Team United States (Olympic)

The women's teams will take center stage on Day 3 of the Olympic Basketball tournament at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo. 

Some heavy favorites will be in action including the United States, which will have its first matchup of the Games against Nigeria.

The United States women's team has captured six consecutive Olympic gold medals and figures to be the favorite for a seventh in Japan. It is -1100 (bet $1100 to win $100) to win the tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

But the U.S. men's shock loss to France shows that international competition isn't always easy to predict. Australia has the next best odds (+1500) and will also be in action on Tuesday. It's also worth noting it is coming off a win over Team USA in a preparation exhibition. 

Here's a look at the complete schedule for the day and a preview of the key matchups. 

         

Day 3 Olympic Basketball Schedule

Monday, July 26

Men's: Japan vs. Spain (-18), 8 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: Japan vs. France (-9), 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: USA (-30) vs. Nigeria, 12:40 a.m. ET, USA, NBCOlympics.com

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

The first look at the United States women's team headlines the day. It gets the opportunity to ease into pool play with the Nigerian team on tap. Nigeria already carries a No. 17 FIBA ranking, but it wasn't helped when a pair of WNBA players were denied the opportunity to play. 

Nneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams both previously played for Team USA. However, when they didn't make the Olympic roster for the Stars and Stripes, they attempted to petition to play for Nigeria. 

Their appeal was denied by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, leaving the Nigerian team short of two potential stars for their squad. 

The American team is again loaded with talent and familiar faces. Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are gunning for their fifth Olympic gold medal. They made their debuts at the Games in 2004 when they were teammates with current U.S. head coach Dawn Staley. 

The coach is happy with the leadership she is seeing from the veterans, noting Taurasi specifically:

"She just raises the level of our practice, our ability to make great basketball decisions—passing, shooting the basketball, just her whole morale," Staley said, per Mechelle Voepel of ESPN. "She is high energy and just takes our practice to another level."

After the United States men's loss to France in pool play, Spain has to feel good about its chances of making a run at gold. That spells bad news for the Japanese team. 

Spain figures to be among the elite teams in this tournament. With Marc and Paul Gasol, Juancho and Willy Hernangomez and a host of other former and current NBA talents such as Ricky Rubio, they have one of the deepest talent pools to work with. 

Japan, meanwhile, went 0-5 in the FIBA Asia tournament that saw Iran earn a berth with a 2-3 record. It will lean heavily on Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura.

The host nation's women's side has a much better chance in its opening game against the French. France carries a No. 5 ranking from FIBA, but Japan isn't that far behind at No. 10. 

The team did pick up a prep win against Belgium and plays with intensity and energy. That should only be compounded by the fact that it is the home team and winning this game will determine whether it even has a shot to get out of the group phase. 

It's in a difficult group, with Team USA virtually guaranteed a quarterfinals spot and France coming in as the favorite to get the second. 

But if the three-pointers start going in and Japan can force some early turnovers, things could get interesting. 

           

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Team USA is finally in the win column as its men's basketball team prepares for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The United States took down Argentina 108-80 Tuesday after dropping its first two exhibition games in Las Vegas. The results led some to wonder whether the U.S. is headed for another disappointment on par with the bronze-medal finish in the 2004 Summer Games.

Beating Argentina, the No. 4 team in the FIBA world rankings, will ease some of those concerns.

Zach LaVine was one of five U.S. players to score in double figures, and no two of his points were more emphatic than this dunk on Juan Pablo Vaulet.

.@ZachLaVine EVERYBODY 👏#USABMNT | @usabasketball

📺 NBCSN
🖥 https://t.co/yI8H9I8HWl
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/dYUPZSWlKt

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 13, 2021

The U.S. squad appeared to carry a chip on its shoulder as it led 33-19 after the first quarter. The advantage grew slightly to 16 points at halftime and Argentina was unable to make it much of a game in the second half.

---

Notable Performers

Kevin Durant, United States: 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal

Bradley Beal, United States: 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal

Damian Lillard, United States: 13 points, three rebounds, four assists, one block

Luis Scola, Argentina: 16 points, five rebounds, two assists

---

Durant Too Good for Argentina

The international game has caught up to the United States, but one obvious question remains: How will the rest of the world stop Kevin Durant?

