Olympic Basketball 2016: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Odds for Day 9
The U.S. men's basketball team's first challenge of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was supposed to be France, though it was expected to be a mild one. After Team USA struggled to beat Australia and Serbia in its last two games, however, France is now a real problem for an American team that looks more like a collection of individuals.
If USA doesn't come together soon, it might be vulnerable in the medal round.
As for the American women, there isn't a hint a trouble. They've cruised to a 4-0 record with an average margin of victory of 40.3 points.
Here's a complete schedule of Sunday's action, as well as title odds:
| Men | ||||
| A | 1:15 p.m. ET | USA | France | NBCSN |
| A | 6 p.m. ET | Australia | Venezuela | |
| A | 9:30 p.m. ET | Serbia | China | |
| Women | ||||
| B | 11:15 a.m. ET | China | USA | NBC |
| B | 2:30 p.m. ET | Senegal | Serbia | |
| B | 4:45 p.m. ET | Spain | Canada |
| USA | 1-14 |
| Australia | 17-1 |
| Serbia | 20-1 |
| Lithuania | 25-1 |
| France | 30-1 |
| Spain | 30-1 |
| Argentina | 30-1 |
| Croatia | 40-1 |
| Brazil | 50-1 |
| Venezuela | 1,000-1 |
| Nigeria | 4,000-1 |
| China | 5,000-1 |
Full group listings and standings, as well as live streams of all the games, can be found at NBCOlympics.com.
Which Team USA Will Show Up?
After winning its first two games by 101 combined points against two overmatched opponents (China and Venezuela), Team USA trailed Australia at halftime and was inches away from overtime against Serbia before winning 94-91 Friday.
There are plenty of issues for this team: selfishness on offense, mental lapses on defense, questionable substitutions, among others. But the biggest problem might come down to attitude.
Team USA is the most talented team in Rio, but that doesn't mean it has a monopoly on skilled players.
And as Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal wrote, it's time to start taking the world's talent seriously:
"Each night, Team USA faces a country with legitimately talented basketball players and chemistry that stems from years of experience playing together in worldwide competition. And the opposition will only grow stronger and more motivated as the elimination stages begin.
"
That will be particularly important against a French team that boasts NBA starters Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum and Rudy Gobert as well as rotation players Boris Diaw and Joffrey Lauvergne. After dropping its tournament-opening game to Australia, France has regained its mojo, winning three straight by an average of 19.7 points.
If Team USA doesn't take this one seriously, its bend might turn into a break.
No Stopping USA's Women
No such problems exist for America's women, whose closest game in Rio was a 26-point romp over Serbia.
Eight different players are averaging between 8.5 and 16.3 points. The team is putting up 103.8 points per game. Australia's second, but that's at 81.5. USA also leads the tournament in field-goal percentage, rebounds, assists and steals.
With all due respect to Liz Cambage and her 5-0 Australian Opals, no one but Team USA has a shot at gold on the women's side of the bracket. That includes the Americans' opponent on Sunday, 1-3 China.
Australia Establishes Itself as the Silver-Medal Favorite
There's little to no chance Venezuela beats the Australian men Sunday either, meaning the Boomers will finish group play with a 4-1 record and plenty of momentum heading into the medal round. The key to the Aussies' success lies in the dirty work they're willing to do.
"They play inside-out, they share the ball, they run, they protect the rim well, they’re physical," USA assistant coach Tom Thibodeau said, per Jai Bednall of News.com.au. "They set great screens, keep the ball moving, play for 40 minutes."
Playing tough and playing together have been the defining characteristics of this Australian team. If it continues to do so, it could get that well-deserved shot at revenge against Team USA.
Elsewhere on the Court
| USA | 1-12 |
| Australia | 8.5-1 |
| Spain | 14-1 |
| France | 20-1 |
| Serbia | 28-1 |
| Brazil | 33-1 |
| Canada | 40-1 |
| Turkey | 50-1 |
| Belarus | 125-1 |
| China | 150-1 |
| Japan | 500-1 |
| Senegal | 750-1 |
Senegal and Serbia will face off in the women's tournament—a last hurrah in Rio for one of these teams. Serbia is 1-3, while Senegal is 0-4, putting them in fifth and sixth place in Group B, respectively. However, with the top four teams in each group advancing, Serbia can get in with a win and a China loss to USA. Senegal would have to beat Serbia by more than 100 points to have a shot.
Spain and Canada will also play, with seeding in the women's medal round on the line. Both teams are sitting at 3-1, so a win prolongs a date with Team USA.
On the men's side, Serbia should bounce back from its tough loss to USA and clinch a berth to the medal round. Its opponent, China, is 0-4 with an average margin of defeat of 28.5 points, while Serbia took both France and USA to the final possession.
