With a remarkable performance, Eric Gordon contributed 27 points as the Bahamas pulled off an astonishing upset, defeating Argentina 82-75.
SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, Argentina — The Bahamas, a country that has never before sent its men’s basketball team to the Olympics, is now on the verge of rewriting that history.
Eric Gordon’s remarkable 27-point performance, complemented by Buddy Hield’s 17 points, propelled the Bahamas to a stunning 82-75 victory over Argentina, clinching a victory in one of the five Olympic pre-qualifying tournaments that concluded across the globe on Sunday.
This triumph propels the Bahamas into another Olympic qualifying tournament in July 2024, allowing them to secure a place at the Paris Games next summer. In the victory against Argentina, Deandre Ayton made a notable contribution with 10 points and a staggering 21 rebounds.
Argentina, who had claimed Olympic gold in 2004, will be absent from the games for the first time since 2000.
On this same day, other pre-qualifying tournament champions emerged, including Cameroon, Bahrain, Croatia, and Poland.
Cameroon secured an 80-74 victory against Senegal in Nigeria; Bahrain emerged victorious with a 5-0 record in a tournament in Syria; Croatia, driven by a 22-point, 11-rebound effort, triumphed over Turkey in another hard-fought final; and Poland overcame Bosnia and Herzegovina 76-72 to earn its qualifying slot.
The Paris Olympics will feature a field of 12 men’s teams. The host, France, has already secured one of the spots, with the remaining seven up for grabs at the upcoming Basketball World Cup, scheduled to commence this Friday in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan.
Next summer, alongside other teams based on their World Cup finishes, Bahamas, Cameroon, Bahrain, Croatia, and Poland will join 19 other squads in the final qualifying round. These 24 nations will be divided into four tournaments of six teams each, with the winners of each securing their spots at the Paris Olympics.
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