Olympics basketball 2016 quarterfinal schedule and results: U.S. men crush Argentina, will face Spain next

On Wednesday, Team USA beat the snot out of Argentina to advance to the semifinals of the men’s basketball tournament. If you wanted to sum up the game in one play, Kevin Durant’s monster double-crossover-to-Eurostep extraordinaire found at the start of this highlight reel is a nice choice.

Let’s break down this casserole of greatness into its delicious layers.

It was symbolic that an underwhelming version of Team USA headed into a 2016 Olympic quarterfinal match-up against the same group of Argentinians who scored a signature victory over the Americans 14 years ago in Athens.

But instead of a repeat upset, the United States dispelled any sense of deja vu, routing Argentina 105-78 to advance to the semifinals. In doing so, the U.S. seems to have found its rotation going forward.

Serbia is heading to the semifinals of the 2016 Olympic men’s basketball tournament after topping Croatia, 86-83, in the quarterfinals Wednesday night. The team will face Australia for a chance to reach the gold medal game.

This was a surprisingly close contest after Serbia led by 14 points entering the fourth quarter. Croatia battled back to cut the lead to as little as one point, but never got ahead. In one crucial moment with 27.2 seconds remaining, Croatia got called for a foul while trying to grab a rebound down by three points. The result was two free throws for Serbia’s Miroslav Raduljica, and he hit one of them to extend the lead to two possessions.

The United States crushed Argentina, 105-78, to advance to the semifinals in the 2016 Olympic men’s basketball tournament Wednesday night. It was easily the Americans’ best performance yet in Rio, and there was no need for late heroics to end the Golden Generation’s run.

After pulling out a few close wins in the group stage, the U.S. got its troubles out the way early in the quarterfinal. The Americans trailed by 10 points early with the starting lineup coming out slow, then turned on the burners with a 27-2 run that turned the game into a blowout.

A battle of old rivals quickly turned into a one-sided affair in Rio, with Spain defeating France 92-67 in their quarterfinal matchup. Both teams struggled to create separation early on, and only the Spanish were able to develop enough counters to break through.

Open looks were at a premium to start the game, as both France and Spain took time to feel their old rival out. The ebb-and-flow mirrored that of a boxing match, each fighter fending off jabs and looking for an opening.

Australia turned the opening game of the Olympic quarterfinals into a snoozer, trampling over Lithuania in a 90-64 victory. It was a statement victory composed of equal parts Australian excellence and Lithuanian impotence. It also cemented Australia’s status as the top challenger to Team USA.

The ramped-up intensity of the knockout stages was evident from the first minute of the game. Australia drew two charges within the first 70 seconds, creating hesitation in would-be drivers for Lithuania. It was a sign of things to come for an Australian team that did just about everything right on both ends of the court.

Tony Parker has one of the most fascinating living legacies in the NBA. He’s a four-time champion, six-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA honoree and the 2007 Finals MVP. He is, along with Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol, a top-three European player in the history of the NBA.

Yet, he’s finished in the top-five in MVP voting just once (2012), and has never been the consensus best point guard in the NBA. (The evidence: In Parker’s four top-10 MVP voting finishes, he finished behind at least one point guard every time. In three of those years, Parker was behind Chris Paul, who, as you may be aware, does not have an NBA championship.)

It’s no surprise that France and Spain share a basketball rivalry. They’ve been the powerhouses of European basketball for more than a decade, and both countries have a long pipeline of talent that they’ve funneled into the NBA. The two sides face off again in the quarterfinals in Rio on Sunday, but that’s just the newest match you can add to their combined history.

The stakes are higher than ever. Whichever team survives automatically becomes the top threat to dethrone the United States for the 2016 gold medal. Team USA looks more vulnerable than ever, so those aren’t just empty words. There’s a strong case to be made that France and Spain are the two best teams in this Olympic basketball tournament behind the U.S.

The problem the Americans are facing on a micro-level is their defense, which has been hideous. They’re playing too many average to subpar defenders and not giving enough effort in general, since these summer games don’t mean as much to the participants as, say, a playoff game would. The bigger picture problem is the team’s lack of continuity. About half the roster is new to Team USA, forcing a difficult adjustment period and all-around struggles to pick up the international game while trying to adjust to new teammates they’ll only play with for a month.

Yes, this paints a bleaker picture than the actual reality. Team USA is still the favorite to win the gold medal, and they might do it with three straight blowouts. They have that sort of talent and ability to roast teams when they’re clicking, no matter how well the opposition is playing, and everyone knows that. But when you’re a problem that hasn’t lost a game in years, any sign of weakness gets amplified.