NBA.com is in Athens with the Olympic representatives from the NBA and WNBA. The Athens Blog will follow each country's hoops representatives as they try to lead their teams to gold. Check back for regular on- and off-the-court updates from Greece.

Boozer, Odom and the U.S. will finish either third or fourth in their group. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

Pau Gasol? Manu Ginobili? Italy? Who will the U.S. face in the quarterfinals? We'll have to wait and see.

This much we know about Group B; the United States (along with Lithuania, Puerto Rico and Greece) is advancing to the quarterfinals of the men's Olympic basketball tournament. Whether the U.S. will wind up seeded third or fourth, however, is still up in the air. (Even if Puerto Rico loses to Greece on Monday, the United States still can't finish in second place.)

Assuming my calculations are correct (I double- and triple-checked everything, so I really hope they are) here are the possible scenarios for the United States coming out of tomorrow's action:

If the U.S. beats Angola and Puerto Rico beats Greece, then the U.S. winds up in third place (with Puerto Rico second and Greece fourth).

If the U.S. beats Angola and Greece beats Puerto Rico, however, then the U.S. actually winds up in third or fourth place, depending on the final score of the Greece-Puerto Rico game. (This is due to the fact that the three teams split their games against each other, and the U.S. has a Goal Average* of 0.9202. Greece can actually vault into second place if they beat Puerto Rico by 13 points or more. The only way Puerto Rico falls to fourth and the U.S. goes to third is if Puerto Rico gets beaten badly by Greece. I'm not sure what the exact score would have to be, but it would have to be quite a rout.)

If the U.S. loses to Angola and Greece loses to Puerto Rico, then the U.S. winds up in third place, regardless of how Australia does, due to the fact that the U.S. beat both Greece and Australia.

If the U.S. loses to Angola and Greece beats Puerto Rico, then the U.S. finishes in fourth place, regardless of how Australia does against Lithuania, as the U.S. topped the Aussies.

As for who the U.S. faces in the quarterfinals, if they finish in fourth place, then they are guaranteed to meet up with Pau Gasol and Spain. If they finish third, then they'd play either Argentina or Italy, depending on who wins the two teams' matchup on Monday.

(* - "Goal Average" is the number of points a team scored against the two or more teams it's tied with divided by the number of points they allowed in those head-to-head matchups. Thus, in a three-way tie between the U.S., Puerto Rico and Greece, the United States has 150 points scored, versus 163 points allowed, as they lost to Puerto Rico 73-92, but beat Greece 77-71. Thus, 150 divided by 163 equals 0.9202. The same averages would be tabulated for Greece and Puerto Rico if Greece wins their head-to-head game.)

Ivy and Steph couldn't quite guide the U.S. to victory over Lithuania on Saturday. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

I could talk about the United States' 94-90 loss to Lithuania until the sun comes up here in Athens. From an outstanding performance by Richard Jefferson to an even better one by Lithuanian point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius, it was truly a fantastic (albeit, disappointing if you're a U.S. citizen) game. But why blather on about it (I save that for a little further down the page) when you can get the inside scoop from no less an authority than U.S. coach Larry Brown. Brown met with the media after the tough loss. Here's what he had to say:

Brown's opening statement:
Brown: "I'm disappointed to say the least. But I think we're gettting better, though we had a meltdown in the fourth quarter. We were jumping up in the air and trying to make great plays, when we had open shots all night just by making easy plays. Like [Richard Jefferson] said, we should've realized that late in the game we can't let a couple of calls affect the outcome of the game. We've got to play through that. But they made shots, and we didn't. They took care of the ball in the second half a lot better than they did in the first half. And we missed 11 free throws, including a lot of big ones in the fourth quarter. The end result is we gave up over 90 points in a 40-minute game. You can't have a game like that defensively and expect to win against a quality team."

Coach, is it fair to say that the best point guard in the world right now does not play in the NBA, and will never play in the NBA, and his name is Sarunas Jasikevicius?
Brown: "No, he's not. He's a great player, I'm not saying anything to take that away. But there are a lot of great players. I think he's a great international player. There's a lot of things he can do internationally that he'd never get done in our league ... with the way they set screens, and the fact that you can hide a guy in the zone. But in international ball, he's as good as they get. He finds open people and makes big shots. I'm a fan of international ball, but there are a lot of guys who do well with their teams in this kind of environment that would struggle in our league. And this might not be a bad thing for them. So much of our game is isolation -- one-on-one and two-on-two, so unless you have great quickness and athletic ability, it's a struggle for you. But that takes nothing away from the ability [Jasikevicius] has shown in the last 3-4 years. He was great in 2000. The fact that he wouldn't be the best point guard in the NBA is not a negative."

