Team USA will meet Argentina this Tuesday for an exhibition match in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This matchup has a well-known history, especially since Argentina became the first team to beat an all-NBA team on the international stage back in 2002. Check out our preview for this game below.
Despite Team USA losing to Nigeria last Saturday, that doesn’t change the undeniable perception that they are the No. 1 team in the world in basketball. Kevin Durant and company have a shot at rebounding strongly this Monday against the Australian National Team. After the way they got mocked on Twitter, Team USA only no other option but to win. As much as Team USA probably want to make the Nigeria loss look as though it was “growing pains” of a team that had just been recently assembled, they simply couldn’t afford to lose back to back no matter the circumstance. Once they get it going, Team USA will be a much bigger force come the game against Argentina. Team USA defeated Argentina the last time these two teams met on the basketball court, with Durant scoring 27 points and dishing out six assists in a 105-78 win in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
A clean-shaven Luis Scola is the spiritual leader of the Argentinians, but at 41, he’s no longer the force he used to be on the international stage. That being said, Scola was cooking in Argentina’s exhibition game on Saturday against Australia, as he scored 25 points and pulled down eight rebounds, albeit in an 87-84 loss. Argentina can’t let Scola do the heavy lifting alone. They have plenty of talents who can lead the team offensively like Facundo Campazzo, a veteran in international games who made quite a noise as a rookie in the NBA in the 2020-21 season as part of the Denver Nuggets’ backcourt. Campazzo had 12 points and five assists against the Boomers. Argentina also have Leandro Bolmaro, the No. 23 pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA Draft and Luis Vildoza of the New York Knicks. In the 2016 loss to Team USA, Scola had a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Campazzo scored 13 points with nine dimes and four steals.
