2012 London Olympics Men’s Basketball Quarterfinals: France vs. Spain

Start time: 11:15 a.m. Eastern, Wednesday, August 8.

 France (4-1, #2 Group A)  vs.

 Spain  (3-2, #3 Group B)

Any time you can bring this guy off the bench, you've got yourself a pretty decent team. (Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images)

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Spain is widely considered the biggest threat to the Americans in their push for Gold, but the team lost to Russia and Brazil in group play to fall to the No. 3 seed. The Spanish may have gone all badminton on Brazil in order to avoid ending up on the U.S. side of the bracket before the Gold Medal game, so take that loss with a grain of salt. Still, the Spanish were less than impressive in a 79-78 win over lowly Great Britain and did not dominate in wins over China and Australia. France was perhaps the biggest surprise of Group A, posting wins over Argentina and Lithuania and finishing 4-1.

KEY PLAYERS- SPAIN: The Spanish have an incredible front line; arguably the best in the Olympics (that includes the United States). Pau Gasol leads all Olympians in scoring (20.6 ppg) and leads the Spaniards in rebounding (6.0 per). Brother Marc Gasol was a breakout star with the Memphis Grizzlies this season and is second on the team with 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per. The fact that Oklahoma City Thunder enforcer Serge Ibaka comes off the bench for this group tells you all you need to know.

KEY PLAYERS- FRANCE: Obviously, point guard Tony Parker leads France, and has shouldered most of the scoring load, averaging 19 points per game. But France has plenty of other NBA talent, with Portland Trail Blazers guard Nicolas Batum, who is leading the team in scoring at 16.8 ppg, Miami Heat big man Ronny Turiaf, and Parker’s Spurs teammate Boris Diaw. Guard Nando de Colo has been excellent for the French in the Olympics and will also play for Le Spurs next season. The Wizards’ Kevin Seraphin has also been a key player on this team.

KEY TO THE GAME: France needs to impose its will on offense and keep the Gasol brothers in check down low. That’s easier said than done, and forwards Boris Diaw and Kevin Seraphin are going to have a lot of pressure on them to step up defensively. If Diaw and Seraphin can neutralize the Gasol brothers in the paint, the French will win this game. If not, it’s going to be tough, given Spain’s firepower on the perimeter.

PREDICTION:  Spain 80, France 75. The Spanish have been playing with fire, easing up in games like a sprinter approaching the finish line in a preliminary heat. Still, the 2006 World Champions appear to have too much firepower to fall before reaching the medal round. Spain defeated France, 98-85, in the 2011 European championship. The result should be the same this time around.