Former Gonzaga basketball players Ira Brown, Domantas Sabonis, Filip Petrusev on course for Olympics

Former Gonzaga forward Ira Brown has secured a spot in the Summer Olympics and former Zags Domantas Sabonis and Filip Petrusev are closing in on a trip to Tokyo.

Brown, who came off the bench for two seasons at Gonzaga in 2008 and 2009, was named to Japan’s team in the debut of 3x3 basketball at the Olympics. Brown, 38, is a naturalized Japanese citizen and has played professionally in the country for roughly a decade.

Brown plays for Evessa in Osaka.

Brown played with Rui Hachimura on Japan’s National Team in FIBA World Cup preliminary rounds a few years ago.

Hachimura is expected to lead Japan at the Summer Games. Sabonis and Petrusev took another step toward joining Hachimura at the Olympics.

Sabonis had 17 points and eight rebounds to lead Lithuania past Poland 88-69 in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Sabonis, who played for Lithuania in the 2016 Olympics, made 7 of 10 shots and 3 of 4 free throws. He led the team in scoring and shared rebounding honors with Jonas Valanciunas, who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Lithuania faces Slovenia on Sunday with the winner clinching a spot in the Olympics.

Petrusev finished with 15 points and eight boards in Serbia’s 102-84 victory over Puerto Rico in Belgrade, Serbia.

Petrusev connected on 4 of 5 shots and 7 of 8 free throws in just over 24 minutes of playing time.

Serbia needs a victory over Italy on Sunday to win the qualifying tournament and earn a spot in the Olympics.