Tag: Brazil

Giannis, Greece make Paris Olympics as Spain, Brazil also qualify

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Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, reacts as one of his children holds a sign after his team qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics eliminating Croatia, following a FIBA Olympic Qualifying basketball final, at the Peace and Friendship stadium, at Athens’ port city of Piraeus, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Giannis Antetokounmpo steered Greece to an Olympic berth on Sunday as he overcame a slow start to score 23 points in an 80-69 qualifying tournament victory over Croatia in Piraeus.

The game was one of four finals on Sunday to determine the last qualifiers for the Paris men’s basketball tournament.

In Riga, Brazil beat hosts Latvia 94-69. In Valencia, Spain edged the Bahamas 86-78.

READ: Fiba OQT: Giannis, Greece beat Doncic-led Slovenia to reach final

In the Olympic tournament in Lille, Greece and Spain will play in Group A with Australia and Canada. Brazil will line up in Group B with France, Germany and Japan.

The final place in the Olympics went to qualifier hosts Puerto Rico, who upset Lithuania 79-68 in San Juan.

Puerto Rico advanced into Olympic Group C with the United States, South Sudan and Serbia.

Before the qualifying tournament started, Antetokounmpo had not played competitively since injuring a calf on April 9 playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

He returned for the tournament opener in Piraeus on July 2 and, even though he was rested for Greece’s second game, ended up collecting the tournament most valuable player award.

READ: Tim Cone on Gilas’ Fiba OQT: Now we know we can compete

On Sunday, Croatia, with 7-foot-1 Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac at the heart of their defense, packed the paint to deny Antetokounmpo.

Croatia led by as many as four points in the first quarter. As Antetokounmpo began to penetrate and Greece went 12-of-32 on three-point attempts, the hosts took control. Antetokounmpo finished as the top scorer and also grabbed eight rebounds to ensure his first Olympic appearance.

‘One step at a time’

“It’s incredible. I don’t think the scenario could have been better. Being in your house, with people that support you. It’s an incredible feeling,” Antetokounmpo said. “Since I was a kid I always wanted to play the Olympic Games.”

“I don’t want to get ahead and be talking about medals,” he said at the press conference. “The last time we went to the Olympic Games was 2008. One step at a time.”

Zubac had 19 points and 13 rebounds for Croatia.

In Riga, Brazil hit eight out of eight three-point attempts as they took a 34-11 lead at the end of the first quarter and then cruised to victory.

Forwards Leo Meindl and Bruno Caboclo each scored 21 points.

Caboclo, who plays for Red Star in Serbia, was voted tournament MVP.

“I’m so excited, I’m so happy. These are the best plans I could imagine,” he said looking ahead to the Games.

In Valencia, Spain took the lead for the first time against Bahamas midway through the second quarter and nursed their advantage the rest of the way.

Guard Lorenzo Brown top scored for Spain with 19. He was matched by NBA guard Buddy Hield for Bahamas.

Rudy Fernandez scored nine points for Spain to book a record sixth trip to the Olympics at the age of 39. He is tied with six other men and four women on five Olympic basketball tournaments.



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At Puerto Rico, New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds while guard Tremont Waters, who played 45 NBA games from 2019-2022, added 18 points to spark the hosts to victory.

Rokas Jokubaitis led Lithuania with 16 points while Sacramento Kings star center Domantas Sabonis had 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Gilas struggles against Brazil defense in Fiba OQT loss

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee tries to work his way around Brazil’s defense during the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) semifinal.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Brazil turned to its stifling defense to end Gilas Pilipinas’ Olympic dream in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Saturday (Manila time) in Riga, Latvia.

Except for a slow start that saw them trail by double-digits early, the Brazilians were able to limit Gilas’ offense en route to a 71-60 win.

“We can be proud [with] how we cut every single triangle game from the Philippines,” said Brazil coach Aleksander Petrovic after steering his squad to the OQT final where a spot in the Paris Olympics is at stake.

READ: Gilas’ Olympic dream ends, bows out of Fiba OQT with loss to Brazil

“We cut them everything. They stayed 31 points below what they averaged in their first two games. We cut the percentage of the shots. When the Philippines scores 60 points, in my opinion, we did a huge job.”