The 11-time All-Star allayed the fears about his Achilles injury by averaging 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists during the NBA regular season and then carrying the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs. He's basically the same player he was prior to the injury.

Team USA can't be a one-man show built around Durant and still win gold because the competition is too strong. But he's clearly the best individual player in the competition.

That Durant guy might have a future in basketball..

— Larry Nance (@Larrydn22) July 13, 2021

https://twitter.com/ctsbulls/status/1415082560191934464

Tuesday's exhibition was another showcase for the 2013-14 MVP.

Big moves to end the half.@KDTrey5 x 🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/2q7v1roUJj

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 13, 2021

Bam (5 AST) throws the sweet outlet to KD (14 PTS) for the jam in #PhantomCam! #USABMNT leads Argentina at the start of the 2nd half on NBC Sports Network & https://t.co/HbtDcrFgfZ. pic.twitter.com/1fQ9aYFm8x

— NBA (@NBA) July 13, 2021

Durant already has two gold medals to his name, and he put up 20.6 points per game across the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup. His international record is impeccable.

One downside to playing with the United States is that the roster is often so collectively strong that it's difficult for one player to shine above the rest. On a 2020 team that's good but not the best available to Team USA, Durant has an opportunity to make this year's Summer Games his own.

---

Team USA Displays New Sense of Urgency

The biggest reason not to hit the panic button with Team USA was that the Nigeria and Australia games were probably as bad as things would get in terms of the performance.

"I thought we got better tonight," coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after Tuesday's loss. "After a short time together, there’s a lot of things that have to be covered, but the first half and the second half were two different beasts."

The offensive fluidity for the U.S. should improve as the players spend more time on the court together, and the start to training camp may have served as a reminder of the level that will be required in Tokyo.

On Tuesday, this was a different Team USA from the start of the exhibition slate:

The movement away from the ball was crisper.

Set the tone.@Bam1of1 x 🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/toNjfoCKwA

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 13, 2021

Dame to KD to LaVine.. look out 💥@usabasketball leading late in the first half vs. Argentina.

NBC Sports Network & https://t.co/HbtDcrFgfZ pic.twitter.com/rQkwYh7A2j

— NBA (@NBA) July 13, 2021

More @usabasketball 🏀 movement leads to another Zach LaVine dunk!

Watch #USABMNT vs. Argentina on NBC Sports Network & https://t.co/HbtDcrFgfZ. https://t.co/8KKfcNywTe

— NBA (@NBA) July 13, 2021

The effort on defense was higher as well, and the U.S. occasionally turned that into fast-break dunks and easy buckets on the other end.

Got 'em.@Money23Green x 🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/UMqrvwWyjh

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 13, 2021

Not messing around.

📺 NBCSN
💻 https://t.co/fcUSsaVvGe pic.twitter.com/TpsVRaK3OX

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 13, 2021

The earlier hand-wringing about Team USA was warranted because the players came out pretty flat, and a seventh-place finish in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup wasn't that long ago.

But the U.S. appears to be righting the ship a bit in Las Vegas.

---

What's Next?

Team USA will have an opportunity to avenge its loss to Australia on Friday.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant spoke about the influence late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has on him and the rest of the United States men's Olympic basketball team during a press conference on Friday (h/t Angelo Guinhawa of ClutchPoints).

"Even when he was alive and playing, his DNA was embedded in us"@KDTrey5 talks about honoring the great @kobebryant and his legacy of @usabasketball for @Olympics.#TokyoOlympics | #USABasketball | #3ptcnvrsn | #KobeBryant | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/uK64ezGDTk

— The 3 Point Conversion (@3ptCnvrsn) July 9, 2021

“Kobe Bryant is the guy that all of us looked up to and watched as kids. And even when he was alive and playing, his DNA was embedded in us as players. From afar, [he] taught us what the game is about, what work ethic is about.

And we all kind of pull from him when he was playing and when he was alive. And now that he’s not with us no more, we all want to honor his teachings by going out there and playing with that passion, with that energy every single play.

And guys that had close relationships understand how he will approach every single day, especially with Team USA. He really took pride in being a part of this group and part of this team.

We all feed off of that type of energy, and Kobe always brought that, so he's always big to everyone of us here. We miss him, we miss him dearly because he would be in here, supporting us.

