2020 Tokyo Olympics Basketball Friendlies: USA vs Argentina Prediction & Match Preview - July 13, 2021
The USA will take on Argentina in a 2020 Tokyo Olympics basketball friendly on Tuesday, July 13.
Both teams are coming off defeats, with Team USA suffering a shock loss for a second consecutive game. They lost to the Australians by a scoreline of 91-83, and will now look to win their remaining three exhibition games.
Meanwhile, Argentina lost their last game to a high-flying Nigerian side. Nigeria prevailed 94-71 in a game in which Jahlil Okafor scored a game-high 15 points.
Match Details
Fixture - USA vs Argentina | 2020 Tokyo Olympics Basketball Friendlies
Date & Time - Tuesday, July 13th; 6:00 PM ET (Wednesday, July 14th; 3:30 AM IST).
Venue - Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV
USA Preview
Team USA has had the worst possible start to their pre-2020 Tokyo Olympics campaign. Two unexpected losses have put them in a precarious situation, as head coach Gregg Popovich has struggled to find the right balance in the starting lineup.
Damian Lillard led the USA in scoring in their last game as he dropped 22 points on the Australians. Kevin Durant scored 17 and Beal contributed 12 points, but Popovich will be expecting a bigger contribution from the star duo.
Defense has been a massive concern for the USA, and the Olympic favorites will have to tidy up on the defensive side of the ball if they are to win the gold medal.
Team News: USA
The USA are likely to field their strongest lineup against the Argentinians tonight. Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal will start in Gregg Popovich's backcourt. Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum will take up two forward spots, while Bam Adebayo is expected to start at the 5.
Draymond Green and Jerami Grant will likely play major minutes as part of the bench unit.
Also Checkout: USA Men's Olympic Basketball Team Roster and Players
USA Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Damian Lillard | Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal | Small Forward - Kevin Durant | Power Forward - Jayson Tatum | Center - Bam Adebayo
Also Read: NBA Trade Rumors: Making a case for and against the Golden State Warriors trading Andrew Wiggins in the 2021 NBA offseason
Argentina Preview
The Argentinians will be looking to give 5-time FIBA World Cup participant Luis Scola the perfect send-off. It will be Scola's 5th Olympics and he, along with Denver Nuggets point guard Facundo Campazzo, will be tasked with leading the team's offense.
Argentina are the 4th ranked team in the world, but their performance against Nigeria certainly didn't reflect their lofty position. They are dark-horse candidates to land the coveted gold medal, but will have to elevate their game if they are to be in contention for the gold.
Team News: Argentina
Argentina will start Facundo Campazzo at point guard, with Luca Vildoza taking up the shooting guard position. Gabriel Deck will start at the 3, while Luis Scola is the favorite to start at power forward. Francisco Caffaro will be the team's starting center tonight.
Also Checkout: Argentina Men's Basketball Olympic Team 2021
Argentina Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Facundo Campazzo | Shooting Guard - Luca Vildoza | Small Forward - Gabriel Deck | Power Forward - Luis Scola | Center - Francisco Caffaro
USA vs Argentina Prediction
Team USA are the clear favorites to win the game tonight, despite their successive losses. They have some of the best players in the world in the form of Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant, and Gregg Popovich's side should be able to make short work of this Argentina side.
Where to Watch USA vs Argentina
The USA vs Argentina 2020 Tokyo Olympics basketball friendly will be televised live on NBCSN and Twitch.
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Also Check out: USA Men's Olympic Basketball Gold Medal Wins