With Team USA Men's Basketball team winning their last elimination round game against France, the seemingly unstoppable American squad looks quite vulnerable heading into the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
After the close call win against Tony Parker's Team France in razor thin 100-97 victory, many are now questioning the supposed dominance of Team USA in men's basketball in this year's Olympic games. With the All-Star team hanging on to a fourth quarter lead, they've allowed the French team to almost fight their way back.
Team USA forward and former NBA most valuable player, Kevin Durant, said of the narrow escape, "Obviously, everybody wants us to win by a lot of points, but it's not how it's going to go this time," says Durant, adding "We've got to be prepared for a grind-out game. We've shown the last three games we can grind it out," in a report from USA Today.
The latest win against France makes this the 3rd straight game that Team USA has failed to cruise to victory, unlike what many expected of the Americans. The previous games of Team USA in the group stages, where they faced the Andrew Bogut-led Team Australia and the relentless Team Serbia, put the defending Olympic gold medalists to the test.
Now entering the quarterfinals, Team USA will first go against Argentina, with familiar faces for the All-Star stacked USA as NBA veterans Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors' Luis Scola are set to lead the South American club.
Looking ahead of the medal rounds, USA's biggest threats, namely France and Spain will also go head-to-head, leaving only one team that could potentially challenge Team USA for the Olympic gold medal, according to CBS Sports.
The Men's Basketball Olympic quarterfinal stage will begin Wednesday, August 17, as Australia takes on Lithuania.
