coached.
Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
veryGood! (389)
Related
- Steelers' Mike Tomlin shuts down Jayden Daniels Lamar comparison: 'That's Mr. Jackson'
- Israel plans to build thousands more West Bank settlement homes after shooting attack, official says
- U.S. Air Force member dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli Embassy in Washington in apparent protest against war in Gaza
- West Virginia medical professionals condemn bill that prohibits care to at-risk transgender youth
- 2024 'virtually certain' to be warmest year on record, scientists say
- US sues to block merger of grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, saying it could push prices higher
- Network founded by Koch brothers says it will stop spending on Nikki Haley's presidential campaign
- We Went Full Boyle & Made The Ultimate Brooklyn Nine-Nine Gift Guide
- Cleveland Browns’ Hakeem Adeniji Shares Stillbirth of Baby Boy Days Before Due Date
- California utility will pay $80M to settle claims its equipment sparked devastating 2017 wildfire
Ranking
- DWTS’ Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran Prove They're Closer Than Ever Amid Romance Rumors
- Experts say Boeing’s steps to improve safety culture have helped but don’t go far enough
- Once Upon a Time’s Chris Gauthier Dead at 48
- AT&T to offer customers a $5 credit after phone service outage. Here's how to get it.
- A herniated disc is painful, debilitating. How to get relief.
- Olivia Rodrigo has always been better than 'great for her age.' The Guts Tour proved it
- Scientists find new moons around Neptune and Uranus
- Military families brace for another government shutdown deadline
Recommendation
-
The Best Gifts for People Who Don’t Want Anything
-
Bill supporting development of nuclear energy powers to pass in Kentucky Senate
-
Firefighters needed so much water that a Minnesota town’s people were asked to go without
-
Officials honor Mississippi National Guardsmen killed in helicopter crash
-
Mega Millions winning numbers for November 8 drawing: Jackpot rises to $361 million
-
Ex-commander charged in alleged illegal recording of Pittsburgh officers
-
Amy Schumer says criticism of her rounder face led to diagnosis of Cushing syndrome
-
Priyanka Chopra Embraces Her Fresh Faced Skin in Makeup-Free Selfie