Bryant's decorated career included plenty of success on the international stage, including a pair of Olympic gold medals and the 2007 FIBA World Championship gold medal with Team USA.

Durant and Bryant played together on the 2012 Olympic team, which went undefeated and won a gold medal over Spain in London. That group outscored their opponents by an average of 32.1 points per game.

KD has also built an excellent international basketball resume, winning two Olympic gold medals in addition to World Championship gold. He notably led the Olympic team in scoring in 2012 and 2016.

Durant is looking for his third Olympic gold at this year's Summer Games, and he'll be flanked by some talented players:

New team, same expectations.

The 🇺🇸 #USABMNT Olympic numbers are in 🙌 pic.twitter.com/W3aecRZpxw

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 5, 2021

The Games will begin July 23 in Tokyo.

Several members of the United States men's national basketball team modeled their new uniforms Thursday ahead of the upcoming 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

As seen in the following video posted on the NBA's official Twitter account, most of Team USA took part in a pre-Olympics photo shoot:

The #USABMNT show off their new threads! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ngvMwl4IGn

— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2021

Among the biggest stars to show off the blue unis with white lettering and red trim were Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.

Only three of the 12 members of Team USA were not present for the photoshoot, but they had a good reason.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Milwaukee Bucks teammates Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are all playing in the 2021 NBA Finals.

Other players featured in the video include Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love.

With several top players such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Chris Paul of the Suns, Stephen Curry of the Warriors and James Harden of the Nets removing themselves from Team USA consideration, many members of the squad will be Olympic debutants in Tokyo.

Durant, Green and Love are the only members of head coach Gregg Popovich's team with Olympic experience under their belts.

Even so, the Americans will be heavily favored to win gold for a fourth consecutive Olympic Games when the 2021 Tokyo Olympics begin July 23.

The United States women's national basketball team roster for the Tokyo Summer Olympics was announced on NBC's Today on Monday morning. 

Lyndsey D'Arcangelo of The Athletic relayed the roster, which includes a pair of four-time Olympic gold-medal winners in Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

https://twitter.com/darcangel21/status/1406966913477988357

South Carolina women's hoops head coach Dawn Staley, who won three gold medals for Team USA as a player, will lead a roster in search of its seventh straight first-place finish at the Olympics.

Team USA's Olympic legacy is nothing short of remarkable, and this year's loaded roster will be the heavy favorite heading into Olympic competition.

As Richard Deitsch of The Athletic noted, Team USA is 66-3 in the Olympics since 1976 and 48-0 since the gold-medal run began in 1996.

Team USA dropped a hype video following the announcement, featuring comments from the players:

For the States. For the history. For the gold.

Our team to go for seven consecutive Olympic gold medals at @Tokyo2020

🇺🇸 #USABWNT x @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/2G0zrlXNLh

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 21, 2021

Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson leads the talented group of first-time Olympians to Tokyo.

WNBA 2019 Rookie of the Year (and All-Star) Napheesa Collier, three-time WNBA All-Defensive Second Team member Ariel Atkins, four-time WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith, three-time WNBA All-Star Chelsea Gray and two-time WNBA champion (and All-Star) Jewell Loyd cap that list.

The Olympic returnees have legendary resumes.

Bird's laundry list of accomplishments includes four WNBA championships, two NCAA titles, 11 WNBA All-Star nods and five All-WNBA First Team honors, among many more.

Taurasi is a 10-time All-WNBA first-teamer who has also won three WNBA championships and three NCAA titles.

Tina Charles, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, five-time All-WNBA first-teamer and 2012 WNBA MVP, is looking for her third gold medal. Sylvia Fowles, a two-time WNBA champion, six-time WNBA All-Star and 2017 WNBA MVP, is going for gold medal No. 4.

Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart round out the team.

Griner, a seven-time WNBA blocks champion who has also led the league in scoring twice, is going for her second gold medal. The center's resume also includes a WNBA title, an NCAA title and six All-Star appearances.

Stewart may be the GOAT by the time her career ends, as she already has an Olympic gold medal, four NCAA titles, two WNBA titles and a WNBA MVP on the record. The Seattle Storm star was also her team's Finals MVP after they beat the Las Vegas Aces in the 2020 WNBA championship.

This year's opening ceremony will take place July 23. The Games will run through Aug. 8.

