USA vs. Argentina 2016 live stream: How to watch Olympic basketball online

The United States men’s basketball team takes on Argentina in the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament on Wednesday. It’s the first elimination game in Rio for both teams. The winner will advance to the semis, while the loser will be sent home packing.

It’s been an interesting time in the Olympics for Team USA, which entered the men’s basketball competition as a heavy favorite. The team started out in Rio with back-to-back blowout wins over China and Venezuela, but showed signs of vulnerability in close wins over Australia, Serbia and France. While the Americans came out of the group stage with a sparkling 5-0 record, how the team got there didn’t elicit a ton of confidence.

Things will only get more challenging from here as the stakes get higher. The group games are all important, but now it’s do-or-die time. And with a matchup against Argentina, regularly one of the best teams in the world, this should be Team USA’s biggest obstacle yet.

Argentina finished 3-2 in the group stage, with its losses coming to Spain and Lithuania. The team is still led by members of the Golden Generation at the top, with Manu Ginobili (age 39), Luis Scola (36), Andres Nocioni (36) and Carlos Delfino (34 in two weeks) among the key contributors. And yet, despite those ages, the group has incredible chemistry and history. You know they’ll be looking to take one last stand by upsetting the Americans, and even though they’re older, we’ve seen how a well-oiled, cohesive offensive can give the U.S. defense trouble.

The Americans will be favored -- they’re still loaded with All-Stars in their primes -- but there’s some real intrigue surrounding this game. The quarterfinals in the Olympic tournament look like they’re going to be a blast. Here’s how to catch this game live via NBC Sports: