This is why everyone's afraid of Spain. The team didn't play particularly symbiotic in its semifinal win over Lithuania, but the sheer amount of talent wearing Spanish white made that irrelevant. Pau Gasol, the second leading scorer of the tournament, scored 19. Rudy Fernandez, who got clocked in the third and looked somewhere between dizzy and asleep on the bench as a masseuse worked on his neck, dominated the fourth quarter. On the night, he had 18 points in 27 minutes.

Ricky Rubio -- who played big minutes in the absence of injured Jose Calderon, even starting the second half -- was unspectacular in total. His fundamentals leave much to be desired at this point, as would be expected for a 17-year-old apprentice. He did, however, frustrate the spit out of Sarunas Jasikevicius on at least a few occasions. In one case the elfish Rubio drew a foul on Saras near the end of the first half by kicking out his leg on a jumper. Jasikevicius looked like he could stab fair Ricky. (Of course, Jasikevicius often looks like he could stab somebody.)

One thing which will be sure to cause non-Ricky partisans annoyance in the NBA: he draws really odd fouls. As a devoted Kevin Martin fan, I know how rooting for a slight guy who draws fouls with crafty behavior can put you at odds with other fans. Ricky takes this to the extreme. He molested Rimantas Kaukenas in the third, near midcourt. Kaukenas got called for the foul. He looked as if he'd punt Rubio into the third row.

Linas Kleiza was not a factor, except when he was missing shots and getting called for a (dubious) "unsportsmanlike foul" on Pau with less than five minutes left in the game. In Kleiza's stead, Simas Jasaitis of Tau Ceramica stepped up, hitting 5-of-7 on threes through the third quarter for a team high 19 points (matched by Jasikevicius). Jasaitis's biggest shot, however, failed in the late fourth, and basically became the knock-out punch for Lithuania.

Tattoo of the games: Robertas Javtokas's shark. It's too bad the Spurs have abandoned him as a prospect following his motorcycle accident a few years ago. That tat would fit right in with Manu's bald spot, T-Pizzle's rap career and Duncan's weekly D&D game. (Also, in a bit of actual analysis: Javtokas was a beast on both ends. He and Saras have a strong connection, and Rob's red elbowbands definitely help matters.)

During the remainder of the Olympic men's basketball tournament, FanHouse will give you 5 Things to watch for in each game.

Whither El Calderon?: Jose Calderon was injured in Spain's last game against Croatia with a strained adducter, according to Sportsnet.ca and his status for the game against Lithuania is in doubt. Calderon's a pretty huge loss for the Spanish, as he is, you know, their most experienced point guard. While everyone can rave about Ricky Rubio's flashes of brilliance, I doubt Spain's fans feel comfortable going into a game against a very solid Lithuania team with the 17 year old at the helm. If Calderon's not 100%, or out completely, the pressure will be on Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Rudy Fernandez to make up the difference.

True Kleiza: Linas Kleiza continues to fly under the radar, he's just knocking down everything in his way while he does it. Kleiza's in a perfect position in international play, able to play between the 2 and 4 spots. He's got the necessary skills. But Spain's got the elder Gasol and a flurry of offensive weapons. Kleiza needs to be downright spectacular to keep up with their firepower.

During the remainder of the Olympic men's basketball tournament, FanHouse will give you 5 Things to watch for in each game.

Will Yao play mad? On Monday, Chinese coach Jonas Kazlauskas held Yao Ming to seven minutes in the second half. Yao was furious. We assume he's gotten over things. If he hasn't? Yao rarely plays angry; he's an extremely mature fellow, typically calm and reserved, unless he's getting mauled on the court. But he's had a bit of an edge to him this week. He's barked at Yi Jianlian and Sun Yue more than he ever has in Chuck Hayes' presence. He looked like he wanted to punch Kazlauskas when he was removed. He didn't talk to reporters. I've only seen Yao under the spell of bloodlust once, in Sacramento last season as some combination of Mikki Moore and (surprise!) Ron Artest aggravated the snot out of the big guy. He was ineffective and eventually got ejected. I imagine things are fine on Team China now. If there are, however, raw nerves, Yao might either play with a fire we haven't seen ... or he might be distracted into malperformance.

Trade secrets. One more Kaslauskas note: this Coach K is Lithuanian, and coached the Lithuanian national team until 2001, and knows the games of many of Lithuania's top players well. That sort of trade secret thing won't work without talent ... with China has with Yao and sometimes Yi. As a longtime Oakland Raider fan (pity me), remember the Jon Gruden Super Bowl.

There are two undefeated teams left in Olympic Basketball pool play, Lithuania and the United States. FanHouse, along with every other basketball site on the planet, have talked in detail about the secrets to USA's dominance, and the talent advantage they hold over everyone else. There's one aspect in which the two pool leaders are alike, and it's also become a key component for the teams competing.

