Steve Kerr Has One Word To Describe Team USA's Quarterfinal Matchup With Brazil

Team USA is widely regarded as the favorite to clinch the men's basketball gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nonetheless, head coach Steve Kerr is diligently preparing his all-star team for a challenging quarterfinal match against Brazil.

The Americans triumphed in their last group stage contest on Saturday, defeating Puerto Rico 104-83. The U.S. had already guaranteed a top spot in their group and a place in the quarterfinals before the game began, while Brazil awaited the determination of its next opponent. If the game between Serbia and South Sudan had been more competitive, Brazil would have rematched with Germany.

Instead, Brazil will take on the tournament's overwhelming favorites. With the legendary lineup featuring LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, Team USA is anticipated to prevail over Brazil before potentially facing Serbia or Australia.

Kerr, despite recent criticism regarding his player rotations, especially concerning Jayson Tatum's minutes, emphasized that his team should not underestimate Brazil in the upcoming Tuesday game.

“They're very physical. I think they're the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the tournament,” Kerr said today , according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. “They've got a lot of really good shooters, and they just play hard. They compete play after play, so we'll have to be ready for their physicality and their shooting, and we need to be on edge and ready for them because they're not going to back down.”

Interestingly, Brazil's sole current NBA player is Gui Santos of the Golden State Warriors, yet the team includes several ex-NBA talents such as Cristiano Felicio, Raul Neto, Bruno Caboclo, and captain Marcelinho Huertas.

The journey to the 2024 Summer Olympics quarterfinals has been notably different for the U.S. and Brazil. Team USA dominated Group C, winning each game by a margin of at least 17 points.

In contrast, Brazil faced consecutive double-digit losses to Germany and France in Group B. However, an 18-point victory over Japan in their final contest of group play was sufficient for Brazil to secure a quarterfinal berth through a point-differential tiebreaker.

During the group stage, Brazil was third-to-last in scoring, averaging 80.3 points per game, while the United States led all team with an average of 105.7 points per game. Brazil also has the highest number of turnovers in the first three games, a vulnerability that could be exploited by the formidable Team USA. Nonetheless, Brazil has excelled in offensive rebounds, leading all teams in this category.

The U.S. and Brazil are scheduled to face off in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

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