The first phase of the men's Olympic basketball tournament ends this Friday and Saturday and we already know four qualifiers out of the eight expected. They are the United States, France, Germany and Canada. For the rest, it will depend on the latest results.
Let's remember: the first two teams in each group qualify, as well as the two best teams that finish in third place. Thus, the teams will then be divided into groups before a draw.
But which teams will go further and, above all, how can they still snatch a place in the quarter-finals? We take out the calculators and we look at the different scenarios. We start with group A, the “group of death”.
Group A
Canada
Will be first if: victory against Spain; Australia beats Greece and defeat by less than 7 points against the Spanish.
Will be second if: defeat against Spain and victory of Greece against Australia; victory of Australia against Greece and defeat against Spain by 9 or 10 points.
Will be third if: Australia wins against Greece and loses against Spain by 12 points or more.
Spain
Will be first if: victory against Canada and victory of Greece against Australia; victory against Canada by more than 15 points and victory of Australia against Greece.
Will be second if: victory against Canada by 12 or 13 points, victory for Australia against Greece.
Will be third if: victory against Canada by 10 points or less and victory of Australia against Greece; defeat against Canada and victory of Greece against Australia by 1 point or more than 18 points; defeat against Canada and victory of Australia against Greece.
Will be fourth if: defeat against Canada and victory of Greece against Australia by 3 to 16 points.
Australia
Will be first if: victory against Greece and defeat of Canada against Spain by 9 points or more.
Will be second if: victory against Greece and defeat of Spain against Canada; victory against Greece and defeat of Canada against Spain by 8 points or less; victory of Canada against Spain and defeat against Greece by 9 points or less.
Will be third if: Canada wins against Spain and loses against Greece by 10 to 16 points.
Will be fourth if: Canada wins against Spain and loses to Greece by 18 points or more; loses to Greece and Spain wins against Canada.
Greece
Will be second if: victory against Australia by more than 10 points and victory of Canada against Spain.
Will be third if: victory against Australia and victory of Spain against Canada; victory against Australia by 3 points and victory of Canada against Spain.
Will be fourth if: loss against Australia; victory against Australia by one point and Canada victory against Spain.
Group B
Group B is much easier to analyze since Les Bleus and Germany won the first two matches. This Friday night's match will therefore decide first and second place. As for Brazil and Japan, they will fight for third place but, unless they win by a very, very large margin, the winner of this match will have almost no chance of being among the two best third-placed teams and therefore going further.
Group C
Here again, no need to rack your brains with calculations. Puerto Rico is already out and Team USA has the first place and will keep it. For the second, it will go to the winner between Serbia and South Sudan. Then, depending on the results of the other groups, the third may be drafted.
