Olympics 2021 Men's Basketball: Argentina vs Slovenia Prediction & Match Preview - July 26th, 2021
Luka Doncic's Slovenia will lock horns with 2004 Olympic champions Argentina in an Olympic 2021 men's basketball game tonight.
Both sides will play their first game in the competition and will look to win the tie to ensure eventual progression to the knock-out stages. The Argentinians come into this game on the back of successive losses, which came against Team USA and Nigeria, respectively. Meanwhile, Slovenia have won both their previous games.
Match Details
Fixture - Argentina vs Slovenia | Olympics 2021 Men's Basketball
Date & Time - day, July 25th, 12:40 PM ET (Monday, July 26th, 10:10 AM IST)
Venue - Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
Argentina Preview
Argentina have enjoyed decent success in international basketball. Apart from winning the 2004 Olympics, the Argentinians performed well in Beijing two years back, finishing third in the World Championships. The majority of Argentina's basketball team ply their trade in Europe.
Real Madrid’s Nicolas Loveprovitola, Zaragoza’s Nicolas Brussino, and veteran forward Luis Scola are some of the notable names present in the Argentina side. The NBA is also well-represented, with the Denver Nuggets' Facundo Campazzo and OKC Thunder's Gabriel Deck.
Also Check out: Argentina Olympic Basketball Team 2021
Team News: Argentina
Team Argentina go into the game with no injury concerns. Facundo Campazzo is expected to start at point guard, with Nicolas Brussino partnering him in the backcourt. Patricio Garino will start at small forward, while Luis Scola, who is playing in his fifth Olympics, will start at the 4. Marcos Della' will be the team's starting center.
Luca Vildoza, Gabriel Deck and Nico Lapprovitola will play significant minutes off the bench.
Argentina Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Facundo Campazzo l Shooting Guard - Nicolas Brussino l Small Forward - Patricio Garino l Power Forward - Luis Scola l Center - Marcos Della'
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Slovenia Preview
Slovenia's hopes of winning the gold medal will rest on the shoulders of young sensation Luka Doncic, who has taken the NBA by storm since 2019. Doncic is an all-around player who is adept at scoring, rebounding and passing, and will surely test the Argentinian defense when the two sides take court.
Zoran Dragic is another threat the Slovenians possess. An offensive-minded player, Dragic has the ability to manipulate defenses to make the right play. Center Mike Tobey is another key figure on the Slovenian basketball team, and he will likely be tasked with protecting the paint and assisting the offense by setting up screens for the creators and scorers.
Also Check out: Slovenia Olympic Basketball Team 2021
Team News: Slovenia
Slovenia will start with Luka Rupnik at point guard. Zoran Dragic, the team's starting shooting guard, will share ball-handling responsibilities with small forward Luka Doncic. Edo Muric and Mike Tobey will make up the Slovenian front court.
Jaka Blazic and Kremen Prepelic will come off the bench to provide a scoring punch.
Slovenia have a fully-fit roster ahead of the game against Argentina.
Slovenia Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Luka Rupnik l Shooting Guard - Zoran Dragic l Small Forward - Luka Doncic l Power Forward - Edo Muric l Center - Mike Tobey
Argentina vs Slovenia Prediction
Argentina have a well-balanced team capable of a win, but it is likely that Dallas Mavericks ace Luka Doncic will prove to be more than a handful for them. Doncic has the knack of taking over games in crunch time, and fans can expect him to lead his team to a win.
Where to watch Argentina vs Slovenia
Argentina vs Slovenia Olympic game will be televised live on CNBC and Peacock. The game can also be watched through an NBA league pass.
Fans in India can watch it on Sony Channels including Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3 and Sony ESPN, and SonyLiv app.
Also Read: Who is on the Slovenian Olympic Basketball team? Looking at the players who hold their key to success this year