There's a good chance you will face Lithuania again. What will you do differently to defend the high pick-and-roll if you do meet them again?
Brown: "I hope we face them again. We've got Angola next. That's all I'm thinking about. We've had trouble all tournament keeping people in front of us. It's been a huge problem. I think we've got to be a lot more aggressive; we've got to start fighting to get over screens a lot better, and communicate a lot better ... They made some big shots and big plays, and that's a big part of their offense ... But we're getting better. I think we have improved."

Do you feel you brought enough shooters ... ?
Brown: (Cuts off question.) "I'm not going to get on that. This is what we have. This is the team we have. I can't wish and hope for something we don't have. We had so many open shots, we have just got to hope that these guys make them; they've shown the ability to make them in the NBA. These guys are just pressing. One of the best scorers in the league almost stuck it in the rim with about two minutes to go. Then we had an open three that almost broke the backboard. I like that, because I know guys care and are trying. We're getting great shots. I don't think it has anything to do with shots, I think it's the lack of defense and trying to make great plays instead of easy plays. When you give up 94 points in a 40-minute game, I think you're going to have a real problem in this tournament."

Do you think you could have benefitted by having a foreign assistant coach to help with international play?
Brown: "I'm amazed by those comments, because I don't think it has anything to do with the international style of play. It's a beautiful thing to watch, but it has to do with players being together and being exposed to this kind of competition night in and night out, and our guys play it like it's a different sport. And nobody's going to come in in 10 days and change the mentality of kids that are 20 and 21 years old. The way I look at it is, if you can defend, you can defend. And if we're having trouble with dribble penetration, no international coach is going to come in here and teach them how to defend dribble penetration in 10 days."

- Hats off to Richard Jefferson for such a great performance (20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range) after struggling so much in the team's first three games. After the game, Jefferson talked about playing through a slump on such a high-quality team ... "Coach [Brown] has had a lot of confidence in me, staying with me and talking me through it. I was taking great shots before; open shots that I should have hit. But as a basketball player, you're going to have those stretches, and on such a talented team, if my open shots aren't falling, then I need to pass it off to Steph or A.I. This is not a team where I can jack it up to get in my rhythm."

Jefferson bounced back from a rough three-game stretch. (Jesse D. Garrabrant NBAE/Getty Images)

- The Lithuanian fans at the arena were far louder than the U.S. fans. They're certainly a passionate bunch. They were honking horns, blowing whistles, and chanting "Go home, USA!" throughout the game. Every time the U.S. had the ball, they were booed heartily. The whistles even made Stephon Marbury stop his dribble up-court and turn around once. He then gestured at the whistles to the refs. Of course, then he just got booed even louder.

- Lithuania's defensive gameplan? Pack it in on Duncan. They were double-teaming him off the ball all night, which is something the U.S. should probably get used to. "Our first goal [on offense] is to try to get it in to Timmy's hands," Coach Brown said after the game. "And I think everybody that we're playing against understands that's our best option."

- Even though he finished with just five points tonight, Carmelo Anthony had a solid performance. He looked energized on defense and hit a few big shots.

- The U.S. players weren't keeping quiet with the refs tonight. From Marbury telling one of them to "watch the tape" to Duncan and Boozer not giving him the ball after a U.S. basket, they weren't exactly going out of their way to smooth things over with them. Although their protests paled in comparison to Saulius Stombergas' jawing with one of the refs after a disputed call.

- Kudos to Marbury for getting a firm "grasp" on international play. While defending a high pick-and-roll, Marbury did a great job of grabbing on and holding seven-footer Eurelijus Zukauskas in place, thereby breaking up the play. Granted, it was illegal. But it was highly effective.

Wade didn't just shine on offense on Saturday. (Jesse D. Garrabrant NBAE/Getty Images)

- Dwyane Wade's out-of-nowhere block from behind on Robertas Javtokas really shook the Lithuanian big man's confidence for the rest of the night. He didn't take another shot in the game without pump-faking or looking over his shoulder first.

- As much as people want to kill the U.S. for their supposed lack of shooting, they're really burning people in the open floor. When Iverson had space to operate tonight, there was no one on Lithuania that could stay within three paces of him. It was really exciting to see, and something that no other team in the tourney has.

- Duncan really got into it at one point with sharpshooter Arvydas Macijauskas. He pretty much clotheslined him from the side, and then got the call against him, meaning the physical play was probably warranted. The amount of passion and intensity Duncan has brought to the team says volumes about his abilities as a leader. He's the heart and soul of this team on the floor.

