Argentina vs. Nigeria Olympic Basketball: Grades, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

Argentina made a huge statement with their 93-79 win over Nigeria.

The win pushes the country to 3-1 in Olympic play thus far and all but locks up a spot for the team in the quarterfinals. With the U.S. needing a late-game takeover from LeBron James to come up with a 99-94 win over the Lithuanians, the Argentinians appear poised to give the U.S. another stern test in the final game before the quarterfinals.

USA and Argentina will play for Group A's top spot on Monday, August 6.

Argentina set the tone early on, establishing an 18-point first quarter lead in the first quarter. The hot start would prove beneficial, as the action became much more even as the Nigerians adjusted to the Argentinian attack. Ultimately, the lead would stand as the depth of the Argentina team proved to be too much.

Despite solid efforts from forwards Ike Diogu and Al-Farouq Aminu, Argentina's shooting was simply too much for the Nigerians to keep up with. Argentina shot an incredible 11-of-18 from beyond the three-point arc and cashed in at the free throw line, converting on 18/22 attempts at the line.

Twitter Reaction

Georgia Tech basketball made a shout-out to former Yellow Jacket and Nigerian forward Alade Aminu.

"

Follow #gatech alum Alade Aminu and Nigeria, on the court now vs. Argentina in Olympic MBB group A prelim round game. london2012.com/basketball/eve…

— GT Men's Basketball (@GTMBK) August 4, 2012"

Nigerian publication Premium Times commended the Nigerian loss and their improved play against their favored foe.

"

Nigeria basketball team loses to Argentina bas 93 - 79. A respectable loss. Better play

— Premium Times (@PremiumTimesng) August 4, 2012"

Grades

Luis Scola: A+

Argentina was able to overwhelm Nigeria with their multiple offensive threats, but Scola stood out as the team's primary scorer. Scola scored 22 points and was able to consistently find easy baskets inside. The only knock on Scola's game was a lack of rebounds, the big man wasn't even in the top three on his team.

With Scola's presents forcing the Nigerians to collapse, there were plenty of open looks for the Argentina squad to knock down and keep Nigeria at bay throughout the game. Scola will be a key factor in the U.S. game as he will be one of the few players with a good matchup going against the U.S.'s relatively thin frontcourt.

Manu Ginobili: A

You can't talk about the Argentina national team without talking about Ginobili. As one of the most experienced players on the team, his leadership and court vision proved to be key assets as he was able to distribute on fast breaks and score when necessary. 

Ginobili dished out eight assists and the Nigerians inability to keep up on fast breaks was a huge reason for Argentina's success.

Ike Diogu: B+

The former Arizona State Sun Devil and former top-10 NBA draft selection led his team in points (16) and rebounds (11), but didn't do enough to keep his team in the game. Recording a double-double is no easy task—especially against a team like Argentina.

However, Diogu was fairly inefficient from the field—shooting just 25 percent inside the three-point line—and stepped up his game a little too late to give Nigeria a chance to compete.

What's Next?

Nigeria will likely play their last game in the Olympics after this loss as they would need to beat a 3-1 France team to have a shot at advancing to the quarterfinals.

Argentina will face their toughest test when they play Team USA in their final Group Play game before beginning their official run for a medal in bracket play.