Argentina vs. Brazil: TV Time, Live Stream, 2016 Olympic Basketball Prediction

Two aging rivals will jostle for Group B positioning when Argentina and Brazil collide at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

As expected, the men's basketball division without the United States has offered no answers in preliminary play. With the exception of Argentina clobbering the winless Nigeria, 94-66, every contest within the six-team bracket has been determined by single digits.

Entering the weekend, each team has two games remaining before four advance to the quarterfinals. At 2-1 with a plus-28 point differential, Argentina stands in second between undefeated Lithuania and 2-1 Croatia. Brazil, however, is on the losing end of a tiebreaker for fourth place with 1-2 Spain despite winning their head-to-head encounter.

Both teams will look to redeem themselves after Thursday losses, but Saturday afternoon's showdown is especially pivotal for the host nation.

Game Details

Date: Saturday, Aug. 13

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: USA Network

Live Stream: NBC Olympics

Preview

Eric Gay/Associated Press

This summer likely represents the final Olympic hurrah for the NBA veterans headlining both squads.

As ESPN.com's Zach Lowe detailed in a gripping profile on Manu Ginobili, Argentina thought the London Games were the last stand for the only nation other than the U.S. to win gold since NBA professionals started competing in 1992.

"Everyone was crying even more," Andres Nocioni said regarding the end of their 2012 run. "I had never seen anything like that, so much crying in a locker room. We knew it was our last opportunity to do something big." 

Ginobili, on the last legs of his NBA career at the age of 39, almost certainly won't be back in 2020. Nocioni and Luis Scola, both 36, probably have only one stint left as well. Yet they're not going gently into the good night.

Scola leads the squad with 17.7 points per game on a 52.6 field-goal percentage. Ginobili, who recorded 22 points in a losing effort against Lithuania, is right behind him with 15.7 points per contest. Although he missed all five three-point attempts Thursday, Nocioni has tallied double-digit points in all three contests.

Those playmakers met their match against a larger Lithuania squad, which dominated the glass with a 51-29 rebounding advantage. Argentina had no answer for Jonas Valanciunas, but it should be excused for toiling against an opponent that has corralled an Olympics-high 30 rebounds per game.

Brazil, meanwhile, falls on the lower end of the rebounding spectrum. Only Venezuela and China have fared worse than the Brazilians' 22 boards per game. But they clean up their offensive messes, which Spain can attest to after suffering a one-point defeat on a tip-in by Marquinhos.

NBC Olympics' Twitter account had the evidence:

With Nene delivering an underwhelming 7.3 points per game and 30.4 field-goal percentage, Marquinhos has become Brazil's most effective big man. Yet despite placing second on the team in scoring, he acknowledged his subdued role in the shadows, per Yahoo Sports' Jim Slater.

"I'm not a guy who has a lot of points in rebounding, but that was my moment and I embraced it," Marquinhos said. "We always try to have an extra man on the rebound. I never thought I would be the one to score the winning point with a tip-in."

While Leandro Barbosa leads the team with 13.7 points per game, the Phoenix Suns guard hasn't scored efficiently as Brazil's top option. He's shooting 39.5 percent from the floor while draining only two of his 15 three-point attempts.

It will take a defensive slog akin to Tuesday's 66-65 upset over Spain for Brazil to come out on top. Barbosa doesn't have the offensive support to trade buckets with Ginobili and Scola.

Prediction

Eric Gay/Associated Press

A four-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist, Ginobili can punctuate his Hall of Fame portfolio by leading Argentina's men's basketball team to its third Olympic medal. A win Saturday would take him one step closer by cementing a spot in the quarterfinals.

Like every other game in this grouping, Saturday's matchup won't be easy. All of Brazil's contests have trickled down to the wire, and Argentina's wily veterans aren't going to run a potent opponent out of the gym. 

Yet the old men have enough in the tank to push Brazil out of its comfort zone. Behind another offensive clinic from the San Antonio Spurs star, Argentina will punch its ticket to the next stage with a narrow victory.

Prediction: Argentina 80, Brazil 74