Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Argentina and Lithuania stayed unbeaten but two-time runner-up Spain's Olympic basketball hopes took a hit with a surprise loss to hosts Brazil.
Luis Scola on Tuesday scored 13 of his 23 points in the first-quarter to stake an early lead for the Argentines, who were more in-synch than Croatia and buoyed again by boisterous fans from their nearby homeland.
Argentina stretched the advantage to as much as 20 in the third quarter before holding off a late Croatian push in a day of Group B play.
"It's like a home game," guard Carlos Delfino said of the pulsating fan support.