In their last game, Team USA’s defense restricted Serbia’s shooting to just 38 percent from the floor and a disastrous 4-of-24 from deep.
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The result marked the 15th gold for United States of America and stretched their overall win streak to 25 contests. They join Teresa Edwards and Lisa Leslie, both of whom won four Olympic titles playing for Team USA.
Durant would go on to lead the U.S.to the gold medal, leading the team in scoring for the duration of the Olympics, including a 30-point performance in the gold medal game against Serbia. While the journey wasn’t easy, they’ll forever be golden.
Milan Macvan led Serbia with five points after a quarter. I believe that. We got a lot of work to do. The Americans averaged a 22.5-point winning margin in the tournament.
The U.S. men have always been an unstoppable force, taking gold in 15 of the 18 Olympics in which they have participated. Thanks to a triple from Kevin Durant with 25 seconds left in the half, Team USA was up 23 at the break, and Carmelo Anthony broke the ice on the second half with another three to remind Serbia to know their role and shut their mouths. He is already the Americans’ No. 2 career scorer in the Olympics in just two appearances.
Geno Auriemma turned to something very familiar to him to spark the Americans in the gold medal game on Saturday. For example, Indiana Pacers Paul George broke his right leg worst than Sycho Sid coming off the second turnbuckle during a USA national team’s intrasquad scrimmage at UNLV in 2014.
“Some of the programs are going up, some are going down, but the healthiest thing for the game of basketball is to have competition around the world that makes it even more intriguing”, he said. The team owns a 60-1 record since that debacle.
But this team, while not as dominant over the course of the Olympics as some of its predecessors, avoided the embarrassment of coming home with anything less than gold. “We said it was a learning experience and our guys did learn and we put it to good practice”.
Although Serbia got off to a 11-14 start during the first seven minutes of play, the “Dream Team” then shifted guard Serbia’s point man, Milos Teodosic, forcing him to turn the ball over twice in the first half and never really letting him get into his rhythm.
Yet on Sunday, the Americans did.
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Spain took bronze against Australia in a thrilling neck to neck game with the score ending at 89-88 in favor of the Spaniards.