United States Olympian Sakura Kokumai said she was the target of a racist rant from a stranger at Grijalva Park in Orange, California, per Jaclyn Peiser of the Washington Post.

The Japanese American karate athlete, who is preparing for the upcoming Summer Olympics, was interrupted during a recent training session by a stranger yelling at her. The man escalated his verbal attack, threatening Kokumai before directing multiple racial slurs at her as he got into his vehicle and left.

She recorded the man on her phone and posted it to her Instagram account.

"I was aware about the anti-Asian hate that was going on. You see it almost every day on the news," she told KTLA. "But I didn’t think it would happen to me at a park I usually go to to train."

Kokumai also noted the lack of support from others at a crowded park at the time.

"Yes what happened was horrible, but I don’t know which was worse, a stranger yelling and threatening to hurt me for no reason or people around me who witnessed everything and not doing a thing," she wrote in her Instagram caption.

Anti-Asian violence has been on the rise in the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with close to 4,000 incidents reported over the past year, per Stop AAPI Hate, a group that tracks hate, violence and harassment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Kokumai, 28, is a seven-time national champion and will be the first American to compete in the Olympics in karate, which will debut this summer.

The Canadian pair of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir became the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history. And like it was eight years ago, that record-breaking fifth medal was a gold in ice dancing.

A GOLDEN performance from @tessavirtue & @ScottMoir! #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/WNr4BOscFI

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 20, 2018

Virtue and Moir were in first after Sunday's short program (dates/times ET) but got a hard challenge from France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron in Monday's free skate. In the end, though, Virtue and Moir won their second gold of the 2018 Winter Olympics to go with the one they earned in helping Canada win the team championship last week.

At 206.07 points, they were only 0.79 points ahead of Papadakis and Cizeron.

There were no wardrobe malfunctions this time around for Papadakis and Cizeron, unlike in Sunday's short program when Papadakis' neck clasp came undone early in their routine. She assured the same thing wouldn't happen by going with an almost full-coverage outfit that was devoid of any movable—or removable—parts:

There will be no nip slip today, guaranteed. #icedance #Olympics pic.twitter.com/EhiXvdZr1w

— melissa block (@NPRmelissablock) February 20, 2018

With the fear of exposure not an issue, Papadakis and Cizeron logged a tremendous 123.35 to give them 205.28 overall, their personal best. But in the end, it was only good enough for silver.

No matter who you want to win this event, you have to admire Papadakis/Cizeron for persevering the way that they have after the SD. That was a beauty. Green across the board #PyeongChang2018

— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) February 20, 2018

American brother-sister combo Maia and Alex Shibutani, almost universally known as the "Shib Sibs," turned in one of the best performances of their career on Monday. Skating to "Paradise" from Coldplay, they were particularly electric toward the end of their routine.

.@maiashibutani and @alexshibutani called this free dance the third part of a trilogy.

It did not disappoint. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/fmMl0C4Amf pic.twitter.com/Hkfw64JvFy

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 20, 2018

The last minute of the @ShibSibs performance was third-rail electric.

— Philip Hersh (@olyphil) February 20, 2018

Their routine was good enough to earn them the bronze medal, bypassing fellow U.S. skaters Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue by almost five points.

The American team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who were seventh after the short program, ended up falling to ninth after they both fell during a combination spin. Falls are very rare in ice dancing, and this one eliminated any chance of them getting onto the podium.

Nightmare for Chock/Bates: They completely go down on a combination, both flat on the ice. Horrible moment for them #PyeongChang2018

— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) February 20, 2018

"I wish I could have that moment back," they told reporters afterward.

Prior to their performance, though, it was time for a trip to the wayback machine. Meryl Davis, one half of the U.S. gold medal-winning ice dance team from Sochi, took to Twitter to remark on how long the 28-year-old Bates has been skating at the highest level:

12 years ago in Bulgaria with @Evan_Bates! Hard to believe he’s at his 3rd Olympic Games! ❤️⛸ @CharlieaWhite @TeamUSA #Pyeongchang2018 pic.twitter.com/BJSPGzJJEy

— Meryl Davis (@Meryl_Davis) February 20, 2018

Ice dancing is maybe more about matching the performance to the music than any other skating competition, and to further that mission requires having the right outfit. Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, who took eighth place, performed to music from James Bond movies and made sure to dress the part:

New costume alert: Piper Gilles (or, per the practice announcer’s pronunciation, “Piper Grillz”) has a new Oscar-worthy dress for James Bond. #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/yLfHjZUpEp

— Jackie Wong (@rockerskating) February 19, 2018

And no Olympic figure skating competition would be complete without some commentary by celebrity superfan Leslie Jones. The Saturday Night Live player, who follows the sport like most Americans watch the NFL or NBA, live-tweeted the entire free skate—shaky video included—with an emphasis on apparel, music choice and "dope" moves by the competitors.

