Argentina vs. Brazil: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympic Men's Basketball

Argentina secured an electrifying 111-107 double-overtime victory over rival Brazil in a men's basketball game for the ages at the 2016 Summer Olympics on Saturday.

Veteran forward Andres Nocioni turned back the clock to lead the charge for Argentina, with 37 points and 11 rebounds while playing more than 47 minutes. Facundo Campazzo also shined for the winning side, with 33 points and 11 points.

Meanwhile, it's a significant blow for the host nation, which sits on the brink of elimination heading into the final Group B games. Nene had 24 points and 11 boards for Brazil and the team had six different players reach double figures in scoring, but it wasn't enough in the end.

Here's a look at how the highly anticipated encounter played out from Carioca Arena 1 in Rio:

Country	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	OT2	Total
Argentina	28	16	23	18	10	16	111
Brazil	19	33	20	13	10	12	107

There were concerns ahead of the contest about potential fan clashes given the rivalry between the countries across the sports spectrum, most notably when it comes to soccer. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today noted Brazil head coach Ruben Magnano, an Argentine, urged peaceful passion.

“It's a game, it's a spectacle, it's sport. There's no need to fight," Magnano said. "It should be a fiesta of our basketball. Zero violence, zero fighting."

Michael Lee of The Vertical pointed out players from both sides took the court before the game to push a similar message:

Ultimately, it was a rare instance of a game exceeding an incredible amount of hype. Not only was the crowd heavily involved every step of the way, but the teams engaged in a seesaw affair that created a memorable atmosphere that encapsulated the Olympic spirit.

Argentina rushed out to an early nine-point lead after the first quarter on the strength of its outside shooting. The team connected on eight of its 10 three-point attempts in the opening period.

It was an unsustainable rate, however, and it corrected itself in the second, as Argentina missed all eight of its shots from downtown. It opened the door for the host nation to make a surge, and it responded with a 33-point offensive explosion of its own to take an eight-point lead into the break.

Sam Amick of USA Today showcased just how loud it was in the arena, and the crowd predictably got even more raucous in the second half:

One thing that stood out as the game headed toward crunch time was the number of veterans stepping up with huge performances. Whether it was Argentina's Nocioni and Manu Ginobili or Brazil's Leandro Barbosa and Nene, those with experience shined under the pressure.

Austin Green of ‏Los Crossovers discussed more of the notable names who were making things happen for Argentina:

It looked like the Argentinians were losing a grip on the game late in regulation, though. They found themselves down by eight with less than three minutes to play after a bucket by Nene. They responded with a 7-0 run to get back within one with 22 seconds left.

Marcelo Huertas knocked down a pair of free throws to stretch the lead back to three. But Nocioni knocked down one of his eight threes in the final seconds to send the game into overtime.

ESPN Stats and Info put his entire performance in perspective:

"

#ARG beats #BRA 111-107 (2 OT) in Group B #basketball. Andrés Nocioni (ARG): 37 pts; NBA career high was 31, in 2006 pic.twitter.com/ZbG9vdERUb

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 13, 2016"

Brazil once again appeared to seize control in the first overtime period. It led by as many as six with just under three to go after a three-pointer by Garcia.

Argentina bounced up off the mat for a second time, however. Nocioni trimmed the lead to one and, after Marquinhos split a pair of free throws, Campazzo made a layup to force another extra period.

This time around, Argentina was the team that built a lead, and it never relinquished it despite a late Brazilian surge. Ginobili nailed a couple of free throws with two seconds left to finally put the game on ice.

Bill Simmons of The Ringer summed up a true classic:

Looking ahead, Argentina now sits atop Group B for the time being with seven points, though Lithuania could reclaim the top spot with a win over Spain later Saturday. A lot figures to remain on the line when Argentina clashes with Spain to close out pool play Monday.

The outlook isn't quite as promising for Brazil. The Olympic hosts could fall out of the top four depending on the day's other results. The silver lining is the team's final group game is against Nigeria, the weakest team in the pool. The Brazilians will likely need a win and help to advance.

Postgame Reaction

Zillgitt passed along comments from Barbosa after the game and he was as confused as anybody who watched the game about how they lost despite sizable leads late in regulation and the first OT.

"It's really hard to understand why we lost that game. We had the game in our hands," he said.

Meanwhile, Argentina's leading scorer expressed how important the result was both in terms of the rivalry and helping their chances moving forward, per USA Today.

"This is great. This is an eternal rivalry for us," Nocioni said. "What we did today was big."