Brazil held Gilas to its worst scoring game in the tournament after the Filipinos put up 89 points against Latvia and 94 against Georgia.

The Philippines had to bleed for points, converting just 38 percent of its field goal attempts.

More importantly for Brazil, it managed to slow down Gilas’ main weapon in Justin Brownlee.

READ: Gilas’ Justin Brownlee savors first Fiba OQT experience

After averaging 27 points on 53 percent shooting from the field, Brownlee struggled against Brazil, finishing with 15 points on 5/16 shooting from the field.

“We had to cut his percentage to below 48% because he was shooting the ball pretty well,” said Brazil guard Georginho De Paula.

“Wherever he goes, we were there. I think we did a great job,” added De Paula.

Brazil meets Latvia in the final on Monday.



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Tim Cone rues Kai Sotto absence in Gilas loss to Brazil

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Injured center Kai Sotto sits on Gilas Pilipinas bench during a game against Brazil in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas sorely missed the absence of Kai Sotto in a loss to Brazil on Saturday that ended its hopes of making the Paris Olympics.

Sotto was sidelined due to a bruised rib he suffered against Georgia on Thursday.

Without the 7-foot-3 center, Gilas just couldn’t provide enough resistance in the paint against Brazil, which was led by former NBA veteran Bruno Caboclo.

READ: Gilas struggles against Brazil in Fiba OQT loss

“We don’t want to make excuses but losing Kai was big for us,” said Cone after Gilas’ 71-60 loss. “It just took away our depth in the front line.”

The 6-foot-9 Caboclo, a first round pick by the Toronto Raptors in 2014, muscled his way to 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Gilas tried to fill the void by playing June Mar Fajardo extended minutes. The seven-time PBA MVP stepped up with 10 points and 11 rebounds but he could only do so much in 30 minutes of action.

READ: Tim Cone on Gilas’ Fiba OQT campaign: Now we know we can compete

“It [Sotto’s absence] forced June Mar Fajardo to overplay minutes and that all mushroomed from there but the bottom line is we just weren’t good enough tonight,” Cone said. “They played us with a really physical brand of basketball… We lacked in the big, we had to overplay our frontline.”

“More than anything, I think June Mar got really tired having to face 51 (Bruno Caboclo) and No. 6 (Cristiano Felicio). Those two guys banged on him and rotated on him and it was a tough battle for him being there by himself.”

Prior to the injury, Sotto averaged 11 points, four rebounds and 1.5 blocks in two games against Latvia and Georgia.

Sotto was among Gilas’ heroes in its stunning upset of world No. 6 Latvia on Thursday, posting 18 points, eight rebounds and a block in close to 33 minutes of play.



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Gilas’ Olympic bid ends, bows out of Fiba OQT with loss to Brazil

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Gilas Pilipinas’ June Mar Fajardo against two Brazil defenders during the Fiba OQT semifinals game in Riga, Latvia. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas saw its dream to make it to the Paris Olympics end on Saturday night after losing to world No. 12  Brazil, 71-60, in the semifinals of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia.

A third-quarter meltdown for Gilas Pilipinas spelled the end after the Filipinos allowed Brazil to go on a crippling 24-6 run that erased whatever strong start they had to the game.

It was all Brazil from that point with its star Bruno Caboclo catching fire and fueling his team’s push for the Summer Games. Caboclo, who played for several NBA teams, finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

LIVE UPDATES: Gilas Pilipinas vs Brazil Fiba OQT semifinals July 6

Justin Brownlee, who averaged 27 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the group phase for Gilas, just couldn’t find his usual shots and was limited to just 15 points–all but three in the first two quarters.

Brownlee only found his mark again with 4:11 left to play after he picked up his fourth foul. He made a crucial 3-pointer that put Gilas within a realistic distance to make a last-ditch rally, 61-49.

Brazil, though, quickly responded with a 6-2 run making sure the Filipinos don’t get anything going.

After leading by as many as 12 in the first half, the Filipinos suddenly hit a wall in the third quarter while the Brazilians found their rhythm and quickly wrested the momentum.

Gilas Pilipinas went scoreless for more than six minutes into the third quarter.