The first guy off the pine.

By now you're probably aware of Dwyane Wade 2.0, the upgraded version of the Miami small guard. So far in Beijing he has displayed the speed, quickness, and slashing ability of Dwyane Wade 1.0, but with a larger frame, an increased ability to absorb contact, and a downright frightening dedication to proving everyone who questioned 1.0's ability to recover horribly , horribly wrong. We don't know what 2.0 did with 1.0, but please, don't bring him back. It's like Wade's wearing body armor at this point.

For Lithuania, it's also been an NBA star, but their own. Denver's Linas Kleiza has been downright brilliant for his home country, averaging 14.3 points per game, along with 6 rebounds and shooting 58% from the arc. Yeah. 58%. Kleiza's kept coming off the bench, and it's been a formidable counterpunch for the Lithuanian squad, including his 18 point, 4 rebound game today against Croatia.

Meanwhile, Spain had been bowling over it's competition, but has suffered without a true presence off the bench. Ricky Rubio has shown why he's a potential first round pick, but after all, the kid's still 17. Today when Spain's first line had held USA to at least within reason, they were simply overwhelmed by Team USA's second line and Wade, much like Greece before them.

Throughout the Olympic men's basketball tournament, FanHouse will prioritize the games of the day for you in Golden Ticket.

Two heavyweight battles on the docket for the fourth day of the men's tournament, plus a couple other intriguing matchups.

GOLD: United States vs Spain, 10:15 a.m. EST The Group B lead (and top seed, I reckon) will be at stake when the Spaniards and Americans face off. However, a loss for either team wouldn't mean a ton. This might be the only team against which Team USA loses two starters' position battle: Jose Calderon could be better than Jason Kidd, and Pau Gasol might be closer to Carmelo Anthony than you'd think. Of course, the United States has better depth and stronger talent at the top, with LeBron and Kobe. Can Spanish camaraderie bridge the gulf and take Spain to a win? We'll see ... well, Eastern and Central time zone fans will see. Folks in the Mountain or Pacific time zones can either watch online at NBCOlympics.com or catch it on a tape delay. Awesome work, NBC!

SILVER: Croatia vs Lithuania, 2:30 a.m. EST The Croats finally dropped a match with a stinker against resurgent Argentina. Lithuania continues to ride high after salting the Argentines on the opening day, and along with only the U.S. and Spain remains undefeated. The guard battle should be excellent, and you'd suspect plenty of made threes here -- Croatia is still at 50% from deep on the tournament. Lithuania's Linas Kleiza has been an uber-efficient scorer and has pulled seven boards a game.

BRONZE: China vs Germany, 8:00 a.m. EST China could use a big win here to slip onto the path toward the medal round. Yao Ming really dominated against Angola (surprise). Chris Kaman and Dirk Nowitzki should impede the big China frontline a bit more. Both teams have questionable backcourt outfits, as we've said and seen and said again after seeing. Despite the 1-2 record, China's been good, hanging with the States for a hot minute and taking Spain to OT. Germany, however, followed its win over the Aussies with two double-digits losses ... and it hasn't met the U.S. yet. I'll guess China in an upset of minor proportions. (Actually, I might take a nap.)

In other action: Greece vs Angola, Russia vs Australia, Iran vs Argentina.

Throughout the Olympic men's basketball tournament, FanHouse will prioritize the games of the day for you in Golden Ticket.

We've had two fantastic matches and a bunch of blow-outs. Something tells that will all change tonight/tomorrow morning.

GOLD: United States vs Greece, 8 a.m. EST This draw has been badgered a bit already. The first test for the American team, Greece should be ready for all the pressure Team USA will bring in the backcourt and out high. Of course, team leaders LeBron James and Dwyane Wade remember vividly, no doubt, the embarrassment of 2004 and want nothing more, I assume, than to avenge their fallen Olympic friends. (R.I.P. A.I.) Will Team USA's sheer will be enough? Greece isn't the threat it once was, and isn't even a medal favorite this year. But the backcourt will wake up the American guards, and the physical defense will force the United States to cash in on the transition game. I have a feeling Team USA will pull away in the second half and win by double digits, and I look forward to all the jersey-popping and self-righteousness from pundits (and bloggers) who think this collection is greater than Elvis.

SILVER: Argentina vs Croatia, 10:15 a.m. EST Argentina lost its opener because it failed to account for the unbelievable swag of Linas Kleiza, but come back to throttle the Aussies on Tuesday. Croatia also buried Australia, and finished a tough win over tough Russia. How good is Croatia? Is Argentina still elite? This game could help answer those questions. The Croatians can't miss from deep, but the Argentines should hold a nice advantage in the frontcourt. I have a suspicion Argentina will make a big statement, but it's tough to bet against a Croatia team which has looked unassailable to date.