I need trust like this in a relationship!! @NBCOlympics @Olympics pic.twitter.com/FJdOC25Nzz

— Leslie Jones 🦋 (@Lesdoggg) February 20, 2018

Hmm try to decide if I like but they just did a move that was dope!!! @NBCOlympics @olympics pic.twitter.com/k2Mc0yQXeq

— Leslie Jones 🦋 (@Lesdoggg) February 20, 2018

It’s almost like they dancing!! @NBCOlympics @Olympics pic.twitter.com/FEnElnVwa5

— Leslie Jones 🦋 (@Lesdoggg) February 20, 2018

With ice dancing in the books, three of the four Olympic figure skating events are complete. All that's left is the women's singles, which begins Tuesday with the short program and continues with Thursday's free skate.

     

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.

Sunday serves as the latest showcase of United States athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Although medals won't be up for grabs for the Americans in the spotlight, they'll be in position to set themselves up for Olympic glory in the coming days.

Alex and Maia Shibutani are after their second medal in figure skating as they start competition in the ice dance in one of the events that takes place on Monday morning in Pyeongchang.

Up in the mountains, the large American contingent in the ski halfpipe and snowboard big air should set high marks in qualifying.

In ice hockey, the United States women are looking to set up yet another gold-medal clash with Canada, but first they have to get past Finland in the semifinals.

             

Sunday Night Schedule

TV Coverage: NBC (7 p.m.-midnight ET), NBCSN (8 p.m ET-1:30 a.m. ET) 

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

          

Figure Skating

Ice dance short program (8 p.m. ET, coverage on NBCSN and NBC)

           

Freestyle Skiing

Women's halfpipe qualification (8 p.m. ET, NBC) 

         

Ice Hockey

Women's semifinal: United States vs. Finland (11:10 p.m. ET, NBCSN) 

           

Snowboarding

Women's big air qualification (8 p.m. ET, NBC)

          

All events take place on Monday in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

         

Shibutanis Headline American Contingent in Ice Dance

The Shibutani siblings thrived during the team event, as they finished second in the short program and free dance behind Canada's gold-medal favorite pairing of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

With a bronze already on their Pyeongchang resume, the Shibutanis hope to lead an impressive string of American performances over the next two days in ice dance.

The two-time World Championships medalists sit squarely under the spotlight because of their skill and visibility on social media, but there are two other pairs that could medal in Pyeongchang.

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue come into South Korea as the U.S. champions in the discipline, while Madison Chock and Evan Bates carry experience from Sochi.

Hubbell and Donohue earned two podium finishes in Grand Prix events this season as well as a fourth-place showing at the Grand Prix final.

Since placing eighth in Sochi, Chock and Bates have produced consistent results, including top-three finishes in each of the last four U.S. Championships and a pair of second-place Grand Prix finishes this season before taking fifth at the Grand Prix final.

While the Shibutanis have been in the medal discussion for quite some time, don't be surprised to see one of the two other American pairs thrive in the short program and move into medal contention.

           

Women's Hockey One Step Away from Return to Final

After three days off, the United States women's hockey team is back on the ice for the semifinal against Finland, which takes place late on Sunday night and runs into Monday morning.

The Americans ended pool play with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Canada that ended with a skirmish in front of goal between the bitter rivals.

If everything goes well for the United States on Sunday, it will take part in more action directly in front of the opposing goalkeeper.

Head coach Robb Stauber is aware of the game plan opponents used against the United States in pool play to counter its speed, and he admitted he'd utilize the same strategy, as he noted to USA Today's Kevin Allen.

"Teams respect our speed and skill so they pack it in," Stauber said. "They make it hard to get clean plays through the areas in the crease, or the tight areas. It's a good game plan. You got to pack it in. I would, too."

