Greece vs Canada Player Stats, Box Scores and Result for 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball | July 27, 2024
There is no better way to start the 2024 Paris Olympics with some basketball. It was a David vs Goliath matchup in Group A as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece faced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Canada at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille.
The Canadians were severely tested by a feisty Greek side in their Olympics opener, but their roster depth ultimately proved to be the decisive factor in the 86-79 victory.
Canada head coach Jordi Fernandez went with his standard five of Lu Dort, R.J. Barrett, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but opted to start Dillion Brooks instead of Jamal Murray alongside Dwight Powell.
Dimitris Moraitis was dropped to the bench with coach Vassilis Spanoulis choosing to Thomas Walkup, Nick Calathes, Georgios Papagiannis and Kostas Papagiannis alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Playing on the biggest stage in the world for the first time since the 2000 Olympics, Canada brought a bold, aggressive style to the game as they were much the better side in the opening stages of the match with Gilgeous-Alexander proving to be a handful from the tip-off.
The 26-year-old OKC superstar scored multiple tough buckets, giving Canada an 11-6 lead after just four minutes. However, Greece through Antetokounmpo mounted a mini-scoring burst to reduce the deficit to 24-12.
Some quick passing opened up a sleepy Canada defense, allowing Nick Calathes to disguise quite a few passes into the hand of Kostas Papagiannis, who found the net from the arc to make it 22-18. Papagiannis then hit his third three-pointer of the first quarter, cutting the deficit to two points. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 24-22.
Canada gradually improved after the restart with the introduction of Jamal Murray, whose impact was instantaneously felt. Murray was involved in almost everything good about their team’s play.
Shai delivered a perfect pass to Dillon Brooks, who nailed a three-pointer to extend the lead to 35-25, making it a 10-point advantage. And Greece with nine turnovers looked like they needed the halftime whistle. By the end of the half, Canada had extended their lead to 48-38.
The North American side continued to play with a swagger and a spring in their step as they comfortably controlled the tempo of the game, restricting Giannis & Co to very few efforts in the second half. A stunning pass from Kostas Papanikolaou set up Giannis for a fast-break layup, cutting Canada's lead to 60-53.
Seemingly shell-shocked, the Canadians continued to concede a couple soon before heading to the final quarter with an eight-point lead. The final period was a back-and-forth affair, with Vasilis and Murray trading baskets. Giannis drew a foul and converted two free throws, making the score 68-72. Soon later, Lu Dort and Shai hit back-to-back three-pointers to extend the lead to 10 points once again.
With a minute remaining, the game continued at its lively pace and Shai then scored a floater to give Canada a four-point advantage. There was a flurry of late opportunities as both sides went for the win. Giannis drew another foul and made two of three free throws, cutting the lead to three.
With 15 seconds left, Giannis fouled Jamal Murray, who sank both free throws. RJ Barrett sealed the victory with a powerful dunk. In the end, the World No. 7 saw the game out professionally, as they started their Olympics campaign with a hard-fought victory.
Giannis topped the scoring chart with 34 points, assisted by Kostas Papagiannis' 17. Canada's RJ Barrett led his team with 23 points, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 21 and Dillon Brooks' 14.
It is a result that puts Canada in a strong position after just one game played in the Olympics. The two arguably tougher matches are still to come against Australia on Tuesday evening before they finish off their Olympics group stage against Spain.
Greece vs Canada Player Stats, Box Scores and Result for 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball
Greece player stats and box scores at fulltime
Canada player stats and box scores at fulltime