Argentina beat Tunisia to improve record

Olympic men's basketball Group A game today, while France seized the upper hand in a battle for positioning in the men's Olympic basketball tournament with a pivotal 82-74 victory over Lithuania to improve to 2-1 with two games left in the preliminary round.

A suffocating French defence limited the world championship bronze medallists to nine points in the third quarter to erase a 43-39 deficit and take a 59-52 lead.

Lithuania could only add two more points in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter as France roared to a comfortable lead.

The result gave France a strong chance to finish second in Group A and probably relegated Lithuania (1-2) to fourth place, which would put them up against the top seed in Group B in the quarters.

Australia took their first positive step after hard-fought losses to Spain and Brazil by beating China 81-61 in a clash that could put them on the road to claiming the fourth quarter-finals spot from Group B.

STANDINGS

                   P W L  F     A  Pts

1. Argentina  3 2 1 258 219 5

2. France      3 2 1 224 236 5

3. USA          2 2 0 208 134 4

4. Lithuania   3 1 2 225 237 4

5. Nigeria      2 1 1 113 128 3

6. Tunisia      3 0 3 188 262 3