The best way to counter the blockade in front of the net is to go right at it, which is what the Americans should do against one of the best goalies in the world in Finland's Noora Raty.

As long as they drown out the hype surrounding the gold-medal game rematch with Canada, the Americans should cruise to victory over a team they defeated 3-1 in their first game of the competition.

However, if the thought of playing Canada creeps into the minds of its players, the United States could be in for a struggle against a Finland side that's far from a pushover.

              

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Olympic.org.

All eyes will be on Nathan Chen on Thursday evening at the Gangneung Ice Arena, as the United States youngster gets his bid for Olympic gold under way in the men's singles figure skating.

Chen was in exceptional form in the build-up to the Games and the big favourite for victory here. However, he'll have to shake off a disappointing performance in the team event, when his routine was blemished by uncharacteristic errors and a fall.

Also in action will be Team USA's Lindsey Jacobellis in the snowboard cross, while giant slalom winner Mikaela Shiffrin will be looking to double up in the slalom, an event in which she is the defending champion.

Read on for the NBC Sports schedule, the key viewing details and a preview of what's to come for viewers in the States on Thursday at the Games.

      

Schedule

NBC Sports (8-11 p.m.): Alpine skiing, skeleton, snowboarding cross, figure skating

NBCSN (8 p.m.-12:30 a.m.): Figure skating

CNBC (10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.): Men's ice hockey (United States vs. Slovakia)   

All schedule times are in Eastern time. Action can be streamed via the NBC Sports App.

   

Chen Out to Bounce Back

While falls in figure skating are not rare, it wasn't a great shock to see such surprise at Chen missing his step in the team event earlier in the Games.

That's because, despite still just being 18 years old, there have been times this season when the youngster has been immaculate. Heading into Pyeongchang, he was unbeaten and naturally viewed as one of the United States' best chances of gold.

After his tumble, there'll be a different type of pressure on Chen, as he'll need to respond. The man himself admitted the occasion may have gotten to him after the team event, per NBC's Nick McCarvel:

"I think I was a little bit in my head. I apologize to Team USA," Nathan Chen says in mixed zone. "I'm going to have to readjust ahead of the indivisible event" #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/jRraLmd13w

— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) February 9, 2018

Not only will Chen need to improve in the short program, he'll have some strong rivals to overcome if he's to win gold. 

Japan have two major medal hopefuls in this event in Shoma Uno and Yuzuru Hanyu; the latter is the defending Olympic champion and triumphed at the World Championships last year. The Olympics Twitter account gave us a reminder of what he can do:

4 years ago today Yuzuru Hanyu #JPN won the #Olympics #gold medal in #FigureSkating. This short program was an Olympic points record! 👇 pic.twitter.com/8zoyyZVpNw

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 14, 2018

While there's an expectation on Chen, his United States team-mate Shiffrin has already delivered at the Games and can ski without pressure in the slalom.

In the giant slalom, the American excelled to take gold in her second run, and encouragingly for her supporters, the slalom has been her favoured discipline. The 22-year-old won gold in the 2014 Sochi Games and is a three-time world slalom champion.

As noted by ESPN.com's Paul Carr, Shiffrin has already joined an elite club of two-time American Alpine skiing champions:

Mikaela Shiffrin wins giant slalom gold!

She's the third American with two career #Olympics gold medals in alpine skiing (Ted Ligety, Andrea Mead-Lawrence). #USA

— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) February 15, 2018

However, as relayed by Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden, it doesn't appear as though she will go for five gold medals at these Games, as many anticipated:

Mikaela Shiffrin will race the slalom tomorrow, but per her mother, Eileen, who is also her head coach, she will NOT race Super-G on Saturday (Friday night in USA). Too little preparation time.

— Tim Layden (@ByTimLayden) February 15, 2018

The snowboard cross big final is always one of the most absorbing races on the schedule, and Team USA will hope to have Jacobellis in medal contention.

The 32-year-old infamously made an error while in total command of the race in the final of 2006 Turin Games, as she ran wide after showboating on the final jump. Needless to say, she'll be desperate to make amends eight years on. She did not progress to the medal round at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Jacobellis is among the favourites for a medal, although the Michela Moioli, who earned silver four years ago, has been in blistering form in the build-up to South Korea.