Tokyo 2020: Nigeria's D'Tigers beat Argentina 94-71 2 days after upsetting United States basketball team

Tokyo 2020: Nigeria's D'Tigers beat Argentina 94-71 2 days after upsetting United States basketball team

Oluwatomiwa Babalola
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:42 PM
  • Coach Mike Brown appears to be up to something pleasant for Nigeria in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
  • D'Tigers have taken their second friendly game as part of their preparations for the summer games
  • They defeated the world's number four team Argentina 94-71 barely days after beating the United States team

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Nigeria's D'Tigers continue their impressive preparations toward this summer's Tokyo Olympic Games in style.

Coach Mike Brown and his boys defeated Argentina 94-71 in a friendly game at the Michelob ULTRA Arena on Monday, July 12.

This is coming barely two days after stunning the United States basketball team 90-87 to send a warning message to their Group B opponents in the men's event.

Tokyo 2020: Nigeria's D'Tigers beat Argentina 94-71 2 days after upsetting United States basketball team
Nigeria's D'Tigers in action against the United States during a test game ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Games. Photo by Ethan Miller
Source: Getty Images

Nigeria have been grouped along with the likes of Australia, Germany, and Italy in the games starting from July 23 to August 8.

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The Argentines are currently the fourth-best basketball team in the world and they bowed to the West African giants in the friendly game.

What Femi Adefeso said about D'Tigers

Legit.ng while speaking with foremost basketball journalist Femi Adefeso speaks highly of the new crop of the D'Tigers' players. He said:

"The Nigerian basketball team has clearly come of age, and you look at how far we have come from 2012 when we had just one player active in the NBA which was Farouk Aminu. But now we have six on this national team, and we even have more that we didn't call up.
"So this goes to tell you that we are the depth of quality that has grown on our national teams and I must say this is the best era since we began internationally and the team has gradually moved from participants to competitors.
"And that's the signs we are showing with these friendly games that look, we are no longer here to make the numbers like the Olympic mantra is to participate, but we are here to do more than that - get to the podium and win. And that's exactly the signals the boys are sending out."

According to dknation, Jahlil Okafor recorded 15 points - the most for a Nigerian player while both Josh Okogie and Chimezie Metu had 10 each.

The publication added that D'Tigers limited Argentina to 35.9 percent shooting from the floor while hitting 48.1 percent of its own shots.

Coach Mike Brown's men didn't record enough triples in the game but did well enough in other areas to win in a rout.

Nigeria are definitely no pushovers after a 23-point win over Argentina as the countdown to the games commences later this month.

D'Tigers stunned United States Basketball 90-87

Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria's D'Tigers are on track in their preparations for this summer's Olympic Games billed to be staged in Tokyo after beating the United States Basketball team in a test game.

Coach Mike Brown led side defeated the multiple Olympics gold medallists 90-87 at the end of the game to send a note of warning to their group.

Nigeria are pitched alongside Australia, Germany, and Italy in Group B for the 2020 edition of the competition expected to start on July 23.

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Oluwatomiwa Babalola
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