Starting with the one against the Boomers, each game has felt like it would serve as a wake-up call for the game proceeding it, only for Team USA’s problems to persist against both the Serbs and the French. It just won’t be as easy as either the players or their fans initially thought.
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Like so many other teams, China came in to their final Group B contest looking for a first-ever win over the US, having lost all previous six Olympic encounters where they were outscored by an average of 34.7 points. The United States will meet No. 16 Japan.
France coach Vincent Collet broke it down. Regardless of which team that is – and it could be 2008 and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Spain – the USA will need to play better if it wants to win its third consecutive Olympic gold medal.
But the Golden State Warriors guard buried five three-pointers in a brief third-quarter span for a 16-point US lead.
Thompson finally had the three-point shooting eruption that everyone was expecting and reminded everyone that he was one of the Americans’ best players at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
These may not be fixable issues if the team is (understandably) avoiding full-tilt practices and opting for walkthroughs instead.
Team USA will receive a two-day break before returning to action on August 17 as the tournament moves into the elimination rounds. Most recently, Coach K’s group outlasted France by just three points thanks to a 30-point outburst from Klay Thompson. If another thing is true, it is that the most dominant team in any major sport or event in the last 24 years is having anything but an easy time winning. Draymond Green has only played 55 minutes in Rio so far, and just six against France. While Thompson and Kevin Durant had the scoring covered on Sunday, the defense that got players like Butler added to the roster for the Olympics was sorely missing. Carmelo Anthony is Team USA’s all-time leading scorer.
“This isn’t a tournament that we’re going to just dominate”, Team USA swingman Paul George said. “So if you don’t score with them, the game is over”.
The way things are going, the Americans will take all the help they can get.
Team USA’s primary strength, and what it’s ridden to success over the past decade-plus, is the ability to put five super-athletes on the floor, have them unleash hell on defense and push the pace on offense.
Inserting Green at center might not be the change Team USA needs to make. To push the US as close as they did without the services of Tony Parker, who was rested because of a sore toe, suggests they have good things ahead.
They enjoyed being labeled as the “underdog”, giving all they got to defeat the most powerful team.
The Boomers are the Cinderella story in Rio to some extent.
The failure to play hard falls first and foremost on the players.
The two had met five times previously with the closest France coming to a victory before Sunday being a 10-point loss in the gold medal game at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
So does France have a few tricks up its sleeve? It now seems unlikely as both have 1-3 records with five points.
The last seed in any tournament setting is usually touted as the chum used to prepare the sharks.
Serbia doesn’t boast much National Basketball Association talent, but its chemistry is obvious.
One of Kyrie Irving’s 12 assists, which tied a Team USA single-game record, was particularly impressive.
The top-ranked United States beat No. 8 China 105-62 earlier Sunday in their last group match to finish a ideal 5-0 at the Rio Olympics.
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With the victory, Spain finished Group B in second place and will play Turkey in Tuesday’s quarter-finals.
