France (2-0) and Japan (0-2) gave basketball fans the game of the Olympic tournament so far, with the host nation coming out on top with a 94-90 win once the dust settled in overtime on Tuesday.
The game saw nine lead changes and neither side leading by double-digits at any point.
Helping France escape with the win was reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama who finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Right behind him was Matthew Strazel who scored 17 points, going four-of-seven from distance including a triple that helped send the game to overtime. Meanwhile, Evan Fournier and Guerschon Yabusele chipped in with 14 and 13 points respectively.
Leading Japan on the day was Yuki Kawamura who finished with 29 points on six made threes, seven rebounds, six assists and a steal. Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura finished with 24 points on 63 per cent shooting before exiting the game early in the fourth quarter following a second unsportsmanlike foul.
Japan, ranked 26th in the world, nearly had the historic upset over No. 9 France in hand when a pair of Kawamura free throws put his team up 84-80 with 16 seconds to go in the fourth quarter.
But a remarkable four-point play converted by Strazel from the left corner in the final seconds pulled victory from the jaws of defeat for France and sent the game to overtime.
From there the host nation took care of business, holding Japan scoreless through the first four minutes of the five-minute extra frame while allowing just six points by the end of it. Strazel would ice the game at the charity stripe, finishing the game three-for-three on the line.
UP NEXT
Japan will look to win its first game of the Olympics on Friday, taking on Brazil at 5 a.m. ET.
That will be followed by France-Germany at 3 p.m. ET, with the winner taking top spot in the group.
SPAIN 84, GREECE 77
Greece nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback, but fell just short on Tuesday against Spain.
Greece (0-2) erased a 16-point deficit and having the game tied with as little as four minutes to go, but Spain's (1-1) poise pulled through for a much-needed win in Group A play.
Canada (2-0) and Australia (1-1) also are in the group.
Santi Aldama led the way on both ends for the Spaniards, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks while being the primary defender on Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo. Sergio Llull also chipped in with 13 points, three made threes and seven assists.
Despite Aldama's pesky defence, Antetokounmpo still finished with a game-high 27 points on 71-per-cent shooting from the field to go with 11 rebounds and two steals, arguably none more important than a slam dunk midway through the fourth that knotted things up at 71-71.
Vasilis Toliopoulos added 14 points for Greece, going four-of-six from beyond the arc.
As spirited an effort as it was to erase a 16-point lead, Spain locked in and held Greece scoreless for three minutes after the two-time MVP's timely basket, shutting the door on any comeback.
Spain keeps its hopes of advancing to the knockout phase of the tournament alive with the win, sitting third in Group A and holding a minus-five point differential.
UP NEXT
Greece will look to win its first game of the Olympics on Friday, taking on Australia at 7:30 a.m. ET.
That will be followed by Canada-Spain at 11:15 a.m. ET.
GERMANY 86, BRAZIL 73
Former Raptors point guard Dennis Schroder scored a game-high 20 points as Germany improved to 2-0.
Schroder added four assists for a team coached by Canadian Gordon Herbert.
Germany won the World Cup last year.
Yago Santos led Brazil (0-2) with 18 points.
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