Team USA Aims for Fifth Consecutive Gold in Paris Quarterfinal
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00:00A huge day over in Paris on the hardwood. The United States men's national team looking for
00:09its fifth consecutive gold medal in basketball will play a quarterfinal game today against Brazil.
00:17To help you get set for it, from Sporting News, Bill Bender joins us here on this Tuesday on the
00:23Early Line. Bill, we appreciate the time. Thank you for being here for a Tuesday Olympic assessment
00:28of everything we need to know over in France. Well, Ben, good to be on with you. I'm so used
00:33to being on with you and talking Iowa Rutgers or Michigan, Michigan State. We're going to have to
00:39try Brazil, Team USA today. Let's go for it. We will. And I know that is a huge disappointment
00:45to Donny that we're not diving through Big Ten football at this moment, but it is okay. The
00:51Olympic Games, a wonderful substitute. So, Bill, four quarterfinal games today in Paris in men's
00:57basketball. In the opener of this Tuesday, Germany knocks out Greece 76-63. The Germans
01:03stay perfect in Olympic action. The Americans looking to follow suit later this afternoon
01:09against the Brazilians. 3.30 p.m. Eastern Time tip. Here's stateside in the United States. A
01:15hefty favorite in this matchup against Brazil. 26.5 points. The total at 184 and a hook. How do
01:24you think the Americans, Bill, will perform against Brazil today in Paris? Well, I mean,
01:30they're 9-0 all time against Brazil, so let's not think that they're going to lose. I think Team
01:36USA has looked good enough. I mean, if we're talking against the spread, one and two against
01:41the spread in the Olympics. These are huge spreads, though. I was saying to Craig last week,
01:45it reminded me of, you know, Florida State and Akron. Not picking on Akron, sorry. But I mean,
01:52a huge spread that they're tough to cover if they're not up big in the first half, because
01:57that other team is able to fight on that. I think Bruno Caboclo is obviously worth watching. Had a
02:02huge 33 points, 18 rebounds against Japan. And you wonder how he'll perform against Team USA, but
02:10it's too much depth, too much, you know, size. And it doesn't really matter which guys Steve Kerr
02:16play. I know a lot's been written about that. I think they just have too much with a different
02:20guy going off each game. It was Anthony Edwards in the last one with 26 points. It's going to be
02:25tough to beat Team USA here. Take a look at a couple of the games also underway right now.
02:30Australia and Serbia, 54-42 right now. Australia does have that 12-point lead. Canada and France
02:35a little bit later at 12 noon Eastern. Then we have Team USA taking on Brazil at 3.30. As you
02:40pointed out, that large spread. How do we figure the game flow bill is going to go in this? Because
02:44now we're in the knockout stage. Are we cutting down some of our rotations for Team USA? Much
02:48more of a defensive effort locked in. How do you see this game playing out that way?
02:52Well, I mean, three-point shooting dictates so much when I watch a basketball game anymore.
02:57You know, Brazil shot the three very well against Japan, and that's why they won the game. So Team
03:02USA, they're going to shoot a lot of threes between 25 and 30. I'm wondering if this isn't
03:08the game where Steph Curry gets back on track. And he obviously struggled a little bit in the
03:13Olympics. I think five of 19 from three-point range in the three games. But if Steph Curry
03:19were to go on in the first half, maybe hit two or three three-pointers, I think the entire team
03:23would feed off that. When you have four or five guys hitting double figures anyway, that's one
03:29of those things. And it helps you throw an early knockout when you're knocking down those shots.
03:33You saw what Kevin Durant did in the first game. So, I mean, three-point shooting can dictate
03:38whether or not Brazil stays in this game. They're going to shoot 30 to 40 of them. And that might
03:44not even be enough. They could shoot 55 percent from three-point range and still lose the game.
03:49The intensity ramps up here in the knockout stages, trying to get to the medal round
03:54with a victory. Bill, we just showed some of the props for today's game between the U.S.
03:59and Brazil. You mentioned Steph Curry. Two and a half made three-pointers is his prop,
04:04the highest points prop for the U.S. Kevin Durant at 15 and a half points. Anthony Edwards,
04:0926 to lead all scores against Puerto Rico, his number 13 and a half. Outside of Steph,
04:16who for the United States steps up today against the Brazilians?
