Olympic Basketball 2016: Scores, Highlights and Reaction for Thursday's Results
Could the Spanish men finally get a win at the 2016 Rio Olympics?
That was the major question Thursday, as Spain looked to get on the winning track against Nigeria after losses to Croatia and Brazil to open the Summer Olympics. But several other countries for both the men and the women had crucial matchups.
Below, we'll break down the day's scores and reaction from a full slate of games.
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Scores
| Women | Belarus | 71-74 | Turkey |
| Men | Brazil | 76-80 | Croatia |
| Women | France | 74-64 | Brazil |
| Women | Japan | 86-92 | Australia |
| Men | Nigeria | 96-87 | Spain |
| Men | Lithuania | 81-73 | Argentina |
Recap
Spain Beats Nigeria, 96-87
Even when Spain wins, they do so leaving a number of questions to be answered.
On Thursday, the question was simple: How could the No. 2 country in the world actually be trailing Nigeria after three quarters?
Spain recovered, outscoring the Nigerians 31-21 to close the game. Pau Gasol (16 points, seven rebounds, two blocks) led a balanced performance that included solid games from Ricky Rubio (15 points, four assists) and Rudy Fernandez (13 points, five rebounds, two steals).
That spoiled an excellent game from Nigeria's Chamberlain Oguchi, who went for 24 points.
The win pushed Spain into fourth place in the group, while Nigeria remains winless and in sixth place. Spain has winnable games remaining against Lithuania on Saturday and Argentina on Monday, though Croatia and Brazil were both winnable games as well and Nigeria was expected to be an easy win for the Spaniards.
In other words, Thursday's victory is hardly a reason for the Spanish to relax. This is a team that is struggling at the moment, and certainly doesn't look capable of beating the United States, or even a tough Australian team, for the gold medal.
Nigeria, meanwhile, will face a very talented Croatia team on Saturday.
Australia Beats Japan, 92-86
Australia overcame a 10-point deficit to open the fourth quarter to beat Japan, 92-86, remaining undefeated after outscoring the Japanese 33-15 in the final frame.
Elizabeth Cambage absolutely went off in this contest, scoring 37 points and adding 10 rebounds and three blocks. Leilani Mitchell put forth a solid, all-around effort for the Aussies as well, scoring 18 points and adding seven assists and six rebounds.
Ramu Tokashiki (23 points, seven rebounds) and Mika Kurihara (20 points, seven rebounds) led the way for Japan.
While Australia had already clinched a spot in the knockout round based on results earlier in the day, the country remains atop Group A and in position to earn a favorable seed that would help them avoid the United States until the medal round.
They'll face Belarus on Saturday, while Japan will be playing for their tournament lives on Saturday against France. A win will get them into the knockout phase, while a loss could leave them in serious trouble if Belarus beats Australia.
France Beats Brazil, 74-64
France temporarily jumped to the top of Group A on Thursday, knocking off Brazil, 74-64. Whatever faint hopes the Brazilian women may have harbored about advancing to the quarterfinals were squashed on Thursday, as the they lost their fourth straight game and were eliminated from quarterfinal contention.
Gaelle Skrela (18 points) and Sandrine Gruda (17 points, 11 rebounds) led the way for the French, as the team shot 49.2 percent from the field and overcame 20 turnovers.
Damiris Dantas (21 points, three steals) and Clarissa dos Santos (16 points, 10 rebounds) led the way for the Brazilians, who got just nine points from their bench.
The win guaranteed France's spot in the knockout phase, though they'll be jockeying for position in their final contest against Japan on Saturday. Brazil will be playing out the string against Turkey on that same day.
Croatia Beats Brazil, 80-76
Bojan Bogdanovic and Dario Saric led Croatia to a big win over a dangerous Brazilian side on Thursday, 80-76.
Bogdanovic was the star, scoring a game- and Olympic-high 33 points while nabbing six rebounds and adding three assists. Croatia put on a shooting clinic, finishing 51.9 percent from the field and 50 percent (11-for-20) from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Saric—the Philadelphia 76ers rookie who has spent two years in Europe since being drafted—did a bit of everything, scoring 15 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
Dan Feldman of NCB Sports broke down the versatility Saric showcased during the game, noting: "He knocked down spot-up shots from the perimeter, comfortably put the ball on the floor and defended inside and out. On one play, Saric blocked a shot then quickly threw a full-length pass to set up an easy Bogdanovic score. Despite six turnovers, Saric definitely continued his successful Olympic run."
And Saric certainly sounded both motivated and confident after the game, per FIBA:
He'll need to stay hungry. Despite big wins over Spain and Brazil, the Croatians still have to face Nigeria on Saturday and Lithuania on Tuesday. A win over Nigeria will seal a trip to the knockout phase for the Croatians, but they could yet win Group B if they win their next two games.
Brazil, meanwhile, now has two losses and faces Argentina on Saturday and Nigeria on Tuesday. Winning both should assure their safety, while a loss to Argentina could leave them on the outside looking in when the knockout phase begins.
Turkey Beats Belarus, 74-71
Turkey earned a crucial win in Group A play on Thursday, beating Belarus, 74-71. Nevriye Yilmaz and LaToya Sanders were superb for Turkey, combining for 48 points in the win.
Yilmaz was brilliant on the perimeter, finishing with 26 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal while finishing 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. It was one of the finest performances at these Games thus far, as OptaLarry noted:
Sanders provided the muscle down low, meanwhile, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.
That spoiled a balanced performance from Belarus, as four players scored double-digit points, led by Lindsey Harding's 17 points and Anastasiya Verameyenka's 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Both teams shot well from the field (45.9 percent from Turkey, 48.3 percent from Belarus), but Turkey's ability to take care of the ball was the difference. The team turned the ball over just six times while notching eight steals and forcing 13 Belarus turnovers.
The win temporarily moves Turkey into second place in Group A and dramatically improved its chances of advancing to the knockout phase, especially with a winnable game against Brazil remaining Saturday.
Belarus' chances of moving on took a major blow, meanwhile, as the team still has to face the yet-unbeaten Australians on Saturday. Belarus will need to not only pull off that upset but will probably need some help as well to move on. The Belarusians will be left hoping that Turkey loses its final game or the Japanese lose their final two games.
Lithuania Beats Argentina, 81-73
Argentina may be the team with NBA players such as Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola leading the way, but Lithuania earned the 81-73 victory on Thursday.
It was a back-and-forth affair, but Lithuania extended its lead to eight after the third quarter and held even in the fourth to clinch the win. The two-way scoring onslaught from Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Mantas Kalnietis was too much for the Argentines to handle, as Kuzminskas poured in a game-high 23 points off the bench to go with Kalnietis’ 17.
The Toronto Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas added 10 rebounds for Lithuania and helped his team dominate the boards to the tune of 51-29.
Ginobili was one of five Argentina players who scored in double figures with 22 points. His team also received 12 points and seven rebounds from Scola.
Ultimately, Lithuania’s advantage on the glass proved to be the difference.
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