The Bahamas are just three wins away from a spot in this summer’s Paris Olympics following a 96-85 victory over Finland on Tuesday. The game kicked off the opening group phase game for the Olympic qualifiers in Valencia, Spain.
Finland was up by seven at the half and brought that lead up to as much as a 12 out of the break. Over the next 17 minutes, the Bahamas closed out on a 44-21 run to earn the double-digit victory.
Buddy Hield’s six threes on 50 per cent shooting led to a team-high 24 points in the game. V.J. Edgecombe, the 18-year-old guard who is a projected top 5 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, earned player of the game for his side, netting 20 points and 6 rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting.
“We grinded it out. Grinded out a win today,” Hield said. “Staying together, figuring it out. Game of basketball is a game of runs. First half, we didn’t quite figure it out.”
Deandre Ayton added 19 points and 9 rebounds, while 35-year-old NBA veteran Eric Gordon tallied 16 points over 33 minutes of work.
Mikael Jantunen and Edon Maxhuni combined for an efficient nine threes on 14 attempts, as they finished with 20 points each for Finland in the loss.
The Bahamas can advance to the qualifier’s semifinal knockout round by beating Poland on Wednesday. The winner of this group stage tournament will go on to join Canada’s group in Paris, which will be decided following the championship game on Sunday, July 7.
— With files from the Associated Press