Luka Doncic and Slovenia still have Olympic hopes. And so does the Philippines, much to its own surprise.
Doncic had 36 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and Slovenia beat New Zealand 104-78 on Thursday to clinch a semifinal spot in the Olympic qualifying tournament at Piraeus, Greece. Slovenia needed to win by at least 10 points to make the semifinals.
Slovenia's opponent on Saturday is Greece, meaning it'll be Doncic and fellow NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo leading their squads — with the winner advancing to Sunday's final with a berth in the Paris Olympics at stake, and the loser eliminated.
Josh Nebo had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Slovenia. Shea Ili led New Zealand with 28 points.
The matchups for Saturday's semifinals are .
At Valencia, Spain — Finland vs. Spain; Bahamas vs. Lebanon.
At Piraeus, Greece — Slovenia vs. Greece; Croatia vs. Dominican Republic.
At Riga, Latvia — Brazil vs. Philippines; Cameroon vs. Latvia.
At San Juan, Puerto Rico — Lithuania vs. Italy; Puerto Rico vs. Mexico.
The finals at all four sites are Sunday, and those four winners go to the Paris Olympics.
The Philippines lost but advanced to Saturday's semifinals of their tournament in Riga, Latvia, anyway. That created a bit of an issue; the team had flights home scheduled for Friday.
“I guess we’re going to have to move them back a little bit,” Philippines coach Tim Cone said. “That’s how surprised we are to be here and talking to you guys. It’s the first time I’ve felt good about losing.”
Georgia needed to win by at least 19 points to have any chance of advancing.
Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 26 points and Goga Bitadze finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Brownlee led all scorers with 28 points for the Philippines, adding eight rebounds and eight assists as well.
Down by 12 early in the fourth, Finland finished the game on a 25-12 run to keep its Olympic hopes alive and reach the semifinals.
Mikael Jantunen scored 20 for Finland, which got 18 from Alexander Madsen; those two players combined to shoot 12 for 13 from the floor.
A.J. Slaughter had 21 points and Jeremy Sochan added 20 for Poland, which was eliminated.
At Piraeus, Antetokounmpo got the day off and Greece rolled into the semifinals anyway.
Konstantinos Mitoglou and Georgios Papagiannis each had 16 points for Greece, which got 15 from Kostas Popanikolaou.
Ahmed Metwaly scored 22 for Egypt, which was eliminated.
At Riga, Cameroon won and advanced, Brazil lost and won its group anyway, and Montenegro really lost without even playing.
Jeremiah Hill led Cameroon with 22 points. Cameroon needed to win to advance to Saturday's semifinals in Latvia; had it lost, Montenegro would have reached the semifinals.
Leo Meindl topped Brazil with 19 points. All Brazil had to do to win the group was win the game or lose by no more than six points; had Brazil lost by 15 or more, it would have been eliminated and Montenegro would have advanced.
Omari Spellman scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Lebanon moved into the semifinals of the qualifier at Valencia, Spain.
Karim Zeinoun added 15 for the winners, including a personal 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter when he turned a game that was tied at 49 into one in which Lebanon led 56-49 — and it wouldn't trail again.
Gerson Goncalves scored 13 and Bruno Fernando added 12 for Angola, which was eliminated.
At San Juan, Puerto Rico, Paul Stoll scored 23 points and added 11 assists, and Mexico erased a nine-point deficit in the second half to earn a semifinal spot.
Joshua Ibarra scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Mexico, which outscored Ivory Coast 24-12 in the fourth quarter to pull away.
Nisre Zouzoua and Vafessa Fofana each scored 16 for Ivory Coast.
At San Juan, Jose Alvarado scored 29 points, George Conditt IV added 15 and Puerto Rico ran away from Italy in the second half.
Danilo Gallinari scored 14 points for Italy, which was outscored 45-29 after halftime.
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
A woman walks past copies of one of the most famous Greek statues, the Venus of Milo, installed on the steps of the French National Assembly, Wednesday, July 3, 2024 in Paris. The statues by artist Laurent Perbos, have regained her arms and are now equipped with the attributes of six sporting disciplines. Just three weeks before the Olympics, the excitement that was building up in the host city has mingled with anxiety about France’s political future. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
The logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games hangs from the facade of the Paris city hall, Wednesday, July 3, 2024 in Paris. Just three weeks before the Olympics, the excitement that was building up in the host city has mingled with anxiety about France’s political future. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Luka Doncic, Slovenia head to Olympic qualifying semifinals. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece await
Luka Doncic, Slovenia head to Olympic qualifying semifinals. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece await
France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock.
Sunday’s snap elections in this nuclear-armed nation have potential impact on the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe’s economic stability. And they’re almost certain to undercut President Emmanuel Macron for the remaining three years of his presidency. France could have its first far-right government since the Nazi occupation in World War II if the National Rally wins an absolute majority and its 28-year-old leader Jordan Bardella becomes prime minister.
Racism and antisemitism have marred the electoral campaign, along with Russian cybercampaigns, and more than 50 candidates reported being physically attacked — highly unusual for France. The government is deploying 30,000 police on voting day.
The second-round voting began Saturday in France’s overseas territories from the South Pacific to the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and North Atlantic. The elections wrap up Sunday at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) in mainland France. Initial polling projections are expected Sunday night, with early official results expected late Sunday and early Monday.
Here’s the latest:
French President Emmanuel Macron voted in high-stakes legislative elections Sunday that could force him to share power with the rising far right.
Macron called the surprise vote after the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally made huge gains in the June 9 European elections, taking a huge gamble that French voters would block the far-right party as they always have in the past.
