Memphis Grizzlies swingman Bruno Caboclo saved the day for his home nation of Brazil, as his game-winning tip clinched the victory for the Brazilians over a heavily favored Greece side, 79-78, in the opening stage of the FIBA World Cup in China.
To be clear, Caboclo's tip came on the defensive end, as he swatted away a potentially game-tying free-throw attempt from Greece with just 2.1 seconds remaining in the ballgame:
AND NOW BRUNO WITH THE GAME-SAVING TIP pic.twitter.com/As8xQZbtbm
— William Lou (@william_lou) September 3, 2019
While this turn of events may seem odd in NBA standards, this is perfectly legal in FIBA rules, which is why the 23-year-old Brazilian was not called for a goaltending violation. Kudos to Caboclo for having the presence of mind to tip the ball and earn his team an upset victory against the Greeks.
Caboclo came up big for his side all night long, with the 6-foot-9 small forward logging a game-high 34 minutes of action. He ended the contest with eight points, a couple of 3-pointers, a game-high 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.
Moreover, Bruno Caboclo was given the unenviable task of having to lock down reigning NBA MVP and Greece's talisman, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The young Brazilian more than held his own against The Greek Freak, somewhat containing Giannis to just 13 points (on 3-of-7 shooting), four rebounds, an assist, three steals, and three turnovers in 29 minutes of play.
This victory makes it two out of two for Brazil to open the FIBA World Cup. They have now moved clear at the top spot in Group F, with Greece settling for second place with a 1-1 record. The other two teams in their group are New Zealand and Montenegro.
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