The United States men’s basketball team is two wins away from earning another gold medal. Advancing to the finals at the Tokyo Olympics, however, is far from a given for Team USA.

The U.S. is scheduled to face Australia in the Olympics semifinals Thursday. The winner will advance to the gold medal game, while the loser can only win the bronze medal, at best.

Thursday’s matchup starts at 1:15 p.m. local time in Tokyo and 12:15 a.m. EDT. Team USA vs. Australia will be streamed live on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.

Viewers who can’t watch the game live can see a full replay afterward on NBCOlympics.com.

Australia was one of two teams to defeat Team USA during exhibition play in Las Vegas last month. The upset came on July 12 in the form of a 91-83 victory for Australia as Patty Mills and Joe Ingles combined to score 39 points.

The Team USA roster has undergone big changes since that defeat. Starters Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday have joined the team, along with Khris Middleton, after playing in the NBA Finals. JaVale McGee has replaced Bradley Beal, who didn’t travel to Japan after testing positive for COVID-19.

Team USA’s struggles carried over to Tokyo when it blew a seven-point lead in the final four minutes of the Olympic opener against France. The U.S. has won three straight games since that defeat, including a 95-81 win over Spain in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

Kevin Durant has returned to looking like the world’s best basketball player now that Team USA is playing elimination games. Durant has totaled 52 points on 18-28 shooting in the last two contests.

With seven players who have been NBA All-Stars since 2020, Team USA has far more star power than Australia. Australia is led by a group of NBA role players who have never been No. 1 options during their time in the league.

Australia had the biggest win of any team in the quarterfinals, cruising past Argentina 97-59. Five players scored in double figures, improving the team’s record to a perfect 4-0 in Tokyo.

Team USA is a 12-point favorite over Australia, according to the betting line at FanDuel Sportsbook. Team USA has -720 odds to win outright. Australia is a +450 underdog.

Kevin Durant at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
JULY 25: Kevin Durant #7 of Team United States sits on the bench in disappointment as time winds down in the United States' loss to France in the Men's Preliminary Round Group B game on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on July 25, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
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