BRONZE: Lithuania vs Russia, 4:45 a.m. EST Lithuania remains undefeated, as Kleiza has simply taken over. The Russians could use a bounceback after the loss to Croatia, as a three or four seed after groups means murder against Spain or the U.S. in the quarters. The Lithuanians, with a win, would see only Croatia in their path on the way to Group A supremacy. Russia beat Lithuania in elimination in Euro 2007, but I'd expect the opposite result here.

In other action: Spain vs Germany (which would have been the "bronze" match if it weren't already in the third quarter ... whoops), Australia vs Iran, China vs Angola (wee!).

We told you Lithuania-Argentina might be worth staying up all night, and it lived up to the billing. The close fight ended up with Linas Kleiza of the Nuggets nailing a three with 2.1 seconds left. Argentina turned the ball over on the impending possession, lost 79-75, and now face a tough route going forward.

Manu Ginobili wasn't so hot, as Pete Thamel of the New York Times tells it.

Manu Ginobili led all scorers with 19 points, but didn't play particularly well. He gave a referee an earful after the final buzzer, pleading again for a call late in the game.

Manu, complaining about a call? No! That's not possible! Great ... now the Spurs have ruined the sanctity of international competition as well.

Lithuania isn't quite on the fast track to a pool win -- Russia awaits on Thursday, and if the Lithuanians slip up against Croatia or Australia they could find themselves tied or behind Argentina anyways. But drawing a top two seed in Group A is a priority: the #3 and #4 finishers can expect to face the United States and Spain in the quarterfinals. Lithuania is in good position, with one big win under the belt and the best fans in Beijing behind them.

As the "rest of the world" catches up to the United States in the sport of basketball, it seems worth considering how other world events have impacted the global hoops scene. Namely, the end of Communist imperialism has split up a few would-be basketball powers.

Consider the former U.S.S.R., which includes present day nations Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Ukraine and more. Lithuania is among the best teams going into the Olympic hoops tournament. Russia is the reigning European champion, having beat Spain in Spain last summer. Here's a sample starting line-up for the mythical Team U.S.S.R.

Sarunas Jasikevicius: The top non-NBA point guard in the world.
Ramunas Siskauskas: The reigning Euroleague MVP.
Linas Kleiza: A top-flight scorer and rebounder from the forward position.
Andrei Kirilenko: The best Russian ever to play in the NBA.
Andris Biedrins: $63 million.

Off the bench: Zaza Pachulia, Darius Songaila, Viktor Khryapa, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Arvydas Macijauskas, maybe Zydrunas Ilgauskas, if he disobeys the Cavaliers. That's not a gold medal team perhaps. But it is sure good enough to make Team USA sweat.

Team Yugoslavia wouldn't be as potent, though a Beno-Sasha-Peja-Nenad-Darko squad actually looks pretty good.

Allen Iverson had until today to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Denver Nuggets, and his agent Leon Rose just confirmed to the Rocky Mountain News that his client will play out his current deal, which will pay him more than $20 million in 2008-09. This was certainly expected -- Iverson has said he wanted to remain all season, and Marcus Camby predicted his teammate would return earlier this week -- but you can never take anything for granted.

Just because Iverson decided against opting out doesn't mean he'll necessarily be playing in Denver next year: his hefty expiring deal is an interesting bargaining chip for teams looking to make a move, and guys like Carmelo Anthony and Camby have also been mentioned in their share of rumors. Plus J.R. Smith, whom AI is essentially blocking from the starting lineup, is a restricted free agent -- while Denver's up-and-down style of play fits his game, he may be able to find a starting gig elsewhere.

Even if the Nuggets can't find a blockbuster to their liking, expect at least a small deal: ESPN's Chad Ford reported a rumor yesterday involving the Grizzlies sending Kyle Lowry and the 28th overall pick to Denver for Linas Kleiza. That deal coud. make sense for both teams, considering Grizzlies' glut of point guards and the fact that Anthony Carter, the Nuggets' starter last year, is now a free agent. Whatever happens, expect the Nuggets to be one of this summer's most active teams.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. Deadspin: Photos of Charles Oakley getting his shirtless party on.

2. The Sporting Blog: The Celtics aren't a realistic model for success.

3. Chad Ford, ESPN: Draft approaching, rumors flying: Anderson Varejao, Leandro Barbosa, Linas Kleiza are some of the names in play.

4. Mike Bresnahan, L.A. Times: Lakers are in no hurry to sign Andrew Bynum to a contract extension.

5. OC Register: Clippers secretly worked out O.J. Mayo.

6. Paul Coro, AZ Republic: Amare Stoudemire declines an invitation to play in the Olympics.