Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo dominated Japan in a 102-84 victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday. Ten years after he was drafted, the 28-year-old big man went off for 33 points on 13-for-19 shooting, 17 rebounds and a block in 30 minutes. Caboclo made all four of his 3-point attempts and nine of his rebounds were on the offensive glass.
The comfortable victory in Lille meant that Brazil finished third in Group B with a 1-2 record and a minus-7 point differential. The win didn’t immediately mean Brazil would advance to the quarterfinals, but the result of the following game between Greece and Australia did.
In their first 2024 Olympic victory, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece beat Australia by a final score of 77-71. As a result, Greece finished third in the “Group of Death” with a minus-8 point differential.
Eight teams qualify for the quarterfinals: the two top teams in each group and the two top third-ranked teams. Brazil, having beaten Greece’s point differential by a single point, will definitely be one of the two top third-ranked teams, so they’re moving on to Paris.
Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting, with seven rebounds, six assists and two steals against the Boomers, who, like Greece, finished the group stage 1-2. The final game in Group A, between Canada and Spain, is scheduled for 11:15 a.m ET Friday. If Canada (2-0) beats Spain, then Australia will advance to the quarterfinals. If Spain beats Canada, then Australia will be eliminated.
For Greece to advance to the quarterfinals, Serbia has to beat South Sudan by two or more points on Saturday.
Friday’s Olympic scores/schedule
Brazil 102, Japan 84
Greece 77, Australia 71
Canada vs. Spain, 11:15 a.m. ET
France vs. Germany, 3 p.m. ET
