4 teams are already in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games. 5 heroes of the second round who helped them do it
Vitaly Vesely August 1, 2024, 11:00 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The second symbolic five at the Games.
After the brilliant first round, fans were eagerly awaiting the continuation of the basketball banquet at the Paris Olympics. As if they sensed the fans’ aspirations, or maybe they wanted the same, the players presented the public with this sporting feast! The Spaniards snatched victory from the Greeks, the Canadians broke the resistance of the unbreakable Australians, the hosts of the tournament – the French – squeezed the Japanese in overtime, the Brazilians and the Germans staged a three-point show in the second quarter, the Serbs achieved the biggest victory at the current Games, and the Americans did their best to rehabilitate themselves in the game against the South Sudanese, who almost lost in a friendly match. But each match had its own heroes who did everything possible to make their teams leave the venue with victory after the final siren. They will be discussed in the “Championship” material.
1. Santi Aldama
Santi Aldama, Olympic Games 2024
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Spanish power forward effectively returned the opponent’s basket in the first round and the match against the formidable Greeks showed that Santi’s goal-scoring appetite had not diminished at all. Aldama’s 19 points, 12 rebounds and two assists were the best of all the players in the Spanish national team. The Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo did everything possible to help his team win. But just like in the first round, I left the site empty-handed. Santi scored three important three-pointers and spent more time on the court than any other player on his team. And most importantly, he helped them achieve such an important victory after losing at the start of the competition.
Olympic Games (m). Group A. 2nd round
Tuesday, July 30, 2024. 12:00 Moscow time
Spain: Aldama – 19, Llull – 13, Hernangomez – 11, Fernández – 10, Abrines – 8, Brown – 7, Pradilla – 7, Brizuela – 3, Díaz – 3, Hernangomez – 3, López-Arostegui, Garuba
Greece: Antetokounmpo – 27, Toliopoulos – 14, Papanikolaou – 9, Kalathes – 8, Walkup – 5, Larentzakis – 5, Papayannis – 5, Mitoglou – 4, Moraitis, Kalaitsakis, Charalampopoulos, Hougkas
2. Victor Vembanyama
Victor Vembanyama, 2024 Olympic Games
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The match between France and Japan developed into a tight and tense fight until the end of the fourth quarter. But even 40 minutes were not enough for the teams to identify the strongest. When the players from the country of the rising sun were already preparing to celebrate the victory, Matthieu Strazel scored four points in a single attack and sent the game into overtime. Well, there the role of first fiddle was taken by the 20-year-old Frenchman Victor Vembanyama, who scored eight points in a row; the Japanese simply had no chance. In total, Vembi scored 18 points, plus 11 rebounds and six assists, and helped the French reach the quarter-finals.
Olympic Games (m). Group B. 1st round
Tuesday, July 30, 2024. 18:15 Moscow time
Japan: Togashi, Jacobs, Kawamura, Hiejima, Toews, Hachimura, Watanabe, Baba, Hawkinson, Tominaga, Watanabe, Yoshii
France: Ntilikina, Batum, Albisi, Yabusele, Cordinier, Fournier, de Colo, Lessor, Gobert, Vembanyama, Strazel, Coulibaly
3. RJ Barrett
RJ Barrett, 2024 Olympics
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Canadians and Australians approached the direct confrontation after victories in the first round and wanted to decide everything here and now. After all, neither the Spaniards nor the Greeks in the third meeting can be considered a gift. In the end, the game met all expectations and its outcome was determined in the end. The “Maples” won, and 24-year-old forward RJ Barrett contributed significantly to their success: he scored 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists. It is especially important that the Toronto Raptors player performed usefully in the last ten minutes, together with Dillon Brooks, providing his team with the necessary breakthrough for victory (from “+4” to “+9”) and, as a result, a place in the Olympic playoff tournament.
Olympic Games (m). Group A. 1st round
Tuesday, July 30, 2024. 14:30 Moscow time
Canada: Dort, Alexander-Walker, Gilgeous-Alexander, Ejim, Murray, Powell, Lyles, Barrett, Olynyk, Nembard, Brooks, Birch
Australia: Daniels, Giddy, Mills, Green, Ingles, Dellavedova, Exum, Landale, Kay, McVeigh, Magnay, Rieth
4. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic, 2024 Olympics
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Serbia, which came to the Olympics as a medal contender, was approaching the match against Puerto Rico after losing the game against the United States. In case of another defeat, it would be extremely difficult to count on the playoffs. Realizing this, the Serbians got involved from the first minutes and did enough to have enough strength for the most important match against South Sudan. Nikola Jokic was on the court for only 23 minutes, but that was enough for him to score 14 points for his opponents. He also added 15 rebounds and nine assists. The Serbian center was only one assist away from becoming the fourth player in Olympic history to achieve a triple-double. Only Soviet basketball player Sergei Belov, as well as American LeBron James and Slovenian Luka Doncic can boast of this.
Olympic Games (m). Group C. 1st round
July 31, 2024, Wednesday. 18:15 Moscow time
Puerto Rico: Ortiz – 19, Romero – 10, Thompson – 7, Ford – 6, Clavell – 6, Waters – 5, Piñeiro – 3, Howard – 3, Reed – 3, Conditt – 2, Alvarado – 2, Toro Barea
Serbia: Petrushev – 15, Jokic – 14, Bogdanovic – 13, Micic – 13, Avramovic – 12, Milutinov – 11, Jovic – 10, Guduric – 6, Marinkovic – 4, Davidovac – 4, Dobrich – 3, Plavsic – 2
5. Dennis Schroeder
Dennis Schroeder (right), 2024 Olympics
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Particular hopes were pinned on the 30-year-old point guard even before the start of the Olympics, and it was he who was credited with the role of the one who would drag Germany to the medals of the tournament. Two rounds have already passed and we can say that all the praise directed at the Brooklyn player is fully justified. For the Germans, the meeting with Brazil, which they had previously lost to the French, was of paramount importance. After all, they themselves have yet to play a match with the “tricolors”. Realizing the importance of the moment, Germany did not put off the matter and, in fact, swept the South Americans from the very beginning. But when they came to their senses already in the second ten minutes and the match turned into a tense fight, Schröder proved that he is rightly considered the leader of his team. He immediately responded to his opponents’ three-pointers with his own three-pointers, and also made passes and played usefully in his own half. Dennis finished with 20 points, three rebounds, six assists and four steals. And most importantly, he helped the Bundestag reach the playoffs.
Olympic Games (m). Group B. 1st round
Tuesday, July 30, 2024. 22:00 Moscow time
Brazil: dos Santos, Felicio, Louzada, Benite, Huertas, Santos, Meindl, Neto, De Paula, Pereira, Caboclo, Dias
Germany: Bonga, Da Silva, Law, Giffey, Weiler-Babb, Voigtmann, Wagner, Theis, Wagner, Schröder, Tieman, Obst
