A crucial match awaits Vassilis Spanoulis' men at 1:30 p.m. at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Greece challenge theAustralia with the slim hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament. Because even if they have not yet won a single match so far, the Greeks still have their fate in their own hands.
“This is the best scenario we could have! When you are at the Olympics and you only have one game to qualify for the quarter-finals, it is a chance,” assures Vassilis Spanoulis. “That's why kids play basketball. That's why we're here. To play games like this and win a knockout game, because for us it's a knockout game.”
To qualify, Giannis Antetokounmpo's teammates will have to defeat the Boomers by three points or more. It will not be an easy task as the Australians have given Canada a hard time.
Nick Calathes is here
“We have been given one more chance to qualify, and we have to give it our all to win” summarizes Kostas Papanikolaou. “Of course it won't be easy. We're playing against a great team with a lot of talent and experience in big games. But here we are, we still have 40 minutes, and a chance.”
The other good news is that Greece will be able to count on one of its strong men for this last match of the “group of death”. Although injured in the ribs against Spain, Nick Calathes should be present for a match that is a question of life or death in the competition.
“Nick really wants to play,” says the coach. “Usually he’s a very, very resilient guy. We know he’s been able to handle pain for a long time. He’s played too many times injured. He got elbowed in the ribs, we know it’s painful, but we know it can’t get any worse, so we’re confident Nick will give everything he’s got to help the team.”
