USA vs. Japan 2016, Olympic basketball: Time, TV schedule and live stream for women’s quarterfinal

Fresh off their undefeated campaign in group play, the USWNT kicks off the knockout stage with a quarterfinal matchup against Japan. Team USA will face the Japanese at 5:45 p.m. ET, and you can watch their battle on NBC Sports Network or via live streaming here.

The Americans have been their usually dominant selves at the Rio Olympics, besting their opponents by an average of almost 41 points per game thus far. They have been the best offensive team in the tournament by a country mile; their mark of 104 points per game is 24 points better than the closest competition, a margin that would be a blowout in an actual game.

Their evenly distributed attack is a sight to behold. They’ve managed to bombard opponents despite only one of their players (Diana Taurasi) cracking the top-20 list for scoring in Rio. The Americans have stars from top to bottom on this roster, from veterans like Sue Bird to new studs like Brittney Griner, but egos have been checked at the door.

Team USA’s only real competition in this tournament is the bar they set for themselves. A sixth straight gold is viewed as a necessity for this group, and they’ve played like it.

Standing between USA and another semifinal appearance is a Japanese team hoping for their best finish in Olympic play since 1976.

An upset of the Americans would be historic for Japan’s women’s team. The last time Japan finished in the top five in the Olympics, there were only six women’s teams competing in a round-robin format. As a matter of fact, the last time Japan finished in the top five was the last time the USWNT returned from the games with silver medals.

Japan has shown a knack for hanging around with tough competition, having fallen to second-ranked Australia by only six points in group play. They won’t play in awe of the Americans, though that won’t be enough to account for the talent gap between the teams.

If Team USA continues to shoot like they have so far, it’ll take nothing short of a miracle to upset them. Spearheaded by Taurasi — who is shooting an unconscious 60.6 percent from deep on 33 attempts — the Americans are shooting 42.5 percent from three, comfortably the best mark in the tournament. When the jumpers aren’t falling, Griner offers a matchup nightmare to turn to in the post.

Expect another convincing victory for the USWNT against Japan.

Time: 5:45 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Streaming: NBC Sports