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Canada, Argentina, Mexico and Venezuela have made it to the semifinals at the 2015 FIBA Americas, and one more win will not only book a spot in the championship, but the 2016 Rio Olympics as well.
When it comes down to it, all four countries have at least extended their Olympic hopes into next summer. While the top-two finishers at the FIBA Americas qualify directly for the Olympics, the next three (the two semifinal losers, as well as Puerto Rico) are placed into a final Olympic qualifying tournament that will take place in July. Still, with five teams from Europe set to participate in that tournament, that’s certainly not the optimal route.
Canada, which hasn’t been to the Olympics in men’s basketball since 2000, looks like a near lock to advance. Led by NBA Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, the Canadians out-scored opponents by a whopping 135 points to win the tiebreaker over Argentina and Mexico for the No. 1 seed in the semis. That means they get to face Venezuela, who they beat by 20 during group play.
In the other semifinal matchup we have Argentina and Mexico, who combined for one of the best games of the second round. Argentina led by 11 going into the fourth quarter, but Mexico–led by super-human efforts from Gustavo Ayon (38 points and 14 rebounds) and Jorge Gutierrez (23 points)–out-scored the Argentinians 36-11 in the final period to pull out the 95-83 win.
With an Olympic spot on the line, the rematch figures to be scintillating. Here’s everything you need to know about when and where to watch the semis and championship:
FIBA Americas 2015 Schedule
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Semifinals (Friday, September 11)
Canada 78, Venezuela 79
Argentina 78, Mexico 70
Third-Place Match (Saturday, September 12)
Canada vs. Mexico: 6 p.m. local; 7 p.m. ET
Championship (Saturday, September 12)
Venezuela vs. Argentina: 8:30 p.m. local; 9:30 p.m. ET
Watch FIBA Americas Online
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All four remaining games (both semifinals, third-place game and championship) can be watched live online at ESPN3. For those in the United States, it is free to watch for anyone with an internet service provider, and a cable subscription is not needed. Click here for frequently asked questions about ESPN3.
In Canada, all games will be broadcast on TSN4, and a live stream can be watched via TSN.com with an active cable subscription.
Watch FIBA Americas on Mobile
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Mobile and tablet users can watch coverage of ESPN3 on the WatchESPN app.
You can download the app for free in the App Store , the Google Play store, the Amazon App store or the Windows Store.
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FIBA Americas Semifinals 2015: Schedule & Live Stream