But the National Rally instead won a larger share than ever in the first round on June 30, and its leader Marine Le Pen called on voters to give the party an absolute majority in the second round.
Sunday’s vote determines which party controls the National Assembly and who will be prime minister. If no party wins an absolute majority, forming a government comes only after extensive negotiations.
As of noon local time, turnout was at 26.63%, according to France’s interior ministry. That’s slightly higher than the 25.90% reported at the same time during the first round of voting last Sunday.
Voters at a Paris polling station were acutely aware of the elections’ far-reaching consequences for France and beyond.
“The individual freedoms, tolerance and respect for others is what at stake today,” said Thomas Bertrand, a 45-year-old voter who works in advertising. He voted at a school where, as at all French schools, the national motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” was displayed prominently.
Pierre Lubin, a 45-year-old business manager, was worried about whether the elections would produce an effective government.
“This is a concern for us,” Lubin said. “Will it be a technical government or a coalition government made up of (different) political forces?”
Even with the outcome still in doubt, Valerie Dodeman, a 55-year-old legal expert, said she is pessimistic about the future of France.
“No matter what happens, I think this election will leave people disgruntled on all sides,” Dodeman said.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal cast his ballot in the Paris suburb of Vanves Sunday morning.
Macron is expected to vote later in the seaside town of La Touquet, while Le Pen is not voting after winning her district in northern France outright last week. Across France, 76 candidates secured seats in the first round, including 39 from her National Rally, 32 from the leftist New Popular Front alliance, and two from Macron’s centrist list.
Voting opened Sunday in mainland France for the second round of high-stake legislative elections that have already seen the largest gains ever for the country’s far-right National Rally party.
French President Emmanuel Macron took a huge gamble in dissolving parliament and calling for the elections after his centrists were trounced in European elections on June 9. The first round on June 30 saw the largest gains ever for the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen. Sunday’s vote determines which party controls the National Assembly and who will be prime minister.
If support is further eroded for Macron’s weak centrist majority, he will be forced to share power with parties opposed to most of his pro-business, pro-European Union policies.
The second-round voting began Saturday in France’s overseas territories from the South Pacific to the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and North Atlantic. The elections wrap up Sunday at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) in mainland France. Initial polling projections are expected Sunday night, with early official results expected late Sunday and early Monday.
Opposition parties made hurried deals ahead of Sunday's second round of voting to try to block a landslide victory for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in the legislative elections, as she said her party would lead the government only if it won an absolute majority — or close to it.
An unprecedented number of candidates who qualified for Round 2 from the left-wing alliance of the New Popular Front and from President Emmanuel Macron’s weakened centrists have stepped aside to favor the candidate most likely to win against a National Rally opponent.
According to a count by French newspaper Le Monde, some 218 candidates who were supposed to compete in the second round have pulled out. Of those, 130 were on the left, and 82 came from the Macron-led centrist alliance Ensemble.
French people living in Switzerland arrive to cast their ballots for the second round of French legislative elections at the polling station "Palexpo" in Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
French people living in Switzerland cast their ballots for the second round of French legislative elections at the polling station "Palexpo" in Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to vote for the second round of the legislative elections in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, northern France, Sunday July 7 2024. Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and political deadlock. (Mohammed Badra, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, signs after voting for the second round of the legislative elections in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, northern France, Sunday July 7 2024. Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and political deadlock. (Mohammed Badra, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron leave the voting booth before voting for the second round of the legislative elections in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, northern France, Sunday July 7 2024. Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and political deadlock. (Mohammed Badra, Pool via AP)
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, right, shakes hands with a voter during the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Vanves, outside Paris. Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (Alain Jocard, Pool via AP)
Voters waits to vote for the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Paris. Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)
A man casts his ballot in the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Rennes, western France. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)
A voter casts his ballot during the second round of the legislative elections, in Lyon, central France, Sunday, July 7, 2024. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
A voter casts her ballot during the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Paris. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
A woman casts her ballot during the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Paris. Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)
A woman casts her ballot in the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Rennes, western France. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)
A voter, left, casts his ballot for the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Paris. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, leaves the polling booth before voting for the second round of the legislative election, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Vanves, outside Paris. Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (Alain Jocard, Pool via AP)
A man picks up ballots in a the voting station during the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Olwisheim , eastern France. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A voter places his ballot in the envelope during the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Paris. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
A man votes in the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Strasbourg, eastern France. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A voter leaves the voting booth before voting in the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Strasbourg, eastern France. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A woman casts her ballot in the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Strasbourg, eastern France. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
A voter takes ballots before voting in the second round of the legislative elections, Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Strasbourg, eastern France. France votes Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
FILE - French President Emmanuel Macron leaves the voting booth before voting in the early French parliamentary election, in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, northern France, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Whatever the outcome of Sunday's runoff is, it's not expected to be a good news for Macron. French media have recently described an "end of reign" atmosphere at the Elysee presidential palace. (Yara Nardi, Pool via AP, File)
FILE - Far-right National Rally party president Jordan Bardella, right, leaves with far-right leader Marine Le Pen after a press conference, Monday, June 24, 2024 in Paris. Both Le Pen and Bardella have made clear that, in power, they would seek to rein-in Macron and exert themselves in defense, European and foreign affairs decision-making. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
Local city officials prepare voting kits for the legislative election in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Saturday, July 6, 2024. Voters face a decisive choice in the runoff Sunday of snap parliamentary elections that could produce the country’s first far-right government since the World War II Nazi occupation. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Local city officials prepare voting kits for the legislative election in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Saturday, July 6, 2024. Voters face a decisive choice in the runoff Sunday of snap parliamentary elections that could produce the country’s first far-right government since the World War II Nazi occupation. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
