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Argentina will take on hosts Japan in their last group game of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 men's basketball competition on Sunday.
Both sides lost their first two games of the tournament. Argentina are coming off a 71-81 loss against Spain, while Japan endured an 81-116 reverse against Slovenia in their last match.
This clash will be pivotal in deciding the fate of the two sides regarding their chances of qualifying for the next round. The two best third-placed teams will clinch the last two quarter-final spots.
Match Details
Fixture - Argentina vs Japan | Tokyo Olympics 2020 Basketball.
Date & Time - Sunday, August 1st, 2021 1:40 PM JST (Sunday, August 1st, 12:40 AM ET).
Venue - Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan.
Argentina Preview
Argentina haven't had the kind of tournament they were expecting to have so far. In their last match against Spain, the Argentines couldn't get going offensively as they succumbed to a defeat.
Also Check out: Argentina Olympic Basketball Team 2021
They scored 71 points on 26-of-61 field goal shooting. Nicolas Laprovittola had a stellar game, though, as he led Argentina's charge with 27 points on 9-of-14 field goal shooting, including five threes. Apart from him, veteran Luis Scola (13 points) and Facundo Compazzo (ten points) were the only other Argentine players to score in double-digits.
Japan should be a fairly comfortable matchup for Argentina compared to Spain and Slovenia. However, the Argentines should look to dominate early on to avoid any kind of slip-up in their bid to stay alive in the competition.
Team News: Argentina
Argentina will most likely start Facundo Compazzo and Nicolas Laprovittola in the backcourt. Forwards Luca Vildoza and Luis Scola will likely feature alongside center Marcos Delia.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Deck, Patricio Garino and Leandro Bolmaro will likely play key minutes off the bench.
Argentina Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Facundo Campazzo | Shooting Guard - Luca Vildoza | Small Forward - Patricio Garino | Power Forward - Luis Scola | Center - Marcos Delia.
Japan Preview
Japan have been getting decent starts but haven't been able to perform consistently in their opening two matches at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
They were routed by a dominant Slovenia team led by Luka Doncic. Japan put up a decent fight until the end of the third quarter, but they were blown away by Doncic and co. in the fourth. The hosts were outscored 36-17 in that stretch.
Also Check out: Japan Men's Olympic Basketball Team 2021
The NBA's rising stars Rui Hachimura (34 points) and Yuti Watanabe (17 points) were the two best players for Japan against Slovenia. The Japanese will need their other players to step up if they are to have a chance of winning against Argentina on Sunday, though.
Team News: Japan
Japan will likely start Makoto Jiejima and Daiki Tanaka as guards, while Yuta Watanabe, Rui Hachimura and Gavin Edwards will likely be deployed on the frontcourt. From the reserves, Yudai Baba, Avi Koki Schafer and Tenketsu Harimoto will likely play the most minutes.
Japan Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Makoto Hiejima | Shooting Guard - Daiki Tanaka | Small Forward - Yuta Watanabe | Power Forward - Rui Hachimura | Center - Gavin Edwards.
Argentina vs Japan Prediction
Argentina will enter the contest as the overwhelming favorites. They have a more experienced and complete roster overall. Japan have shown a lot of promise so far, but they still need to improve in a lot of areas.
Nevertheless, it should be an exciting contest, as both teams will look to put up a great fight in a bid to claim their first win at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 basketball tournament.
Where to watch Argentina vs Japan?
NBC will be showing Olympic coverage in the USA. The network will be spreading the Games across NBC, NBC Sports, NBC's Olympic Channel, CNBC, USA and the Golf Channel. Those wishing to watch the action can tune in on NBC's Olympic website, NBC.com or the NBC app.
