Olympic Basketball 2016: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Odds for Day 5
2016 Summer Olympic Games basketball rolls on in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday, as Team USA is back in action on both the men's and women's sides.
Both are undefeated, with an average margin of victory over 50 points, and it's looking less and less like anyone can challenge USA for gold.
| Men | ||||
| A | 1:15 p.m. ET | Serbia | France | |
| A | 6 p.m. ET | Australia | USA | NBCSN |
| A | 9:30 p.m. ET | Venezuela | China | |
| Women | ||||
| B | 11:15 a.m. ET | China | Spain | |
| B | 2:30 p.m. ET | USA | Serbia | NBCSN |
| B | 4:45 p.m. ET | Senegal | Canada |
| USA | 1-16 |
| Spain | 10-1 |
| France | 14-1 |
| Serbia | 22-1 |
| Brazil | 28-1 |
| Lithuania | 28-1 |
| Argentina | 28-1 |
| Croatia | 50-1 |
| Australia | 150-1 |
| China | 500-1 |
| Venezuela | 500-1 |
| Nigeria | 500-1 |
Full group listings and standings, as well as live streams of all the games, can be found at NBCOlympics.com.
A Reality Check for Australia?
Prior to the start of the Olympics, it seemed a foregone conclusion that USA, Spain and France would occupy the medal stand for basketball. But Australia, with its four NBA champions, has had other ideas.
It began the tournament with a dismantling of a favored French squad that features multiple NBA starters. Australia followed that up with another upset over Serbia.
The positive vibes could feel like a distant memory Wednesday, though. Matthew Dellavedova and Co. will square up against Team USA, which has made the Aussies' 21-point beatdown of France look like a nail-biter.
Australia has been moving as well as any team in Rio, and its smart passers will help keep the game closer than USA's previous outings. Still, it's hard to imagine anyone keeping pace with the ridiculous offensive efficiency of the Kevin Durant-led Americans.
So far, Durant is averaging 20.5 points on 9.5 field-goal attempts during the Olympics. Five of his teammates—Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony, DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan—are also averaging double figures. As a whole, the team is averaging 116 points and shooting 52.9 percent from the field.
Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut are hardy defenders, and they won't lie down, as USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski pointed out:
But it'll take a lot more than that to slow down this juggernaut.
Team USA's Women Should Continue to Dominate
Over on the women's side, Team USA will take on Serbia, which enters Wednesday at 0-2.
The Serbian women have no shot at slowing down a balanced American attack that features eight scorers averaging between eight and 14 points.
"A lot of Olympic teams that I've been on have had offensive power, but now we go all the way down the line to the 12th player," Sue Bird said, per the Associated Press (via the Hartford Courant). "And the minute you stop, there's no let-off. That person comes in and can do just as much offensively as the next."
That depth will carry Team USA through Wednesday and the rest of the tournament.
Can Canada Keep Up with the USA?
The American women aren't the only undefeated team in action, as 2-0 Canada takes the floor Wednesday as well.
Led by Connecticut's Kia Nurse, who scored 25 points in a come-from-behind win over Serbia on Monday, Canada looks poised to move to 3-0 and all but lock up a spot in the elimination round.
Earlier in the day, China and Spain will face off. Both teams are 1-1, but Spain's in trouble in the point-differential department thanks to a 40-point loss to Team USA.
Will France or Serbia Move Closer to the Medal Round?
Moving back to the men's side, Australia's two group-play victims (France and Serbia) will also face off. Both are hoping for a win and an Australian loss, which would put them in a tie behind the Americans.
Serbia played Australia closer, but France has more (and more experienced) NBA talent. Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum and Rudy Gobert all start for their respective teams, while Boris Diaw has been one of the league's better reserves.
Serbia's Nikola Jokic is the most intriguing young player in this game, but that alone won't be enough.
