Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – It was just another day at the office. The U.S. will finish with 45 or 46 gold medals (depending on the men’s basketball final) and 121 medals overall, its 51-total-medal margin over second-place China the largest in a non-boycotted Olympics in almost a century.
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The Americans got their gold, and they did it easily.
This marks Team USA’s third straight gold medal. Since 1996, the American have only had one game where they won by fewer than 10 points. “I know because of the overlap that we’ve had, that hopefully we can keep it going”. Anthony walks away as the most decorated men’s basketball player in Olympic history. After all, gold medal games are supposed to be dramatic affairs, not nearly 30 point routs.
“To come out there and play as well as we did against a team that had stepped up their play as well, it showed that we came together at the right time”, Durant said.
Anthony checked back into the rout in the final minutes so he could grab a seventh rebound, passing David Robinson for USA record with the 125th in his Olympic career.
US coach Geno Auriemma was impressed with how the leaders set examples – on and off the court – for the younger players to follow.
Durant had 24 points by the half and the US had a 23-point lead, 52-29.
This game marked the end of Catchings’ Olympic career.
At the finish, Whalen dribbled out the final seconds as USA players shook hands with their rivals, then huddled on the court to celebrate. The Serbs looked out of sync offensively all game, and Team USA looked motivated to put an exclamation point on their Olympic run. The heart of an global power in the former Yugoslavia, the Serbs hadn’t qualified for the Olympics since gaining their independence in 2006. Then the Americans got going with a 16-3 run in the second that blew the game open and the rout and celebration was on. They know what the requirements are. “Each of their 12 guys can do that”.
In the women’s high jump final, Americans Vashti Cunningham, Chaunte Lowe and Inika McPherson are all looking to get onto the medal stand. Cunningham is the daughter of former National Football League quarterback Randall Cunningham, and at just 18 years old a big night in Rio could be a harbinger of things to come in the sport. The truth: No athletes here are more dominant and peerless than the American women who play basketball.
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The U.S. men’s gold medal follows Saturday’s win by the women’s team, which dominated Spain by a score of 101-72 in winning its sixth straight gold medal.