June Mar Fajardo and

Despite the semifinal exit, Gilas Pilipinas still turned heads in Riga after stunning world No.6 and host Latvia and eliminating No.23 Georgia in the group phase.



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Brazil braces for ‘highly technical’ Gilas in Fiba OQT semifinals

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Coach Aleksandar Petrovic and Brazil face Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba OQT semifinals in Riga, Latvia. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Brazil knows the caliber of the Gilas Pilipinas team that stands in the way of its goal to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Brazil and the Philippines square off in the semifinals of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, the penultimate roadblock to securing one of the remaining spots for the Paris Summer Games.

Game time is at 8:30 pm with a victory sending either team into the Fiba OQT Final against either Latvia or Cameroon.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

Coach Aleksandar Petrovic characterized fellow coach Tim Cone and the Filipinos, who have so far surprised the tournament–and themselves, as a “highly technical” team and he knows his team will have its hands full trying to contain them.

“The Philippines is a completely different team to [Cameroon]. It’s a highly technical team with excellent players who play one-on-one, four or five of them play more than 33 minutes,” said Petrovic after Brazil lost to Cameroon early Friday but still wound up as the top team in Group B.

Gilas Pilipinas tim cone latvia Philippines Fiba OQT schedule

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a Fiba OQT Riga game against world No. 6 Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

Gilas Pilipinas will lean on its trusty hero Justin Brownlee against the world No. 12, while the Brazilians tout several NBA talents led by their main man Bruno Caboclo.

READ: Gilas faces Brazil with Paris Olympics just two wins away

But the lack of winning history and the disparity in the world rankings shouldn’t faze Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas, who have shown they have what it takes to beat higher-ranked teams after upsetting world No. 6 Latvia and eliminating No. 23 Georgia just a few days ago.

The Philippines has never beaten Brazil in any of their meetings in the 20th century between the 1950s to the 1970s. The last time these two teams faced off was in the semifinals of the 1978 World Championship for Men.

Saturday’s game will be an entirely different story for both sides.

“We are two games away from our dream so we need to forget who is not anymore with us. We need to find our energy, we need to find a way how to beat Philippines,” said Petrovic.



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Gilas faces Brazil with Paris Olympics just two wins away

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Gilas Pilipinas headed to the Fiba OQT semifinals. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas’ path to the Paris Games goes through Brazil, a nation steep with a glorious Olympic past and one that seems to have quite an edge on the Filipinos.

Aside from a world No. 12 ranking and a history of dominating the Philippines on the world stage, the Cariocas are littered with a bevy of NBA-tested talents that could easily outshine Gilas’ standouts on paper.

But the Nationals aren’t entering their 8:30 p.m. confrontation on Saturday thinking like cattle being led to the slaughter house. Thanks to a stunning upset of world No. 6 Latvia and a gutsy stand versus desperate Georgia, Gilas has reached a level of confidence that it has never had in the past.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

“We still got so much more to give and so much more that we can do,” Chris Newsome said shortly after a 96-94 loss to Georgia on Thursday that was still enough to safely push the Filipinos into the crossover semifinals.

“We’ve been through a lot. I mean, a lot of people are disappointed with the last World Cup—as am I—[but] it feels good to finally be in this position, finally moving up in the ranks and beating teams that we shouldn’t,” Gilas cornerstone Dwight Ramos said.

The Philippines has been playing with a different kind of zest in Riga, and the team’s stats back it up. Gilas is scoring an average of 91.5 points, which is far superior than of Brazil’s 77.5. The Nationals are also a tad better in rebounding, collaring 39.5 against the Cariocas’ 38.

In full force

Brazil had produced one of the biggest international stars in the game in Oscar Schmidt, considered to be the best scorer the game has seen with close to 50,000 points scored for Brazil and his club team.

The Brazilians don’t have a player like that anymore, but that doesn’t mean that the Cariocas will be easier than the first two teams Gilas has thus far faced.

A win Saturday will set up the Philippines to a Paris Games slot game against the winner of the Latvia-Cameroon tiff.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Gilas is also expected to play at full strength. Though a game-time decision, national coach Tim Cone told the Inquirer that Kai Sotto—who hurt his right rib after getting landed by a Georgian player—is free of fractures.