- A few things about Sarunas Jasikevicius and his big night ... He went 7-of-12 from 3-point range for 28 points. And he's a point guard ... He's one of those rare shooters who's just as comfortable shooting a three off the dribble as he is when set up ... He stared down Lamar Odom after getting fouled for his crucial four-point play ... In 2003, he won the Euroleague championship with Barcelona, then won the European Championships with Lithuania. Then in 2004, he won the Euroleague championship with Maccabi Tel Aviv ... But he's still got his stateside connections; he played his college ball at the University of Maryland.

Pau, the U.S. and Yao have a lot on the line on Saturday. (L-R: Garrett W. Ellwood, Sean Garnsworthy, Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images)

With the men having played three of their five games, almost every team is looking at its chances of advancing out of group play and into the quarterfinals. So who moves on to the next round? The top four teams from each group of six advance, with two-team tiebreakers decided by head-to-head results, and three-or-more-team tiebreakers being decided by point differential.

From Spain-Serbia & Montenegro to Lithuania-U.S., Saturday features some great matchups. Here's a look at the schedule, and what each team's fourth game means to their chances of advancing.

GROUP B: Australia (1-2) vs. Puerto Rico (2-1), 2 a.m. ET

Heal

Arroyo

It all comes down to this game for Shane Heal and the Aussies. If Australia wins, they could finish with the same record as Puerto Rico and advance, but if they lose, their chances of moving forward are pretty much gone (they close out against a tough Lithuanian squad). Puerto Rico, meanwhile, guarantees itself a spot in the next round with a win. Carlos Arroyo and company face Greece in their last game.

GROUP A: Spain (3-0) vs. Serbia & Montenegro (1-2), 4:15 a.m. ET (CNBC)

Gasol

Radmanovic

Serbia's disappointing 1-2 record is the biggest surprise of the tournament so far. A loss here would mean the defending world champions need to beat China (whom they should be pulling for against Italy) in their last game, and then get a lot of help from the other squads in Group A. The surging Spaniards, meanwhile, have already qualified for the next round. If Pau Gasol and company win either of their last two games, then -- by virtue of their win over Argentina -- they win the group.

GROUP A: New Zealand (1-2) vs. Argentina (2-1), 7:30 a.m. ET (CNBC)

Marks

Ginobili

With their upset win over Serbia & Montenegro, Sean Marks and New Zealand are still alive. For the Kiwis, the math is kind of complex, but if Spain beats Serbia, China loses its last two games, and New Zealand wins one more, then they would push through to the next round. New Zealand would also obviously advance by winning their last two games. Manu Ginobili and Argentina, meanwhile, advance by capturing either of their last two games. They have a chance at finishing on top of the group if they win their last two and Spain loses its last two.

Bateer

Yao

GROUP A: China (1-2) vs. Italy (1-2), 9:45 a.m. ET
This should be an interesting game; both squads have talent, but China has been erratic, and Italy has had trouble closing teams out. A loss for either side likely means their chances of advancing are gone, so it should be an intense matchup. Yao Ming and China face Serbia & Montenegro in their last game, while the Italians face Argentina to finish group play.

GROUP B: Lithuania (3-0) vs. United States (2-1), 1 p.m. ET (NBC)

Songaila

Duncan

One of the most highly anticipated games of group play. If Darius Songaila and Lithuania win, they win the group. If Tim Duncan and the U.S. win, then they stand a good shot at finishing in first place. If they lose, they could very easily finish third in the group due to their loss to Puerto Rico, which could pit them against a team like Argentina in the quarterfinals.

Strong backcourt play has given the U.S. trouble, and they don't come much better than Lithuania's Sarunas Jasikevicius and Arvydas Macijauskas. Plus, this is the same squad that nearly beat the U.S. in the 2000 Olympics. Should be a dogfight.

GROUP B: Angola (0-3) vs. Greece (1-2), 3:15 p.m. ET
By virtue of their win over Australia, Antonios Fotsis and Greece will probably advance if they win this game. Even if Angola closes out with two wins, they still need some help to advance.

The U.S. women's team rode another strong performance from its frontline to an impressive 71-58 victory over previously unbeaten Spain. Here are some ruminations from Friday's action:

- Lisa Leslie (19 points, nine rebounds), Tina Thompson (16 points, five rebounds) and Tamika Catchings (14 points, five rebounds) really carried the U.S. Thompson talked about Leslie after the game. "She's been so dominant internationally," said Thompson. "So, we went to her and she was our big dog. She carried us through the first half and everyone kind of regrouped and we all had a better second half."

Catchings

Leslie

Thompson

- Through three quarters, the U.S. only got one point from its reserves.

