France vs. Lithuania Olympic Basketball: Start Time, Live Stream, TV Info & More

Both France and Lithuania are beginning to find their stride in men's basketball at the 2012 London Olympics this summer.

France overcame Manu Ginobili and Argentina on Tuesday, just two days after being routed by the United States. Meanwhile, Lithuania, who is ranked No. 5 in the world according to FIBA, is finally on the board after disposing of Nigeria on Day 4 at the Summer Games.

Both squads have won one and dropped one, and are still looking to survive a group that features the mighty Team USA. The action will tip early Thursday morning. 

Where: Basketball Arena, London, England

When: Thursday, August 2 at 4 a.m. ET

Watch: NBC Sports Network

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

Key Injuries

No key injuries to report for either team.

What They're Saying

After Tuesday's unlikely win over Argentina, French point guard Tony Parker expressed the squad's desire to improve after their blowout loss to Team USA on Sunday:

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"Obviously it a big win for us, we were little bit disappointed with the way we played against the U.S.A. We wanted to play a lot better." via ESPN.com

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Parker and France will certainly hope to keep their rhythm alive against Lithuania, and produce another surprising result at London's Basketball Arena on Thursday. 

Most Important Player to Watch: Tony Parker, FRA

French point guard Tony Parker played huge for his country in their win over Argentina on Tuesday, scoring 17 monster points and dishing out five assists, while shooting 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. There is no question that this team belongs to Parker, and if France is to ignite an Olympic winning streak against Lithuania on Thursday, it will need its star floor general to lead the way.

The San Antonio Spurs star will be the most dominant player on the floor Thursday morning in London. Parker was in the NBA MVP discussion late last season and has an extremely versatile game that could be too much for the Lithuanians to handle.

Key Matchup: Linas Kleiza vs. Florent Pietrus

Lithuania's most lethal scorer is Linas Kleiza, who currently plays for the NBA's Toronto Raptors. Kleiza led Lithuania with 13 points in their win over Nigeria, and is a serious threat as a 6'8" small forward who can shoot the ball with range. France's Florent Pietrus, brother of NBA player Mickael Pietrus, will most likely be the man in charge of slowing Kleiza down.

Pietrus isn't an offensive weapon by any means, and France doesn't need him to be. They excelled against Argentina and Pietrus didn't score a single point over 23 minutes of action. If Pietrus can block the occasional shot, force Kleiza and Lithuania into tough shots consistently and rebound after a miss, the French will be on their way to a second consecutive win. 

Prediction

Although the separation in the FIBA rankings would suggest that Lithuania wins this game rather easily, France boasts the more talented international superstar in Tony Parker, and is riding a wave of momentum after knocking off an aging but loaded Argentine squad earlier in the competition. 

France 75, Lithuania 67

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