Though he has made it clear that Gilas is out to win the whole thing, Cone has also cautioned his charges on the perils of thinking too far ahead.

“We were just so euphoric beating Latvia. All of the texts, social media going on in Manila. I think that set the guys back,” he said, referring to the team’s slow start against Georgia.



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“If we’re going to continue to look forward like that, I think that’s going to be a problem for us. But we have no doubt,” he went on. “You know, we want to just say what’s right in front of us. We don’t want to look at the end zone.”

France secures Final Eight slot with win over Brazil

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Theo Faure and France celebrate during a game against Brazil at the VNL in Manila.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Before defending its crown at home in the 2024 Paris Olympics, France eked out a nail-biting 25-23, 27-29, 25-13, 25-19, 18-16 win over Brazil to cap its Manila stint in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The French Spikers pulled the rug from a 1-2 deficit and recovered from a 12-point beatdown in the third set as Theo Faure fired 29 points off 25 attacks, three aces, and a block to secure their spot in the Final Eight in Poland with an 8-4 record.

France coach Andrea Giani got a crucial successful challenge in the fifth set when Adriano Fernandes brought Brazil at match point, 14-13, but was deemed as net touch, bringing the advantage on their side. 

READ: VNL 2024: Yuki Ishikawa, Japan rally past Olympic champion France

However, France committed two crucial service errors before Lucarelli Souza forced a deuce anew at 16-all. Faure sent the French anew at match point before Quentin Jouffroy drilled the game-winning ace to complete the come-from-behind win.

Giani relished his second Manila leg in the past three VNL hosting of the Philippines, as his wards split their four matches, bouncing back from a five-set meltdown to Japan on Saturday.

“It’s the second time for me, and this gym is fantastic. For the fans, it’s perfect because many people, many fans, and this volleyball is a show. It’s important the player and the team used this because it’s a show, and we need to put in the best every time,” France’s coach said.

Although they will be playing in the Final Eight, Giani and his team stressed the importance of defending their Olympic title at home. 

READ: VNL 2024: France halts Iran streak to boost Final Eight push

“The VNL [is] too competitive. The first preparation for the Olympic Games. It’s important for the team to play against a big team. Every match we need to try to win and improve the level and quality,” he said. “I’m very happy because of this tournament, the starting six and the second lineup, they played against great teams here.”

Kevin Tillie also stepped up for France with 14 points, while Jouffroy and Yacine Loati added eight points each.

Brazil, which drew inspiration from Bruno Rezende’s return from injury, seeing limited action, only won a game in Manila, sliding to a 6-6 card,

Souza led the Brazilians with 18 points. Alan Souza had 15 points, while Fernandez and Flavio Resende added 11 and 10 points, respectively.



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Team USA overcomes Brazil for first win in Manila

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Team USA’s TJ Defalco goes for a hit during a VNL 2024 game in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — TJ Defalco connected to Micah Christenson’s brilliant playmaking as USA earned its first win in Manila after staving off Brazil in five sets,  25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9, in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Thursday night at Mall of Asia Arena.

Defalco delivered 21 points including the two game-clinching attacks, as Christenson orchestrated USA’s offense with 41 excellent sets to keep themselves in the hunt for the Final Eight with a 4-6 record in 11th place. 

The 27-year-old Defalco also led the Americans’ bounce back from a tough 26-28, 25-23, 25-18, 26-28, 15-13 loss to Iran less than 24 hours ago as his 33-point explosion went for naught. 

READ: VNL 2024: Team USA’s Erik Shoji lauds ‘awesome’ Filipino fans

“That one was tough. We’re in an interesting part right now in USA volleyball. We just come out of every game trying to get better and just trying to play USA volleyball. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re figuring it out and that was a big step for us,” said Defalco, who had 18 kills and three aces.

“Coming out of playing Brazil, you know they’re gonna play hard every single time, and I’m very proud of our team staying in the game. We helped each other out. Brazil’s an amazing team and it feels great to barely pull that one out in five.”

