Nanjing (China) (AFP)

Greece's NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will not see the top 8 at the World Basketball Championship after his insufficient victory over the Czech Republic, 84-77, on Monday in Shenzhen.

The quarter-finals will pit the United States against France and Australia against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. In the other half of the table, on Tuesday, Spain will play Poland and Serbia will challenge Argentina.

The Greeks needed to win by twelve points to pass. It is their surprise defeat of the first round against Brazil (79-78), which costs them their ticket.

Antetokounmpo, voted Most Valuable Player of the NBA, the best player in the world, thanks to his superb season with the Milwaukee Bucks (semi-finalists of the NBA), was expected as the big star of the World just 24 years. But the amalgamation with his teammates, with whom he had not contested any major competition since the Euro-2015, has never taken.

Against the Czechs, he scored only 12 points (4 of 9 shot) and was excluded for his fifth foul five minutes from the end while everything was still possible. Veteran Nick Calathes, a naturalized American, took the Hellenic team with 27 points. Kostas Sloukas, the man who missed the fatal free-throw against Brazil at the last second, scored 16 points. Two days earlier, he had not really flamed either (15 points in the clear defeat in the United States (69-53).

- The USA without trembling -

The Czech Republic is the surprise guest of the quarterfinals, in the half of the table by far the most difficult. Yet deprived of one of her best players, inside Jan Vesely, she has won beautiful victories over Turkey and Brazil relying on her NBA player Tomas Satoransky (Chicago Bulls, 13 points against the Greeks) .

With this result, the Americans were mathematically assured of their ticket, which had not been doubted since yesterday. Brazil's only hope of doubling the Czechs was a feat against the United States. It has not happened. Gregg Popovich's team won without shaking 89 to 73 winning all quarter-time. All Star leader Kemba Walker and Myles Turner inside were the top scorers with 16 points.

The United States will face France, who lost a magnificent match against Australia 100 to 98. The loser was promised shock with Team USA.

San Antonio leader Patty Mills was the man of the match with 30 points and a decisive interception in the final second. The pivot Aron Baynes scored 21 points with an outstanding 3-point win (5 of 6) and Joe Ingles 23. French side, Evan Fournier (31 points) and Nando De Colo (26 points) have again managed a festival, but the team sinned in its usual strong point, the defense.

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