Who Will Team USA Play in Paris Olympics Quarterfinals? Stats, Head-to-Head & More Ahead of Crucial Encounter

“We want the No. 1 seed.” This was Steve Kerr’s objective. And it’s no doubt a perfect one to have. But every team at the Paris Olympics has the same idea. While Team USA’s latest opponent might not exactly be considered a threat, desperate times call for desperate measures and the results could be surprising. As Team USA stands at the cusp of grabbing a spot in the quarterfinals, here’s everything you need to know ahead.

Team USA and LeBron James in particular, will go against a familiar foe in Puerto Rico (more on that later). Having dropped both their matchups against previous opponents in South Sudan and Serbia, Puerto Rico has yet to land a win in the tournament. Considering their rival is a talent-overloaded Team USA, the outcome looks grim for Los Gallos.

If we were to get technical, the USA’s +43 point differential and the fact that they are favored to win at 33.5 points does not bode well for the Puerto Ricans, either. As such, what does the head-to-head between Team USA and Puerto Rico over the years tell us?

Team USA vs Puerto Rico – Head-to-Head record

The pair have met each other on the Olympic stage six times. And yes, it includes the 1992 ‘Dream Team’. Unsurprisingly, Team USA has the highest wins. And yet, there was that one time that the 12 Magníficos shocked the world (and themselves). The date was August 15, 2004. While not as lavish as the ‘Dream Team,’ the US men’s basketball team had enough names for fans around the world to feel comfortable.

Superstars Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, and Stephon Marbury alongside rising NBA icons LeBron and Dwyane Wade as well as future US Olympic phenom, Carmelo Anthony, fresh off their rookie seasons, were part of the 2004 team. However, it wasn’t enough. Spurred by former guard Carlos Arroyo, Los Gallos defeated Team USA in a dominant 92-73 victory! The 19-point loss stands to this day, as the largest margin of defeat for the US men’s basketball team.

Although Puerto Rico fell at the hands of Italy in the quarterfinals, their resounding triumph over the USAB set the tone for a disappointing tournament. Losing the semi-finals against Argentina, Team USA, who were heavy favorites for gold, had to settle for a bronze. The only player still in the field from then is none other than the 20x All-Star, LeBron James. It is surely going to be an interesting matchup.

Team USA stats in the Paris Olympics

Team USA continues their dominance with a 2-0 record. With the kind of 12-man roster this year’s USAB has, it would certainly be worrying if they did not. Their first opponent was none other than Nikola Jokić and Serbia. While the NBA’s ‘Joker’ and his Serbian team are a fearsome lot, they did not stand a chance against the special spread of bigs Kerr laid out specifically to tackle Team Serbia. Leading in all four quarters, Team Avengers finished with a 110-84 win.

Their second opponent was South Sudan. Despite being the underdogs, Kerr and his boys were wary of the Bright Stars. They nearly ran them over in the exhibition games, with LeBron having to pull out one of his late-game heroics to save the day in London. As such, the 4x champion coach switched things up, opting to feature a starting lineup that could match up against the agile, athletic, deadly three-point shooters. Despite it all, they managed to swing the momentum in their favor, winning it 103-84.

The starting lineup

Perhaps no one would have the dilemma that Steve Kerr has with Team USA in choosing his starting five. So far, the Warriors’ head coach has been under fire for his lineup decisions. The tournament opener was the most controversial of them all, as Jayson Tatum did not suit up at all. And against South Sudan, the cheerleading role fell to Joel Embiid.

Maybe he wanted to not be barraged with such questions, but Kerr named a starting five ahead of time – Jrue Holiday, Embiid, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, and James. The only constants throughout have been Book, Steph, and Bron. Despite trying to avoid a headache, the 58-year-old coach still finds himself with yet another hurdle.

Injuries to key players in the final group play of the Paris Olympics

Holiday has been splendid for the team with his “just get in where I fit in” motto. No matter the role he’s assigned, the Celtics’ veteran guard has always risen to the occasion. However, EssentiallySports’ reporter, Grant Afseth, tweeted a concerning update ahead of the matchup. The 2x champion was “questionable” to play due to a rolled ankle.

Sometime in the third quarter, Holiday had turned his ankle in transition and came up limping. He stayed on the floor, but there’s a chance that Jrue might not suit up. Now, in terms of the closest skillset to Holiday, Derrick White is the obvious choice. He could choose to go with Tatum at power forward. And then there’s the veteran Olympian, Kevin Durant, who is yet to start. So yeah, Steve Kerr is once again in the soup.

As for Puerto Rico, they aren’t exactly swimming in talent. But their best player is Jose Alvarado. And the Pelicans guard is hurt. In his debut against South Sudan, Alvarado had to be helped off the floor with an ankle injury. Although he returned and showcased an impressive performance, the Brooklyn-born 26-year-old struggled with shooting against Serbia. Just how much Los Gallos can expect from an injured Alvarado is debatable.

So, there you go. Keep checking this space for live updates as they come.