The United States men’s basketball team routed Serbia in Sunday’s gold medal game, 96-66, winning the Olympic basketball tournament for the third consecutive time.
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The Serbians were led by Nemanja Nedovic, who came off the bench for 14 points, two assists, two steals and one rebound. The US used a 24-7 run, initiated by Kevin Durant who scored 18 points in the second quarter, to take a comfortable lead on 43-22.
Jimmy Butler is a gold medalist. “I’m excited we got the chance to do this and play with such great players, and I’m on cloud nine right now for sure”.
In the immediate wake of that victory in Rio, no player was more emotional than Carmelo Anthony, who became the first men’s basketball player with three gold medals.
The only blemish on the resume of “Coach K”, as Krzyzewski is known to many, is a semi-final loss to Greece at the 2006 world championships. The U.S. finished with 46 gold medals and 121 medals overall, its 51-total-medal margin over second-place China the largest in a non-boycotted Olympics in almost a century. Representing our country on the biggest stage you can be on.
This was the third straight Olympic gold for the American men, with all three teams coached by Mike Krzyzewski. When Anthony exited the game with two minutes remaining, the New York Knicks forward shared a extended embrace with Durant and Mike Krzyzewski, who is stepping down as United States of America head coach after these Olympics, before taking his place at the end of the bench.
“So for me, I’m hanging these things up USA basketball-wise”. You couldn’t help but think: Imagine the storms and ridicule that would have greeted the Americans back home with a loss in the gold-medal match of these Rio Games. “We never said that we was gonna win every game by 30 or 40”. He started at guard and played 22 minutes.
“We played them already so we were familiar with the faces and familiar with their game”, USA guard Paul George said.
We may not always win the Olympics, but that’s okay.
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The lack of ball movement and defense worked against Team USA, but the game was turned around when Paul George and the second unit entered, leading to a 21-6 run that put the United States up double figures. But thank goodness we’ve had it where at least one of them have had an outstanding night.