Micah Christenson and Torey Defalco in Team USA's first win in VNL Week 3 in Manila

Micah Christenson and Torey Defalco in Team USA’s first win in VNL Week 3 in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Maxwell Holt finished with 15 points built on nine attacks, four blocks, and two aces that gave USA an 11-6 lead before Defalco put on the finishing touches.

Matt Anderson chipped in 13 points, while Taylor Averill added 11 points to gift their thousands of Filipino fans with a win.

READ: VNL 2024: Micah Christenson, USA grateful for fans’ support in loss

“Very intense five sets against Brazil. They’re always there to come out and play as hard as they can. Our only hope is to match that energy and I feel like we did that tonight,” Defalco said. “A lot of the USA guys are very friendly with Team Brazil because one, they compete really hard when they come to play. Real volleyball all the time. So, it’s very easy to compete and try to get to that level, and they’re at a very high level.”

Defalco also thanked the Filipino fans, who made them feel at home before they take a break on Friday before ending their Week 3 stint against Germany and Japan over the weekend.

Brazil remained as the fourth seed despite dropping to a 6-4 record. Alan Souza carried the team with 26 points. Lukas Bergmann had 19 points, while Lucarelli Souza added 13 points.



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Brazil seeks to bounce back against Canada at 3 p.m. on Friday

Nine-year-old Argentine motorbike racer dies after Brazil crash

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Argentine junior motorbike rider Lorenzo Somaschini. –SuperBike Brazil

A nine-year-old Argentine junior motorbike rider has died after suffering serious injuries in a crash during a practice session at a weekend competition in Sao Paulo, event organizers said.

Lorenzo Somaschini was pronounced dead Monday at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital, according to SuperBike Brazil.

Somaschini — who hailed from the Argentine city of Rosario — had been riding in a free practice on Friday for the Honda Junior Cup, one of the region’s largest youth racing events, when he crashed in a curve at the Interlagos track in Sao Paulo.

Event officials said Somaschini received immediate medical attention and initially had stabilized, but his condition then worsened and he was moved to intensive care at the Albert Einstein hospital on Saturday.

“Everyone on the SuperBike Brazil team is appalled by this event and expresses our sincere sorrow to all of Lorenzo’s family and friends,” organizers said in a statement.

The Junior Honda Cup brings together riders between the ages of eight and 16 to race on modified motorbikes with specially adapted pedals and handlebars.

The bikes can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) per hour.



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VNL 2024: Brazil fends off Netherlands to boost Final Eight bid

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Brazil’s Darlan Ferreira Souza goes for a hit against the Netherlands defenders in a VNL 2024 Week 3 game at Mall of Asia Arena. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

MANILA, Philippines — Brazil overcame a slow start and the 38-point explosion of Nimir Abdel-Aziz for the Netherlands, 24-26, 25-23, 31-29, 25-20, to solidify its chances for the Final Eight in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Tuesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Brazil leaned on a collective effort led by Darlan Souza to recover from a first-set loss, where it squandered a 23-21 lead, before getting its act together to improve to a 6-3 record in third place.

Souza powered the Brazilians with 26 points off 20 attacks, three blocks, and three aces to get the win over Abdel-Aziz, who drilled 33 kills and five aces for the Netherlands.

“We got a little nervous. The Netherlands played so well but we eventually managed to boost our pace and we’re happy to get the win,” Souza told reporters. “It’s always good when we get a win. It’s a boost in our morale and the matches are very hard so we have to stay focused with our [remaining] matchups.”

Brazil survived a tight third set, where it fought back from a 23-24 deficit before taking five set point advantages but Maarten Van Garderen’s kill tied the frame to 29-all.

However, Van Garderen missed his serve that brought back the Brazilians at set point, 30-29, before Flavio Resende delivered a big block on  Abdel-Aziz to take a 2-1 match advantage.

The Brazilians pulled away in the fourth set with an 18-13 spread and never looked back to win their first assignment in Manila before facing Team USA on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Lucas Saatkamp also stepped up for Brazil with 12 points including three blocks. Flavio delivered 11 points off five attacks and six blocks, while Lucarelli Souza and Leal Hidalgo added nine and eight points, respectively.

The Netherlands dropped to 13th place with a 3-6 card amid Abdel-Aziz’s big game. Van Garderen stepped up with 15 points as they battle Iran on Thursday.



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