Spain vs. Brazil: TV Time, Live Stream, Prediction for 2016 Olympic Basketball
Brazil and Spain will each look to avenge an early Olympics loss when their men's basketball squads collide on Tuesday.
Despite a ferocious late rally, Brazil fell short against Lithuania in Sunday's opening preliminary matchup. Later that day, Spain watched a comfortable lead dwindle against Croatia, who stole a 72-70 nail-biter.
Behind NBA stalwart Pau Gasol, Spain entered Rio de Janeiro as a top candidate to spawn a third straight gold-medal matchup against Team USA. An ageing Brazil team, however, is no longer a safe bet to advance past Group B, a six-team bracket that four teams will survive.
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The second of five preliminary games hardly amounts to a do-or-die scenario, but both teams will fight to avoid a second straight loss.
Spain vs. Brazil
Date: Tuesday, Aug. 9
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: NBC Sports Network
Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com
Preview
Down 29 points at halftime, Brazil slashed Lithuania's lead to four during Sunday's fourth quarter. Yet the early deficit proved too severe to erase, and Lithuania salvaged a 82-76 win.
The hosts displayed their resiliency behind Golden State Warriors guard Leandro Barbosa, who fueled the comeback attempt with a game-high 21 points. Even at 33 years old, the Brazilian Blur offers frenetic energy and an unrelenting motor.
It didn't affect the final outcome, but Barbosa described the value of home-court advantage after the loss, per the Arizona Republic's Dan Bickley:
"It’s a unique situation. I will do my best to bring a medal, to do a good job for all of us. And today was a situation where they were with us on the court. They were yelling and screaming, "Believe! Believe!” We came back in the second half believing 100 percent. They got our backs. I was really happy to see the fans like that, and hopefully I will see more.
"
After struggling to contain Lithuanian big men Paulius Jankunas and Domantas Sabonis, Brazil will now encounter Gasol and Nikola Mirotic, former Chicago Bulls teammates now sparking Spain's fluid offense. In a losing effort, the duo combined to register 45 points, capitalizing on the closer three-point line by draining 7-of-12 shots from behind the arc.
Although new San Antonio Spurs teammates Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili may argue otherwise, Gasol is the top Olympic player not suiting up for the U.S. While he flustered Croatia for most of Sunday's game, his performance won't be remembered for the 26 points and nine rebounds.
Instead, he and Spain will experience nightmares reliving Dario Saric's game-sealing block in the final seconds. NBC Olympics' Twitter page captured the clutch rejection:
Croatia clawed away at Spain's lead once it double-teamed the six-time NBA All-Star. The Brazilians should implement a similar strategy, as the defending silver medalists mustered 16 points each in the third and fourth quarter.
Spain's real issues came in the backcourt. NBA fans will wonder why Ricky Rubio logged 12 minutes off the bench. As noted by CBS Sports' Zach Harper, the team's slower pace inhibits the Minnesota Timberwolves guard:
The 25-year-old is at his best when pushing the ball in units featuring gifted shooters, but the Olympics favor half-court sets. Whether from Rubio, Sergio Rodriguez or team captain Juan Carlos Navarro, Spain needs better guard play to avoid another setback.
Prediction
Even without Marc Gasol, no team other than the U.S. features more NBA players than Spain. So don't sound the sirens after one surprising loss.
Rather than blame Spain for choking, appreciate Saric and Bojan Bogdanovic for establishing Croatia as a legitimate medal contender. It's unlikely Navarro and Rudy Fernandez go scoreless against an older, softer defense. Rubio should also get an extended opportunity to distribute the rock.
Brazil showed an alarming lack of perimeter shooting over the weekend, going 2-for-14 from three-point range. They can credit the near comeback for drawing 35 free-throw attempts, but look no further than their 13 misses for why the rally fell short.
Another strong outing from Gasol should end on a happier note for Spain, who will ride the star to a bounce-back win over the host nation.
Prediction: Spain 79, Brazil 70
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