It Looks Like a Storybook Last Stand for Argentina's Golden Generation
In what was certainly the game of the 2016 Olympics, Argentina refused to concede defeat, moving to 3-1 with a 111-107 victory over Brazil that featured 10 minutes of extra basketball and a furious late-game comeback.
Argentina had every opportunity to collapse against its bitter international rival, but what's left of the Golden Generation wouldn't be denied during what's likely its final Olympic experience together. Four members of the gold-medal squad from the 2004 Athens Olympics are still on the 2016 roster, and each has contributed to the group-stage success:
| Carlos Delfino | 5.0 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Manu Ginobili | 15.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 |
| Andres Nocioni | 18.0 | 0.5 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Luis Scola | 16.8 | 2.0 | 8.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
Down eight points with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, Argentina clawed back and capped the run with a side-stepping three-pointer from Andres Nocioni as the clock showed only three ticks left. Trailing by six in overtime, Facundo Campazzo took over and established himself as the other Argentine hero of the afternoon.
By the second overtime, Argentina stormed out to an eight-point advantage and staved off Brazil's desperate charges.
This was and is a fundamentally flawed team. It has no convincing size outside of Luis Scola (14 points, 10 rebounds), which is why it struggled so mightily against the Brazilians' relentless onslaught of power and interior finesse, especially Nene's (24 points, 11 rebounds). It can go cold from the outside and struggle to generate offense when isolation buckets aren't falling.
But even on a day that saw Manu Ginobili (13 points on 14 shots) and Carlos Delfino (zero points on four shots) fail to find a rhythm, and even though Ginobili and Scola are usually the team leaders, Saturday belonged to Nocioni—and Campazzo, the 25-year-old point guard with a game eerily reminiscent of Kyrie Irving's.
It's not just because Nocioni knocked down the corner triple that forced the first overtime period.
Recording 37 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 11-of-19 from the field and 8-of-12 from downtown, he couldn't be stopped. According to RealGM's game logs, it was the first time he'd topped the 30-point barrier in any type of competition since producing another 37-spot for Laboral Kutxa in an April 10, 2014, win over FC Barcelona.
Talk about a timely display from the 36-year-old.
But while the holdover players from the Golden Generation have helped lead this squad past the group stage and give it a legitimate shot to earn the third medal in the country's Olympic history, they couldn't have moved to 3-1 without Campazzo.
The point guard is a bit prone to overdribbling, but Argentina will live with his flaws after his heroic performance in a rivalry match. It was he who grabbed the offensive board that led to Nocioni's clutch trey, and it was he who exploded for 33 points, four rebounds, 11 assists and four steals.
Bleacher Report's Alec Nathan and theScore's Chris Walder were two of the many who thought Campazzo's standout performance should earn him some NBA love—so long as teams are willing to buy out his contract with Real Madrid:
Will Campazzo experience this much success again before leaving Rio? Probably not, even if he continues to play quite well. Will Nocioni be able to replicate his 37-point outburst? The odds are against it.
But those two, along with the veteran performances of this Argentine outfit, have ensured these Olympics have yet another medal contender.
Spain Rises from the Dead
All it took was 40 minutes, and Spain forced its Olympic narrative into a 180-degree twist—a maneuver better suited for Rio's green diving pools and balance beams than the hardwood.
Gone are memories of the 0-2 start against Croatia and Brazil that left the Spaniards gasping for life, even though they had posted a mere minus-three-point differential. Forgotten is the lackluster performance against Nigeria—one leading to a single-digit victory that was by no means a sure thing until the final minutes.
With a 109-59 thrashing of previously unbeaten Lithuania, Spain has announced it's not ready to roll over and head home quite yet. In fact, it now boasts a cumulative margin of victory that narrowly edges out Australia's and is only behind Team USA.
The offense that appeared stagnant during previous outings flat-out exploded, with almost everyone contributing to a beatdown so thorough it often looked as if Mantas Kalnietis was the only Lithuanian who belonged on the same floor as Spain. The defense locked down four members of the opposing starting five; Kalnietis went 7-of-9 from the field, and the rest of the starters posted a combined 1-of-17.
For Spain, Pau Gasol was the unquestioned standout.
His shot fell early and often, and despite playing only 23 minutes in the blowout, he posted 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from downtown. Gasol's passing and stretch 5 ability sparked the struggling offense, and his passion was on clear display, as he often trotted back to the defensive end while letting his emotions spew forth.
Of course, we can't overlook the fact everyone played with confidence, and that's great news for a team that may still have to beat Argentina on Monday to advance past the group stage.
Returned was the distributing flair of Ricky Rubio (11 points, four assists) and Sergio Llull (10 points, six assists). Nikola Mirotic (17 points on 8-of-11 shooting) seemed incapable of missing. Felipe Reyes (11 points, nine rebounds) and Willy Hernangomez (nine points, two blocks) provided impressive frontcourt contributions off the pine, while Sergio Rodriguez (six points, three assists) dazzled the Rio crowd with step-back jumpers late in the proceedings.
All of a sudden, a veteran, proven international giant appears to have risen from its unexpected slumber, and the rest of the field must take notice.
When Spain plays like this, it's capable of beating anyone.
Nigeria Gets One
After a series of close calls—nine-point defeats against both Lithuania and Spain were closer than the scoreboard would indicate—Nigeria finally emerged victorious. With a 90-76 outing against Croatia, it both ensured it wouldn't leave Rio without a tick in the win column, while keeping its slim hopes of advancing to the elimination stages alive.
It's unlikely Nigeria can blow out Brazil on Monday and watch Croatia lose handily to Lithuania, but it is technically possible.
For the first part to happen, Nigeria will need everyone to contribute once again.
We're talking about Michael Umeh hitting another six triples, as he did Saturday night on only 10 attempts. We're talking about another game that features five scorers in double figures—Ike Diogu (10 points), Alade Aminu (13), Umeh (19), Ebi Ere (14) and Josh Akognon (18) all hit the benchmark in this victory.
We're talking about another inspired defensive performance that features endless contests on the interior and a plethora of jumped passing lanes.
Thanks to this performance, Nigeria's time in Brazil is already a success. This outing against Croatia carries far more prestige than the 2012 win over Tunisia—the only other successful match in the nation's Olympic history.
But the experience doesn't have to be over quite yet; Nigeria just has to keep the magic going when they square off against the host nation.
Standings and Schedule
| A | 1:15 p.m. ET | USA | France | NBCSN |
| A | 6 p.m. ET | Australia | Venezuela | |
| A | 9:30 p.m. ET | Serbia | China |
| A | USA | 4-0 | 8 | 114 |
| A | Australia | 3-1 | 7 | 51 |
| A | France | 3-1 | 7 | 48 |
| A | Serbia | 1-3 | 5 | 5 |
| A | Venezuela | 1-3 | 5 | -104 |
| A | China | 0-4 | 4 | -114 |
| B | Argentina | 3-1 | 7 | 32 |
| B | Lithuania | 3-1 | 7 | -27 |
| B | Spain | 2-2 | 6 | 56 |
| B | Croatia | 2-2 | 6 | -16 |
| B | Brazil | 1-3 | 5 | -13 |
| B | Nigeria | 1-3 | 5 | -32 |
Full group listings and standings, as well as live streams of all the games, can be found at NBCOlympics.com.
