LONDON _ Greece, the host team, was drawn into a group with Brazil and Lebanon on Thursday for the Olympic basketball qualifier that will determine the final three teams in the Beijing field.
The 12-team tournament will be held from July 14-20 in Athens and send three nations to join the nine that have already qualified for the Olympics.
Group B features Germany, New Zealand and Cape Verde. Canada, Slovenia and South Korea were drawn into Group C; and Croatia, Puerto Rico and Cameroon comprise Group D.
The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals. The winners of the two semifinal games gain Olympic berths, while the losers will play for the final spot.
Greece, which beat the United States en route to a runner-up finish in the 2006 world championship, is perhaps the strongest team in the field. Germany, featuring NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki, Croatia and Slovenia also should challenge for a spot.
China qualified for Beijing as the Olympic host, and the United States, Spain, Russia, Argentina, Lithuania, Australia, Angola and Iran also have secured berths.
