Brazil secured their spot in the Paris Olympics after a dominant performance against Latvia in the men’s basketball qualifying tournament finals. In a resounding 94-69 victory, Brazil’s 19-0 run over the final 3:21 of the first quarter set the tone for the game. Bruno Caboclo led Brazil with 21 points, and Leo Meindl added 20 to secure the win.
Caboclo’s impressive 65-foot 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter encapsulated Brazil’s dominance as they went 8 for 8 from beyond the arc, taking a 34-11 lead and surprising the home crowd in Riga, Latvia. Latvia’s Rihards Lomazs scored 15 points, while Rolands Smits and Arturs Zagars contributed 14 points each in the losing effort.
Brazil is slated to join Group B in the Olympics, facing off against France on July 27, Germany on July 30, and Japan on August 2 in the opening stage. The final three spots in the 12-team Olympic field will be determined later on Sunday through matches between Croatia and Greece, Bahamas and Spain, and Lithuania against Puerto Rico. The winners of these games will also advance to Paris.
Among the teams already qualified for the Paris Olympics are the U.S., France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, South Sudan, Canada, and Australia. France secured a spot as the host nation, while the other seven teams earned their places based on their performances at the World Cup last summer. After the World Cup, 24 teams vied for the final four slots in winner-take-all qualifiers that commenced last week.