FIBA World Cup Schedule 2014: Full Slate and Predictions for Remaining Games
It's win-or-go-home time at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
The knockout stages of any tournament tend to produce some wildly entertaining games, and that has already rung true in Spain, as France held off Croatia 69-64 in a thrilling back-and-forth battle in the round of 16.
Spain, United States and Slovenia all advanced with no-nonsense wins, but there are plenty more games on the way. Let's take a look at the entire slate.
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Schedule
| New Zealand vs. Lithuania | Sun, Sept. 7 | 10 a.m. | NBA TV | Lithuania |
| Serbia vs. Greece | Sun, Sept. 7 | Noon | NBA TV | Greece |
| Turkey vs. Australia | Sun, Sept. 7 | 2 p.m. | NBA TV | Australia |
| Brazil vs. Argentina | Sun, Sept. 7 | 4 p.m. | NBA TV | Brazil |
| United States vs. Slovenia | Tue, Sept. 9 | TBA | ESPN | United States |
| New Zealand/Lithuania vs. Turkey/Australia | Tue, Sept. 9 | TBA | NBA TV | Lithuania |
| France vs. Spain | Wed, Sept. 10 | TBA | ESPN2 | Spain |
| Serbia/Greece vs. Brazil/Argentina | Wed, Sept. 10 | TBA | ESPN2 | Brazil |
| Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF2 | Thur, Sept. 11 | 3 p.m. | ESPN | United States |
| Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF4 | Fri, Sept. 12 | 4 p.m. | ESPN2 | Spain |
| Loser SF1 vs. Loser SF2 | Sat, Sept. 13 | Noon | ESPN2 | Brazil |
| Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 | Sun, Sept. 14 | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 | United States |
Greece vs. Serbia
Greece looked extremely impressive in pool play, winning all five games by an average of 13 points per contest. It beat a very good Croatia side by 11 and Argentina by eight.
It has been a different Giannis than expected leading the way for Fotios Katsikaris' squad—7-footer Giannis Bourousis is averaging 12.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting and 10.0 rebounds per game.
But this is a balanced team.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nick Calathes and power forward Georgios Printezis are both averaging double-digit scoring, while not many teams feature a sixth or seventh man as talented as Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Serbia, which went 2-3 in the "Group of Death" featuring Spain, Brazil and France, will have its hands full, but it does have the size in Nemanja Bjelica and Miroslav Raduljica to combat Bourousis on the interior.
Whoever controls the paint will win this one.
Brazil vs. Argentina
Argentina have been one of the best teams in the world over the past decade—gold, bronze and fourth at the last three Olympics—but its golden generation is slipping away.
They are without Manu Ginobili and Carlos Delfino, and several key players are over 30: Pablo Prigioni, 37; Walter Hermann, 35; Andres Nocioni, 34; and Luis Scola, 33.
The changing of the guard has been evident in Spain, where Argentina lost to Croatia and Greece, while barely slipping past the Philippines.
With Scola averaging 21.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, the Argentinians will certainly have a shot, but the Indiana Pacers big man isn't going to have much fun against Brazil's physical frontcourt of Nene, Tiago Splitter and Anderson Varejao.
Lithuania vs. New Zealand
Yet another team with strength on the interior, Lithuania finished at the peak of Group D. It went 4-1 behind the play of NBA big men Jonas Valanciunas and Donatas Motiejunas, losing only to Australia by seven points.
Jonas Kazlauskas' team will be hoping for a better result against the Aussies' neighbor, but fortunately New Zealand isn't nearly as formidable an opponent.
Saint Louis University standout Rob Loe is the team's only player taller than 6'9", and he has struggled, averaging 4.2 points on 29.2 percent shooting and 3.0 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game.
Captain Mika Vukona is a solid rebounder, but he's a 6'6" power forward. New Zealand just doesn't have the tools to conted with Valanciunas and Motiejunas on the inside.
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