2016 Olympic Games: Croatia Stuns Spain in Opener

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Teams from Group B took to the hardwood in their first games of the Men’s Basketball Competition in the 2016 Olympic Games. Three games were on tap on Sunday and fans from around the world were treated to some exciting basketball action. Brazil put up a valiant effort in defending their home soil against Lithuania, but fell short and ended the night with a tough 76-82 loss. Back-to-back Silver medalists Spain were stunned by a young and hungry Croatian squad 72-70. Last, but not the least Argentina cruised to an easy win over Nigeria 66-94.

Brazil vs. Lithuania, 76-82

Lithuania looked like it was in control from the get-go, as they rushed to a respectable 27-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second period showed more of the same results as they expanded on their lead, thanks to some solid shots made from beyond the three-point arc. By halftime, Lithuania’s lead had ballooned to 58-29, and it looked like they would be on their way to an easy Game 1 win in the competition. The Brazilian squad, however, did not share that vision of their first game. Riding on the heroics of veteran NBA guard Leandro Barbosa, Brazil mounted an impressive comeback run in the second half. They obliterated Lithuania’s seemingly comfortable lead to come within 75-71.

With the game on the line, Lithuania turned to their size advantage and pounded the ball in the low post. Brazil tried to grab their points from the outside, but their three-point shots were not finding their mark in this game (2-of-14). In the end Lithuania managed to hold on for the 76-82 win, but not without Brazil giving them an eye-opening scare.

Leandro Barbosa was the main man for Brazil, finishing with a game-high 21 points. Mantas Kalnietis paced Lithuania with 16 points.

Croatia vs. Spain, 72-70

It was a block that reverberated across Europe and around the world. Dario Saric (photo above) soared from the weak side to block a potential game-tying jumper by Pau Gasol in the final seconds of the game and sealed the win for Croatia. This was a shocking upset for the Spaniards, who are used to handily moving on from the group stage of the Olympic games. Dubbed “USA’s biggest threat,” by more than a few analysts, Spain’s massive experience advantage in these games come with a hefty price… age. A younger and arguably hungrier Croatian squad would prove that they are legitimate up and coming force to be reckoned with in these games and should not be taken lightly.

The game itself was generally through the course of the first three quarters, with Spain managing to hold on in bits to the 13-21 lead they established at the end of the first quarter. It was in the fourth period that Croatia managed to mount a serious run at the game’s lead and thanks to some impressive scoring by Bojan Bogdanovic, the white shirts seized control of the game as the last few minutes ticked by.

Spain leaned on Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic heavily in this game. Their backcourt was not up to snuff in this outing and could account for the late-game collapse. Gasol finished the game with 26 points and nine rebounds to his name.

Argentina vs. Nigeria, 94-66

This was an easy one for the veteran Argentinian squad. They played aggressive from the beginning of the game and were rewarded with an 11-0 run to start the game. They rode the early momentum and their lead snowballed from there. When both teams headed to their respective locker rooms for the halftime break, Argentina had posted a 50-31 advantage. The second half was more of the same and was a played out like clockwork.

Ike Diogu posted a solid double-double performance in a losing effort for Nigeria. He ended the game with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Facundo Campazzo finished with 19 points for Argentina, while veteran big man Luis Scola chipped in 18 points of his own.