NBA stars lead the Bahamas to shocking Olympic qualifier berth

The Bahamas had a huge fourth-quarter comeback Sunday to defeat Argentina for the second time in five days, and earned themselves a spot in a qualifying tournament for the Paris Olympics next year. Eric Gordon had 27 points on 6-for-7 shooting from three-point range, while his Phoenix Suns teammate Deandre Ayton pulled down 21 rebounds in 38 minutes.

Gordan wasn't just a three-point shooter either. He delivered a huge dunk against Argentina, showing he can still get up at age 34.

Now, the Bahamas has a chance to qualify for the Olympics for the first time, with 24 teams competing in four groups for the remaining bids to the Paris Olympics. In the end, only 12 teams will make it. It helps that the Bahamas have Ayton and Buddy Hield, picked No. 1 and No. 6 in their respective drafts. It also helped that FIBA let Gordon play.

Gordon won a gold medal for Team USA in the 2010 World Cup, but switched to Team Bahamas this summer. His mother, Denise, is from the Bahamas, the island nation that also produced 1978's No. 1 pick, Mychel Thompson, whose son Klay has won four titles.

This is great news for the Bahamas, but also great news for the Suns. Gordon and Ayton are already showing strong chemistry, and Ayton is showing he can be an impact player without scoring — something that likely won't be a big part of his game with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal there to dominate the ball.

Adding Gordon has turned the Bahamas into a contender. It might do the same for the Suns.