2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup Live Streaming Info: USA vs. Slovenia Preview, Starting Lineups and Prediction

Aug 1, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USA Team Blue guard Derrick Rose (41) shoots the ball during the USA Basketball Showcase at Thomas & Mack Center. REUTERS

We are down to the final eight teams and all three countries who snatched a medal in the previous edition of the basketball World Cup are still standing with heavy favourites Spain and Team USA poised to reach the finals.

The Americans will have to first hurdle an up and coming Slovenia squad that is featuring the run and gun Dragic brothers on Tuesday at Palau Sant Jordi, Spain.

How They Got Here

The favourites to win it all steamrolled Mexico in the round of 16 matchup and produced a large margin in the end, 80-63. The Americans were aggressive early relying on the steady hands of Stephen Curry and James Harden to lead by a dozen digit midway the first quarter and they never looked back after that. This was the best performance from Golden State point guard Curry who tallied 20 points of six made threes. Mexico's line bright spot is Real Madrid bound Gustavo Ayon who used his hustle on the way to 25 points. This is now USA's sixth straight win in eight days as the competition enter the final leg of the basketball championship.

Slovenia used its perimeter defense to negate Francisco Garcia and the Dominicans in their other win in the round of 16 matchup, 71-61. The Slovenians never allowed Dominican Republic to reach more than 15 points in any quarter except for the third when they totaled 20. Zoran Dragic was instrumental in frustrating Garcia who came in averaging 20 points per game to just registering just seven points on five measly attempts. They used a 16-0 run at the end of the first half to build the lead and separate from Dominican Republic for good.

What to Watch

USA's Perimeter Defense

It will be interesting to see how Team USA will handle the ability of Slovenians to knock down the three. Slovenia almost always has four men out there who can shoot the three and even the fifth man is being used as a screener as attested by American coach Mike Kryzewski.

"They're unusually good. They have one of the great guards in the world in Goran Dragic. His brother is outstanding too. With Lorbek, those three guys on the perimeter provide probably, outside of Spain, the most experience on the perimeter that you have in the tournament. Then you surround them with three point shooters. You can have, really, 5 guys who can shoot the three. "

Stephen Curry, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, not all all-world defenders, will have their hands full chasing the Dragic brothers and Lorbek around the three point area and into the shaded lane with their penetrations. This is sort of an incarnation of the Phoenix Suns offense that relies on dribble drive penetrations that also create opportunities for shooting big men stationed in the perimeter.

Offensive Rebounding

While many perceive this to be one of the fortes of Team USA, they have actually been negated much of the six games of the tournament. In fact in the win against Mexico, they lost the battle of the offensive glass. However, Slovenia has not yet faced a frontcourt of the American's caliber. Kenneth Faried and Anthony Davies are active bodies that like to sneak in the perimeters for drop-offs and put backs that Slovenia's big men will have to be physical in keeping their bodies in check. On the USA side, with the tendency of their next opponent to let it rain from the outside, it will be critical to corall the long range rebounds off long shots in order to deter second attempts at the basket.

Ball Pressure

Both teams love producing points by pressuring their opponents into turnovers and converting them into points via fastbreaks on the other side. It will be interesting to see which team will be able to capitalize on the strategy as both backcourts are capable of generating steals. On the plus side, the Americans have a plethora of guards to substitute and bring fresher legs while Slovenia are likely going to use to the fullest their Dragic weapons.

Prediction:

Expect this to be a close match in the early moments only for the Americans to pull away late in the game, USA 96, Slovenia, 85.

Projected Starting Lineups:

USA:

Stephen Curry (Guard)

James Harden (Guard)

Rudy Gay (Forward)

Kenneth Faried (Forward)

Anthony Davis (Center)

Slovenia:

Goran Dragic (Guard)

Zoran Dragic (Guard)