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Two sides that had mixed fortunes in their Olympic basketball opener, and who know each other well, match up on Thursday as Spain take on Argentina. Spain triumphed over the Argentines 95-75 in the 2019 FIBA World Cup final and will be looking to make it two wins from two in Group C.
Argentina were the latest team to succumb to Luka Doncic's greatness as they lost to Slovenia in their first contest of the tournament. Nevertheless, they are ranked 4th in the world, two places behind their opponents and will by no means be a walkover.
Match Details
Fixture - Spain vs Argentina | 2020 Tokyo Olympics Basketball
Date & Time - Thursday, July 29th; 9:00 PM JST (July 30th; 8:00 AM ET).
Venue - Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo
Spain Preview
Spain's experience and superior play showed in their opening win against Japan on Monday. Despite being on level terms (26-26) early on, Ricky Rubio helped turn the Spaniards' fortunes around, sparking a 19-0 run.
They wouldn't look back as Spain held onto a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second-half and sailed to a comfortable 88-77 win. Rubio continued to be the heartbeat of the Spanish team, as he has done at so many previous tournaments, providing 20 points and nine assists without a turnover. His dominance of the tempo the game was played at was visible and he will look to do the same in this encounter against the less experienced Facundo Campazzo.
Also Check out: Spain Olympic Basketball Team 2021
Team News: Spain
Spain came out of their group opener unscathed and coach Sergio Scariolo was able to give playing time to all 12 of his players. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio led the backcourt offense alongside versatile shooting guard Rudy Fernandez, who struggled to shoot the ball throughout.
Victor Claver was Spain's second-top scorer with 13 points and he also grabbed nine rebounds - a team-high. Alberto Abalde started in the frontcourt, but like Fernandez, he also struggled to connect with his efforts alongside Lakers center Marc Gasol.
One of Spain's biggest strengths is their depth. Alex Abrines came off the bench with 11 points, while Lakers legend Pau Gasol provided nine points and four rebounds.
Spain Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Ricky Rubio | Shooting Guard - Rudy Fernandez| Small Forward - Alberto Abalde | Power Forward - Victor Claver | Center - Marc Gasol
Argentina Preview
There wasn't much the Argentines could do about Luka Doncic's brilliance in their first group game of the Olympics. As most defenses in the NBA have found, sometimes you can't stop the Slovenian star but can only hope to contain him. Argentina did neither as the 22-year-old ran riot with 48 points and 11 rebounds.
Nevertheless, Argentina impressed on offense, with both Facundo Campazzo and former Houston Rockets star Luis Scola scoring over 20 points in the contest. They racked up 100 points overall, which is no small feat in an Olympic encounter.
However, they were dominated in the paint, conceding 27 more rebounds than their opponents, an area of their performance they will look to improve against the Gasol brothers and Victor Claver.
Also Check out: Argentina Olympic Basketball Team 2021
Team News: Argentina
Akin to Spain, it is unlikely that Argentina will change their lineup for this fixture. Denver Nuggets guard Campazzo will face off against Ricky Rubio in the backcourt alongside Knicks' new star Luca Vildoza.
Veteran leader Luis Scola played the second-most minutes of any Argentine player with 27 and recorded a team-high 23 points. He will likely be joined by Marcos Delia and Patricio Garino in the frontcourt, while Oklahoma City Thunder forward Gabriel Deck will feature heavily from the bench.
Argentina Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Facundo Campazzo | Shooting Guard - Luca Vildoza | Small Forward - Patricio Garino | Power Forward - Luis Scola | Center - Marcos Delia
Spain vs Argentina Prediction
If Spain are serious about taking home a medal from these Olympics, they will have to continue showing their class against the highest-ranked sides in the tournament.
Given their experience on the international stage and the depth of talent they have, they should make it two wins from two. A victory will ensure progression to the knockout stages while a second defeat for Argentina will leave them needing a win in their final game to give them hope of going through as one of the best third-placed teams.
Where to watch Spain vs Argentina
Eurosport will have extensive coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Europe, as will Discovery +. Over in America, the Games are being shown exclusively on NBC and their various streaming platforms, while in India, the Sony Sports Network are broadcasting the action.
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