Bahamas stuns Argentina, moves closer to Paris Olympic basketball berth

Bahamas has by no means despatched its males’s basketball group to the Olympics. The island nation is one step nearer to altering that.

Eric Gordon scored 27 factors, Buddy Hield added 17 and Bahamas surprised Argentina 82-75 to win one of many 5 Olympic pre-qualifying tournaments that have been wrapping up around the globe Sunday.

The win sends Bahamas into one other Olympic qualifying match in July 2024, one that can deliver with it an opportunity to qualify for subsequent summer season’s Paris Games. Deandre Ayton had 10 factors and 21 rebounds for Bahamas within the win over Argentina.

Argentina — Olympic champions in 2004 — will miss the video games for the primary time since 2000.

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Other pre-qualifying match winners Sunday included Cameroon, Bahrain, Croatia and Poland.

Cameroon was an 80-74 winner over Senegal to win in Nigeria; Bahrain completed 5-0 in a match in Syria; Croatia bought 22 factors and 11 rebounds from Dario Saric to beat Turkey in one other remaining; and Poland bought previous Bosnia and Herzegovina 76-72 for its qualifying berth.

There will likely be 12 males’s groups within the subject on the Paris Olympics. Host France has been allotted one of many spots already, and 7 others will likely be claimed on the Basketball World Cup that begins on Friday within the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan.

Next summer season, Bahamas, Cameroon, Bahrain, Croatia and Poland will be a part of 19 different groups — primarily based on World Cup end — within the remaining qualifying spherical. Those 24 nations will likely be cut up into 4 tournaments of six groups; the 4 winners go to the Paris Olympics.