2012 Olympics: Argentina defeats Brazil, remain South American king

Argentina staved off Father Time, defeating their likely heir to South American supremacy in the process. The Argentineans — bolstered by Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola’s 33 points — have forged their way into the semifinals in a likely matchup against the United States.

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The Brazilians vaunted offensive attack, generally containing a bunch of ball movement, was uncharacteristically stagnant in the first half. Marcelinho Huertas was forced into creating for himself, a facet of his game that exists but isn’t optimal in the confines of Brazil’s offense. He scored 17 of his 22 points in the first hall to keep Brazil within six points, a remarkable feat in itself considering Argentina was shooting the ball well.

Argentina stretched their six-point lead to 10 points to begin the fourth quarter. A 9-0 Brazillian run cut the deficit to two points with 4:21 minutes left. They didn’t whittle the lead down any further as Argentina successfully warded off their attacks, knocking down shots and making the most of their free throw opportunities.