The United States' men's basketball team will begin the medal round at the Olympic Games on Wednesday against Argentina at 5:45 p.m. ET in Rio de Janeiro. The quarterfinals will then continue with Australia vs. Lithuania, Croatia vs. Serbia and Spain vs. France.
Should Team USA beat Argentina as expected, they will face the winner of the Spain-France game in the semifinals on Friday.
Argentina's roster is not as strong as it has been in previous international competitions, but this is still a formidable foe for the United States. Facundo Campazzo is the kind of point guard who gave Team USA problems in group play, and veterans Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola tend to rise the occasion on this kind of stage. Team USA's defense has had trouble staying connected against opponents who move the ball well, and that is one of Argentina's biggest strengths.
Before the Olympics began, Spain and France were seen as Team USA's biggest threats. The Americans ought to be happy that they'll only need to beat one of them to win gold.
