Anthony Edwards goes to the basket. GETTY IMAGES

The first round of the men's basketball tournament is over and the quarter-final matches are USA-Brazil, Canada-France, Serbia-Australia and Germany-Greece. The Americans once again showed their potential against Puerto Rico on Saturday.

The key to the pairings is that teams that have shared a group should not meet. Therefore, Germany cannot play Brazil, and Canada cannot play Australia. The draw to determine the semi-final pairings is yet to be made.

The USA concluded their participation in Group C with a 83-104 win over Puerto Rico, who needed a victory to have a chance of qualifying. The USA started off scoring with ease and finished the first quarter ahead on the scoreboard, 29-25.

From the second quarter on, everything changed. The USA's defense went to work, leaving Puerto Rico without an answer. The game seemed to be over by halftime, with the score at 45-64. By the third quarter, there was no longer any doubt. However, the Puerto Ricans did not give up. They lost with honor, with a final difference of 21 points.



Anthony Edwards was the star of the game. He played only 17 minutes and scored 26 points. The two US players who were the subject of controversy for not playing in previous matches, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, were the players with the most minutes on the court today. New Orleans Hornets NBA player Jose Alvarado was Puerto Rico's top scorer with 18 points. The USA will now face Brazil in the quarter-finals.

The last game remained to be played. Serbia had a cushion of points to go through as one of the two best third-placed teams, but they needed a win over South Sudan to go through as group runners-up.
The African team has become one of the sensations of the Games. On Saturday, they were once again very competitive, although they ended up losing 96-85 and were eliminated after falling short by more than two points.
Despite being a relatively young team, they are running a very ambitious basketball program under the leadership of Luol Deng, a former NBA player. Although they failed to make the top eight, they are a team to watch in the future.
Serbia needed to play exceptionally well to secure the win. Despite their fluent scoring, South Sudan remained competitive throughout. The Serbian shooting percentages were high, but South Sudan's rebounding power and Serbia's turnovers helped keep the game close until the end.

Bogdan Bogdanovic shoots over Marial Shayok. GETTY IMAGES
Bogdan Bogdanovic shoots over Marial Shayok. GETTY IMAGES

Serbia's stars performed at a high level. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 30 points, including 6 of 9 three-pointers, and dished out eight assists. Nikola Jokic added 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Vasilje Micic contributed 15 points. For South Sudan, Carlik Jones and Marial Mayok each scored 17 points. Serbia will face Australia in the quarter-finals.

The other two quarter-final matchups are Germany vs. Greece and Canada vs. Australia. Germany, as the second-best group winners, is guaranteed not to meet the USA until the final.

Spain finish top of the group in the women's tournament

The Spanish national team struggled mightily in its first two matches at Paris 2024. Against China, they needed extra time, and Puerto Rico made them suffer until the last moment. They won both games by just one point.

Both Spain and Serbia had qualified for the final match, but first place in the group was still at stake. The Spanish team showed no mercy to their opponents. Their defense suffocated the Serbians, who only managed to close the gap towards the end of the game. The final score was 62-70.

This time, Maria Conde was Spain's top scorer with 15 points. However, many players contributed significantly to the win. For Serbia, the standout player was Yvonne Anderson, who scored 18 points.




In the other match of the group, China achieved a resounding victory over Puerto Rico (80-58), eliminating the Puerto Ricans. This significant margin makes it highly likely for the Chinese to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. The standout players were once again Li Meng, with 18 points and seven assists, and Li Yueru, with 14 points and seven rebounds. Arella Guirantes was the top performer for Puerto Rico, scoring 20 points.

The quarter-final pairings will be announced on Sunday, after the conclusion of Pools B and C of the women’s tournament, where the USA is also a favorite. Here are the scheduled matches:
In the other match of the group, China achieved a resounding victory over Puerto Rico (80-58), eliminating the Puerto Ricans. This significant margin makes it highly likely for the Chinese to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. The standout players were once again Li Meng, with 18 points and seven assists, and Li Yueru, with 14 points and seven rebounds. Arella Guirantes was the top performer for Puerto Rico, scoring 20 points.

The quarter-final pairings will be announced on Sunday, after the conclusion of Pools B and C of the women’s tournament, where the USA is also a favorite. Here are the scheduled matches:

Group B

Canada-Nigeria, 13:30, local time

Australia-France, 21:00

Group C

Japan-Belgium, 11:00

Germany-United States, 17:15