Olympic Basketball 2021: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Odds for Day 2
July 25, 2021
The men's and women's Olympic basketball tournaments continue early Monday morning with pool-play action from Saitama Super Arena.
With roughly half of the teams kicking off Sunday, we will see the rest of the teams in action in Tokyo a day later. The Olympic debut of Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic for Slovenia headlines the action. Doncic will lead his team against Argentina, a strong presence on the international scene in recent years.
The United States will have the day off, but there's a slate of four games, including the inaugural game for host nation Japan in both brackets. Men's Group C favorite Spain will be the formidable foe for the host, while the women will meet France.
Here's a look at the schedule and pertinent broadcast info, as well as a look at some of the major storylines to watch.
Day 2 Olympic Basketball Schedule—Monday, July 26
Men's: Argentina vs. Slovenia (-5.5), 12:40 a.m. ET CNBC, NBCOlympics.com
Women's: Serbia (-2.5) vs. Canada, 4:20 a.m. ET NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com
Men's: Japan vs. Spain (-19.5), 8 a.m. ET NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com
Women's: Japan vs. France (-9), 9 p.m. ET
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Doncic's debut will be the game to watch on the men's side. Not only is it Slovenia's star player's first foray into the Olympics, but it's also the first time the country has qualified for the Games since seceding from Yugoslavia in the early '90s.
As one might expect, Doncic had a lot to do with that qualification. He averaged 21.3 points, 11.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds in the qualifying tournament and consistently set up a squad that shot the ball well from the three-point line.
Their first game will carry big implications in Group C. Spain is the favorite to win, but the other spot in the group of four will be up for grabs, with Slovenia and Argentina battling it out against Japan.
Argentina is the most recent nation outside of the United States to win the gold medal, taking the honors in 2004. This team obviously looks quite a bit different from that one, but it still could be a threat. Argentina is light on NBA talent but carries a No. 4 FIBA world ranking and is led by Luis Scola and the Denver Nuggets' Facundo Campazzo.
Japan will take on a deep and talented Spain team that features both Marc and Pau Gasol, Juancho and Willy Hernangomez, as well as Ricky Rubio and several former NBA talents.
Spain won the 2019 FIBA World Cup, a tournament in which the U.S. didn't even medal.
Japan, which is in the tournament by virtue of being the host nation, will have a tall task competing with Spain. It went 0-5 in the FIBA World Cup, through which Iran earned its berth in Tokyo. The host is led by Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, who was chosen as a flag-bearer for Japan.
In women's action, Serbia and Canada will meet in pool play. Serbia does not have much WNBA talent on the roster, but it's a dedicated national team that has spent more time together as a result.
Canada will be led by a trio of WNBA players in Kia Nurse, Bridget Carleton and Natalie Achonwa, and its roster boasts plenty of Olympic experience. But those experiences have often led to disappointment, as Canada's best finish remains fourth in the 1984 Games.
Late Monday night, Japan's women will host France. The latter have been a consistent factor in the medal picture on the international stage of late, earning a silver in the 2012 Olympics and coming up just short of the podium with a fourth-place finish in Rio in 2016.
Japan has an up-tempo style and will be sure to play with a lot of energy in the role of home team, so it wouldn't be shocking to see an upset in its first game.
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