USA vs. Argentina: Winners and Losers from 2012 Olympics Basketball Semifinals

USA and Argentina will meet for the third time this summer in the semifinals as Team USA looks to prove that it can beat Manu Ginobili's team in an exhibition setting, group play and then the elimination rounds. 

The last game got fairly heated as the Argentines fell further and further behind Kevin Durant, LeBron James and company. Will they have to deal with the same feelings on Friday? 

Read on for the predicted winners and losers from the semifinal clash. 

Loser: Manu Ginobili

Argentina is essentially Manu Ginobili's team, and the Americans are going to do everything in their power to slow down the southpaw shooting guard. 

When the two teams met in group play, Manu took over the game, scoring 16 points in 25 minutes to emerge as the Argentines' top scorer. He shot 4-of-7 from the field, dropped in a basket from downtown and got to the free-throw line quite a few times. 

When Team USA clashes with Argentina for a second time in London, the same narrative won't hold true. 

The United States will focus heavily on stopping the member of the San Antonio Spurs and cutting off the head of a very dangerous snake. 

Winner: Kobe Bryant

On the heels of a massive trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant is going to assert himself. 

In his mind, Kobe doesn't want to be come the second fiddle to Dwight at the Staples Center. The game against Argentina is the perfect opportunity to take over headlines once more and prove that he is still fully capable of remaining the top dog in L.A. 

Do most people know that the Lakers are still Kobe's team, despite the presence of Dwight? Yes. 

However, that's not the way Kobe works. The competitive drive and desire to prove himself against even the imaginary doubters—much like Michael Jordan did—is what makes him so great. 

Loser: Three-Point Shooting

As the competition gets tougher and the stakes get higher, the Americans must learn to focus on shots that don't come 25 feet away from the basket. 

Team USA has been over-reliant on the perimeter shot, despite the fact that the roster boasts superior athleticism to every other team and thus the ability to create open shot after open shot from the interior. 

During the first go-around against Argentina, Kevin Durant connected on eight three-pointers to help pave the way for a 20-of-39 performance from downtown for the team as a whole. 

Don't expect to see a repeat performance as the Americans look to send a message to their gold-medal opponents with a bevy of dunks and easy two-pointers. 

Winner: Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony was the unlucky recipient of an unfortunately placed punch during Team USA's first victory over Argentina, and he'll be looking to score quite a few points as a means of retaliation. 

Even if he doesn't expect Facundo Campazzo to punch him in the groin once more, Melo still has a point to prove and the offensive game necessary to make that point. 

Melo's scoring average has been boosted by his 37-point explosion against Nigeria, and as a result he's only barely trailing Kevin Durant for the scoring title on Team USA. 

Expect Melo and Durant to reverse their positioning in the points column after an offensive explosion from the small forward who comes off the bench. 

Loser: Argentina

If Argentina couldn't hang with the Americans during the 126-97 shellacking at the end of the group stage, the Argentines aren't going to keep it close now that the Americans have something more than pride to play for. 

During the last game, Team USA used a 42-17 third quarter to open up a huge margin after going into the locker room at halftime with a one-point lead. 

This time, the Americans won't need that third-quarter explosion because they'll come out of the gates firing and will open up a double-digit gap by the end of the first period of action. 

Winner: USA

If Argentina is listed as a loser, then it only makes sense for the Americans to be winners. 

Bolstered by strong play from LeBron James and the host of stars at the USA's disposal, Team USA will get out to an early lead and never look back as they advance to the gold-medal game against the winner of Spain vs. Russia. 

After cruising to an easy victory in the semifinals, the Americans will have just one more game left to win.