Both Spain and Australia entered the 2016 Rio Olympics men’s basketball tournament with a silver medal-or possibly a gold-on the brain.
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Warrnambool export Trevor Gleeson was Boomers assistant coach as they chased what would have been an historic medal for Australia in men’s basketball.
It was a cruel end to possibly their greatest Games campaign.
Out of a timeout, Rodriguez grabbed the ball with nine seconds left and drove straight at Patty Mills, drawing what looked to be a questionable foul call.
It’s the fourth time they’ve fallen short of the podium.
Spain, runners up to the United States in 2008 and 2012, once again fell to the Americans in Olympic play – this time in the semis – but can still secure a medal with a win over Australia.
“I’m proud of our group, the way they’ve stuck together throughout this tournament, and they deserved to be rewarded with a medal”, Lemanis said.
No one has meant more to Spain’s program and it was clear from the start he wanted any medal.
“There’s a lot of disappointment and heartache in that locker room at the moment”.
He said he felt like he was playing a different sport at times.
Veteran David Andersen, in his fourth and possibly last Olympic appearance, finished with 15 points and five rebounds, while Ryan Broekhoff added 13 points. With Sergio Rodriguez and Pau Gasol really spearheading the Spanish offense to combat Andersen and Patty Mills, it became a back-and-forth affair in the bronze medal game.
“What more can you ask for? We’re disappointed not being able to make history for our country”. All 11 of Rodriguez’s points came in the final frame, something Spain desperately needed to keep up with the high energy of Australia.
Mills led Australia with 30 points on 11 of 23 shooting from the field.
The Boomers stole the lead early in the third quarter and, from there, it was basket-for-basket up until the dying seconds.
FIBA officials are known to call games a bit more stringently than their National Basketball Association counterparts, so Bogut probably isn’t accustomed to being called for the illegal screens and arm bars he usually gets away with.
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“We spoke about it at half-time, that they’re flopping all over the place”.
