The epic basketball rivalry between the USA and Spain will have a fifth and possibly final chapter in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
The two powerhouses of the international game have been drawn together in what is without a doubt the marquee matchup of this tournament’s quarter-final round.
Elsewhere, Australia take on Argentina in a battle of two other international stalwarts, while dark horses Slovenia, led by their young superstar Luka Doncic, have a terrific chance to make it to the semi-finals after a favourable draw.
Read on below for SBOTOP’s take on all four of the quarter-final matchups in the Olympic basketball tournament.
Slovenia vs Germany
Slovenia proved they are legitimate dark horses for the gold medal with their impressive 3-0 record in the group stage. Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic demonstrated why he is one of the best players in the world at the moment with three amazing performances that showed off his abilities as both a scorer and a playmaker. Doncic remains a perfect 16-0 in international play for his country.
But the Slovenians also showed with their terrific win over Spain that they are much more than Doncic. In Vlatko Cancar and Mike Tobey, they have two other players capable of stepping up in the big stage.
Slovenia had the good fortune of getting perhaps the most favourable matchup in the draw with Germany. The Germans have the least amount of star power in the tournament and finished third to Australia and Italy in Group B.
Barring any unforeseen events, Doncic should safely lead his country to the semi-finals without too much trouble.
Spain vs USA
The US and Spain are set to meet once again in the knockout round for the fifth Olympics in a row. After meeting in the quarters in 2004, the US overcame Spain in consecutive gold-medal games in 2008 and 2012. They also came out on top in their semi-final clash in 2016.
Spain will head into this match as reigning world champions after the US’s disappointing performance in 2019, but they are not quite the force they once were. They are a very aged squad, with their top stars – Pau and Marc Gasol, Sergio Rodriguez, and Rudy Fernandez – all in their mid-30s or older.
The US also aren’t as dominant as they once were and are certainly beatable, as seen by their shock loss to France in their group opener.
But in Brooklyn Nets superstars Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard, they have two of the top players in the world who are capable of carrying the team to victory, not to mention an entire squad of young and athletic players who can cause the ageing Spaniards many problems on both ends of the court.
Italy vs France
France arguably had the most impressive set of Olympics 2020 results in the preliminary stage. Not only did they upset the US in their opener, but they also crushed the Czech Republic and Iran without too many problems en route to a perfect 3-0 record.
The French have a good balance in their squad, with star centre reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert anchoring their defence, wings Evan Fournier and Nando De Colo supplying the offence, and veteran forward Nicolas Batum doing a little bit of everything.
However, quarter-final foes Italy will not be an easy out. Golden State Warriors guard Nico Mannion is having a fine tournament, averaging 15 points and 5 assists per game. As is veteran forward Simone Fontecchio, who leads the team with 18 points per game.
It’s a testament to Italy that they looked as good as they did in the group stage despite their best player, Danilo Gallinari, looking far from his best. If ‘Il Gallo’ rediscovers his form in the knockouts, France could have some problems.
Australia vs Argentina
And last but certainly not least, Australia and Argentina collide in a very intriguing contest. Both countries have been among the top international sides in the world over the last decade, but while age has caught up to their golden generations, they still have a lot left in the tank.
For the Boomers, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles are still playing at a high level, which they showed as they led the team to a perfect preliminaries. Big man Aron Baynes is out for the tournament after a bizarre injury sustained in the bathroom, but they have other players who can cope with his absence.
Argentina, on the other hand, had the misfortune of being grouped against Doncic’s Slovenia and Spain. But 39-year-old Luis Scola showed he is still a force as he averaged 19 points in three games. With him and star guard Facundo Campazzo leading the way, the Argentines are a real threat to the Aussies.
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