Rio Olympics (Photo : Getty Images)
The second day of Olympic men's basketball competition will feature three intriguing matches that will surely leave a huge impact on the standings at the end of the group stages.
Host nation Brazil will first take on European power Lithuania, before two-time Olympic silver-medalist Spain play the up-and-coming Croatian squad in the next game. Finally, South American juggernaut Argentina opens their Olympic campaign against African champion Nigeria to cap up a busy day in Carioca Arena.
Brazil vs. Lithuania at 1:15 p.m US EST - Live Stream / Replay & Boxscores:
What's at stake: It's all about making a statement for both these basketball powers in the opening salvo of Group B battle.
Brazil will not only have the whole nation behind them in Carioca Arena, they are also bringing on NBA veterans Leandro Barbosa, Nene, Marcelo Huertas, Raul Neto and Cristiano Felicio to add quality on their roster.
As for Lithuanians, Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas and Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Domantas Sabonis, the son of International hoops legend Avrydas Sabonis, will suit up for the yellow, green and red. They will be supported by a bunch of Euroleague stars such as Mandaugas Kuzminkas, Mantas Kalnietis and Renaldas Saubutis.
Prediction: It will be a tight contest through the first two quarters, but I can see Lithuania's frontline might take over in the second half. Lithuania isn't just boasting a very tall frontline, they have built their roster with deadly shooters in both flanks, making them a lot tougher to contain. Lithuania by 10+ points.
Spain vs. Croatia at 6:00 p.m US EST - Live Stream / Replay & Boxscores:
What's on the line: This is an interesting match-up that features the veterans of Spain against the young guns of Croatia. Spain has been that bully on top of the European basketball hill. Pau Gasol, likely playing in his final Olympics, will still be the focal point of the offense, but expect the likes of Nikola Mirotic, Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez and the ever-reliable Juan Carlos Navarro to put up steady contributions as well.
Croatia, meanwhile, will lean on their youth throughout the tournament. Dario Saric and Mario Hezonja look ripe to make a major impact, while 27-year old veteran Bojan Bogdanovic will serve as the stabilizer of this promising team.
Prediction: This is going to be a back-and-forth matchup. Spain might have a starting lineup of former and current NBA players, but I can see them having lots of problems with Croatia's athleticism.
In the end, I do believe Spain will find a way to squeeze out a win on day 1 of Group B competition. Gasol will again be the hero of this proud Spanish team, who is once again aiming to dethrone Team USA. Spain by under 10 points.
Argentina vs. Nigeria at 9:30 p.m US EST: - Live Stream / Replay & Boxscores
What's on the line: Believe it or not, Argentina is still a favorite to enter the medal round. Yes, Manu Ginobili is a shell of his high-flying, high-scoring self, and Scola isn't anymore a beast in the paint. Then again, Argentina is here to give any team in this competition a run for their money, thanks to their well-run system.
As for Nigeria, making the Olympics is already something to behold. There are really good players on that roster, some are NBA veterans like Ike Diagu and Festus Ezili. Still, I don't see them as a major threat to any of the team in a loaded Group B. Argentina blowing away Nigeria by 20+ points.