- Sue Bird was the only player not to see any action in the first half of U.S.-Spain. She played eight minutes in the second half, though. After the game, the selfless Bird talked about not getting a lot of floor time. "My role is a little bit different than it is with my WNBA team, but everybody's is," said Bird. "It is a matter of accepting that and playing to the best of your abilities."

- Speaking of Bird, I recently talked to her about how she's enjoying life on the boat. Check out the full interview here.

- Puerto Rico's Carlos Arroyo was in the stands watching the game. None of the U.S. men's team was in attendance, however.

- And speaking of Arroyo, I recently caught up to him at the arena about the great tournament he's having. You can check out the full interview here.

The guys walk off the court after their win over Australia.

Thursday saw the U.S. men hold back a game Aussie squad, while New Zealand pulled a tremendous upset over the highly regarded Serbs. Here's a recap of the day's action.

Shawn shines against Aussies
In a hard-fought win over a sharpshooting Aussie side on Thursday, the U.S. found a much-needed third option on offense.

Reserve forward Shawn Marion contributed 16 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) and eight rebounds in the U.S.' badly needed 89-79 win over Australia. More than just the Suns forward's offensive contributions, however, was the positive effects his defense, hustle and timely shooting had on the U.S. lineup.

Marbury talks about the job Shawn Marion did off the bench. (NBAE Images)

"Coming in in the second half, [Marion] gave us a lot of energy; a lot of deflections," said Stephon Marbury after the game. "He threw down a few dunks that got us pumped up and that really picked our defense up."

Marion's speed and athleticism are well-known throughout the league, but his ability to hit his short-to-mid-range jumpers in this game was a boost for the U.S. team. This is also an area where regular U.S. starter Richard Jefferson has struggled. Marion, in fact, started the second half in place of Jefferson, a change U.S. coach Larry Brown found difficult, but neccessary.

"I wanted to reward Marion for the job he was doing, and we're very fortunate that Richard Jefferson's the kind of guy that can accept that," said Brown. "I have a tendency to never want to take a guy out when he's struggling and playing hard, and that sometimes can be a real bad thing as a coach."

The U.S. was also led by captains Tim Duncan (18 points, 11 rebounds), Allen Iverson (16 points, 3-of-5 from 3-point range) and Dwyane Wade (12 points, four assists).

The U.S. plays again on Saturday (1 p.m. ET) against one of the top teams in the tournament, Lithuania.

Observations on the rest of Thursday's action
- The WNBA was well represented at the U.S.-Australia game. Aussie center Lauren Jackson was in the stands wearing green and yellow face-paint, waving Australian flag and heartily cheering her fellow countrymen on. As for the U.S., a few members of the women's team arrived towards the end of the second quarter, and definitely got more involved in rooting for the men than they have in past games.

- Emeka Okafor got his first minutes of the Olympics on Thursday, coming in late in the fourth quarter when the game's outcome was decided.

- In New Zealand's huge upset over Serbia & Montenegro, Spurs forward Sean Marks said that when Serbia took all of their starters out in the fourth quarter, New Zealand took it as a sign of disrespect, which might have led to their battling back from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to win the game. "If [Marks] took it [as disrespect], it's his problem," said Serbian coach Zelimir Obradovic after the game. "We play games every two days here, and if I used the same players all the time, they would faint after five days."

- Spain won its third-straight game to open Olympic play by topping Italy, 71-63. Pau Gasol had 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks for Spain in the win.

- Stephon Marbury on the U.S. needing to go inside to Tim Duncan more: "Tim Duncan is the best player in the world, so whenever he's not touching the ball and he's not involved in our offense, it makes it tough for us to score. It's a lot easier to play in then out than it is to go out then in."

- Larry Brown on the challenges of coaching Lebron James and the younger NBA players: "I think the biggest challenge that coaches have on our level is to have the younger guys think that coaching is coaching and not criticism. I find that sometimes Lebron has a hard time looking at me because of how it might be perceived by certain people, but he listens to everything you say and it's tremendous.

- Carlos Arroyo took another hard fall in Puerto Rico's win over Angola. He's one of the most exciting players in the tournament, but every time he drives to the hole, the Jazz must be crossing their fingers he comes up healthy. He had another solid outing, though, with 16 points and six assists. His running-mate in the backcourt, Larry Ayuso, had 17 points in the win, all in the second half.

- China looked really flat in their loss to Argentina. Every loose ball was going to Argentina. It was actually just a pretty ugly game all around. China was never in this one, and lost 82-57.

- Point guard Pepe Sanchez is definitely hurting. It looked like he was getting his right hamstring worked on on the bench. It's a shame, because he does such a solid job of running the Argentinian offense.