All of this is to say that if Spain – who the United States has already beaten by 40 points in Rio – wins the gold medal, it’ll be the greatest upset in the history of the Olympics. Taurasi also set the U.S. Olympic record for most threes in a single game with six – a record she previously held.
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“It was just a real different game today”, coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
U.S. MEN’S BASKETBALL ADVANCES TO TITLE GAME: It wasn’t a rout, but the United States men’s basketball team pocked a win in the semifinals on Thursday, holding off Spain 82-76 as Klay Thompson popped in 22 points.
“This is where we wanted to be”, Kevin Durant said.
Krzyzewski will coach his final game as the head coach of USA Basketball in the gold-medal game against Serbia at 3:45 p.m. Sunday at Carioca Arena 1 in Barra’s Olympic Park.
The Americans pulled away to win 118-107 in 2008 and held on for a 107-100 victory in London, but the defenses made their mark in this one. It’s an incredible feeling. “On the defensive end tonight and the last two games, we were really good”.
But Jordan made his presence felt in the middle with 16 rebounds and four blocked shots to go with his nine points.
So far in Rio, the US women are undefeated – not only winning every game, but doing so in staggering, record-setting fashion.
Pau Gasol scored 23 points for Spain, who again had to settle for coming close against the world’s No. 1 team. However, with all that said, the United States is way too talented and way too deep to lose this game. “Their athleticism, their size, they made our offense get hard during most of the possessions”.
“When things work well, I’ll see the best I can do”, the 36-year-old Gasol said.
“I’m always looking forward to playing for the national team. We got to be able to match their physicality, I think that’s going to be important, and not allow that to get us out of our game”.
The Americans? They’re right back where everyone thought they’d be. Serbia and France both surpassed 90 points against them and Australia scored 88, as the team with 10 Olympic newcomers took longer than hoped in grasping global offenses. “It’s going to be electric in the building for the opportunity to grab all the marbles”.
That came in part because the officiating crew, which Krzyzewski called one of the best the United States has dealt with, called no fewer than six – six! – technical fouls in the first half.
DeMarcus Cousins didn’t pick up any technicals, but still fouled out in the third quarter.
Henry Iba is the only other US coach to win two Olympic gold medals, at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games and Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games. Stefan Markovic added 14 points for Serbia, while Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets had 11 rebounds. Serbia pushed the Americans to the final seconds before losing in group play.
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RIO DE JANEIRO DeAndre Jordan may not have been the starting center when Team USA arrived in Rio but the lowest drafted player among his Olympic teammates is the reason they will be playing for a third consecutive gold medal.