04:20Well, I take your pick between Ant, who had the big game, obviously. But you know the way this
04:24works. These guys share the ball and they share the love. And they, you know, just because Ant had
04:2926 last game doesn't mean he does that there. I think LeBron's been pretty steady. I would go
04:34there as well. You know, LeBron, knowing it's the medal round, knowing it's the urgency,
04:39I could see him scoring 14 to 18 points in this game, especially knowing what Caboclo did. I mean,
04:46that was 33 points in a game. That was pretty amazing for Brazil. So, I look for LeBron. If
04:51I'm hitting one of those props, I think I'm going to go LeBron, maybe Ant. And then Durant, we'll
04:58see. But I mean, LeBron James looks good. Steph Curry, I'm going to take a stab at that one.
05:03And then, you know, Embiid got back on track as well. I mean, 10 and 6, that's not very hard
05:08in a game like this. Taking a look here and flipping over from the basketball court onto
05:14the pitch, Team USA's men's soccer team has been eliminated. They are back home. But the women's
05:18team looking to advance here. You take a look at USA and Germany. Just to advance, heavy favorite
05:23for Team USA at a minus 245 price. An unbelievable goal by Trinity Rodman pushed them through.
05:28What are the expectations today from Team USA going up against Germany on the pitch?
05:33Well, I think they're winning. And what I'm kind of watching is, is this, you know, the beginning
05:39of if Team USA gets through, which I think they will, and you can maybe hit the over on that one
05:44as well. Does it set up a matchup against Spain, which I really believe could be our next-gen
05:51rivalry? You know, Spain has really come on on the women's soccer scene. They were able to win the
05:55World Cup. They've advanced in this first Olympics. They've looked really good. They beat Team USA for
06:00the first time in a friendly in 2022. So if Team USA gets through today, plays Spain in that gold
06:07medal match, that's a lot of fun to me because it'll carry over. And that women's team, at least
06:13for me personally, I've been looking for them to have a true rival. One that could go through a
06:17decade and really help grow the sport. And I think Spain might be that team. I say all that and watch
06:23Brazil upset them. It will be a fascinating game today for Team USA. Again, those are the odds as
06:32of this moment just to advance minus 280 for the Americans. They will, if they win, take on
06:41Spain. And like you mentioned, Bill, the Spaniards get a draw against Brazil. But Spain, a hefty
06:46favor to also advance to the gold medal match at minus 355. So now we go to the odds to win that
06:54gold medal. Spain lost 125, 40 cents in front of the United States at plus 165. It's what the odds
07:03makers want. I think it's what the fans want to see in that gold medal match in the women's
07:08soccer tournament. Bill, how could you describe the stakes of what that gold medal match could be
07:12if it is the United States against Spain? Well, I think today could dictate that maybe those
07:18those lines push closer together. And you get almost a what would be a virtual pick them on
07:23the football side. I'm sorry, I always compare everything to football, but it's just habit.
07:29And it could definitely make this game that much more interesting. I would take the value in Team
07:34USA there. It's going to be tough. It's a really hard match. You know, Spain has only given up like
07:39one goal before the medal round where they had the shootout with Colombia. They're really good
07:45team. And I think it'd just be a lot of fun to watch. Like for me, I love great rivalries. You
07:50guys know that. And I think that could be the start of one here on the women's soccer side.
07:55Let's have a little bit of fun with this, Bill. Watching the Olympics so far over the past week,
07:59there's been a lot of big highlights here. What's the best highlight that you've taken away so far
08:03from the Olympic Games? That's almost an impossible question. But I got drawn into
08:08Grant Fisher last week in the 10,000-meter run. And you know, I ran track in high school. I ran
08:14sprints. There's no way I could run 10,000 meters, first of all. But to see him hang in there and
08:20the way they push at the end and just the amazing... When I watch a race like that, I'm so astounded at
08:25how they're running at a... I don't think I could run that fast for 50 meters. And they're doing
08:31that for 10,000 meters. And the way that he was able to medal in that event, which is very,
08:35very difficult. I mean, there's obviously been Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, everything else
08:39that's gone on. But for some reason, maybe it was the time of day and I just caught in watching it.
08:45That one's going to stick with me for a long time. Yeah, it's very cool stuff. The fact that we get
08:50these throughout the afternoon hours, maybe you're working out there, maybe you're covering it, but
08:54you get to tune in and see what is happening over in the Paris Olympic Games during the afternoon.
08:59Fall in love with sports that you've never seen. The chaotic world of kayaking that we have seen
09:05in the last little bit this week, as well, has been sensational. Bill Bender from Sporting News,
09:11we appreciate the time. Thank you for being here on this Tuesday on The Early Line.
09:15Hey, no problem, guys. Thanks so much.