In the Olympic Men's Basketball group stage, a much-anticipated showdown came to an end: Spain beat Argentina 81-71, making it two wins in a row (after having beaten Japan). Argentina, on the other hand, suffered their second consecutive loss (to Slovenia). At present, Spain and Slovenia have already locked up the top two teams in the group, advancing to the last eight, while Argentina's road to advancement is still unclear.
According to the rules of the tournament, the top two teams in each group will advance directly to the quarterfinals, and the two third-placed teams with the best results in their respective groups will also earn a place in the quarterfinals. Even if Argentina beat Japan in their final match, they will only be third in their group and their progression to the last eight will depend on the results of the third-placed teams in the other two groups. Once the top eight are finalized, a draw will be held to determine the teams' opponents.
Let's review the performance of the players in this exciting duel: Rubio of Spain played 25 minutes, shooting 8 of 13 from the field and 5 of 6 from three, cutting down 26 points, 5 boards and 4 assists. Rohr contributed 10 points, and Big Gasol had 9 points and 8 rebounds, 3 of which were in the frontcourt. For Argentina, La Proventura scored 27 points, Campazzo had 10 points, 4 boards and 3 assists, and Scola had 13 points and 2 rebounds.
Scola and Gasol, both born in 1980, are now 41 years old and made their Olympic debut together at the 2004 Athens Olympics. At that time, Argentina defeated the powerful Dream Team, and Scola won the Olympic gold medal with the team. Although the Spanish team only won the seventh place, but Gasol average contribution of 22.4 points, become the FIBA inside a big killer!
17 years have passed, Scola and Gasol are slightly vicissitudes, but also into the late career. Especially Scola, he has made it clear that he will officially retire after playing the Olympics. Young players are full of passion, give people power, but with the veterans against, like tasting old wine, the more you taste the more flavor.
When we actually reach our 40s and play against 20-somethings again, we may be able to realize how these two veterans feel. Gasol (641 points) is third on the overall Olympic scoring list and Scola (561) is fourth, and they have become legends. The top two are Oscar Schmidt (1,093 points) and Andrew Gates (789).
For a team to remain competitive, relying on veterans alone is clearly not enough. As a whole, Argentina and Spain have older players, but they also have a rising middle generation of players. Argentina's La Proventura and Spain's Rubio were both born in 1990, 10 years younger than Big Gasol and Scola, and can be considered the same generation of players.
Laprovitola played 32 minutes in the game, shooting 9-of-14 from the field and 5-of-9 from three, and poured in a game-high 27 points.He left the NBA after being cut after 18 games with the Spurs in the 2016-17 season, and has since been a longtime member of the Western Conference. LaProvitola plays with great dexterity, what's the level of this behind-the-back pass?
Spain's Rubio blasted 20 points, 2 rebounds and 9 assists in his Olympic debut and added 26 points, 5 boards and 4 assists in this game. Two consecutive 20+ performances have made him the tactical centerpiece of the Spanish team. In the NBA period, many people criticized him for the instability of the outside, but in the Olympic Games, the two games accumulated 8 out of 6 from three.
On the afternoon of August 1, Beijing time, Spain will face Slovenia, and Rubio will have a strong conversation with Doncic! Who do you think will win this highly anticipated match?
