By TIM REYNOLDS

Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo have faced each other nine times in their NBA careers and these games have never been a disappointment.

On Saturday they will face each other again – but like never before.

Doncic and Slovenia will face Antetokounmpo and Greece in one of eight semifinals in the Olympic qualifying tournaments that will determine the final four spots on the men's basketball field for the Paris Games. The game in Piraeus, Greece, will be the first time the two megastars have faced each other on their senior national teams.

“We are looking forward to it,” said Slovenia coach Aleksander Sekulić.

The last time Doncic and Antetokounmpo faced each other was on February 3. That time, Antetokounmpo scored 48 points for Milwaukee, Doncic finished with 40 for Dallas and the Bucks won 129-117.

It was the seventh consecutive time that both scored at least 27 points in a Luka-Giannis duel. Antetokounmpo has scored at least 28 points in all nine games against Dallas in which Doncic played.

“Both teams have the same goal,” said Sekulic. “Of course the home team is the favorite. But I think we can also go into this game knowing that we have a chance of winning. As I always say: You have to show it on the pitch.”

The game is also an opportunity for Doncic to play against a team coached by one of his heroes. He has called Greek coach Vasilis Spanoulis one of his idols; Doncic now wears jersey No. 77 because Spanoulis wore No. 7 as a player.

“He just showed a lot of players how to play basketball,” Doncic said.

The winner of the Greece-Slovenia match will face either Croatia or the Dominican Republic in the tournament final on Sunday; the winner will receive a place at the Olympic Games in Paris.

A look at the other semi-final pairings, broken down by location:

Riga, Latvia

The matches: Latvia against Cameroon, Brazil against Philippines.

Outlook: All six teams in Latvia's qualifying group drew 1-1 in the group stage. Montenegro and Georgia were eliminated in the tiebreaker before the semifinals due to the difference in points. Brazil last participated in the Olympic Games in 2016, the Philippines in 1972, Latvia last participated in 1936 and Cameroon has never reached the Olympic stage in men's basketball.

Quote: “We're very process-oriented. We just want to focus on what's right in front of us. We don't want to look at the final and think, 'Wow, what happens if we make it to Paris?' Of course the country would go crazy. They would go completely crazy. But that's a long way away.” – Philippines coach Tim Cone.

Valencia, Spain

The matches: Spain against Finland, Bahamas against Lebanon.

Outlook: Spain and the Bahamas drew 2-0 in group play and are strong favorites to advance on Sunday. Spain is seeking its seventh consecutive Olympic berth. Finland hasn't made it since 1964, and Lebanon and the Bahamas have never qualified. But the Bahamas — led by NBA players Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon — have by far the best chances.

Quote: “The chance to play in the Olympics would be a dream come true.” – Hield.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

The matches: Puerto Rico against Mexico, Italy against Lithuania.

Outlook: These four nations have competed in the Olympics a combined 34 times, and this could be the most unpredictable group left. Puerto Rico hasn't qualified since 2004, and home advantage could be the deciding factor; seven of their last eight games against Mexico have been decided by 10 points or less. Italy and Lithuania haven't met at the senior national level since 2019.

Quote: “We have been rivals for many years and we must know that the Mexican team may not have big names, but it has warriors.” – Puerto Rico coach Nelson Colon.

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