OLYMPIC GAMES | BASKETBALL
Team USA basketball possible rivals in the quarterfinals of Paris 2024
Taking the number one seed at the end of the group stage of the Olympic tournament, was the primary goal of Team USA’s men’s basketball team.
The group stage of the men’s basketball tournament at the Paris Olympics is slowly reaching its conclusion. The attention of fans and pundits alike is now turning towards the knockout rounds, scheduled to commence with the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
With several teams already having secured their berths in the next round, the competition is heating up. The remaining spots are fiercely contested. Each upcoming game holds immense significance as it has the potential to dramatically alter the tournament landscape.
Team USA’s next group-stage opponents
Team USA will face a familiar foe in Puerto Rico. Having dropped both their matchups against previous opponents in South Sudan and Serbia, Puerto Rico has yet to win in the tournament. Considering their rival is a talent-overloaded Team USA, the outcome looks grim for the islanders.
If we were to get technical, the USA’s +43-point differential and the fact that they are favored to win at 33.5 points does not bode well for the Puerto Ricans, either.
The two teams have faced each other six times in the Olympics, with Team USA winning most of the matches. However, on August 15, 2004, the 12 Magníficos managed to defeat Team USA with a score of 92-73, marking the largest margin of defeat for the US men’s basketball team to this day at the Olympics. Despite having star players like Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Stephon Marbury, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony, Team USA was unable to secure a victory against the persistent efforts of Los Gallos, led by former guard Carlos Arroyo.
Possible opponents in the quarterfinals
Due to the point differential tiebreaker, Team USA needs to beat Puerto Rico by at least four points to secure the top seed among undefeated teams. This would place Team USA and Germany on opposite sides of the bracket, potentially leading to a meeting in the gold medal game.
If Team USA finishes as the top team, it will play against one of two third-place qualifiers in the quarterfinals. According to Olympic basketball rules, a team cannot be matched against another team from the same group in the quarterfinals. Therefore, Team USA will face Brazil, which had a 1-2 record in Group B with a point differential of -7.
Even if Team USA loses to Puerto Rico, it would not be a significant setback. Their strong margin of victory in the first two group play games gives them a good chance to still finish as the top team in the group. Team USA has already secured a spot in the quarterfinals, so a loss would only drop them out of the top two spots, allowing undefeated Canada to claim one of the top-two positions.