The United States men’s basketball team have continued their Olympic domination – winning their third straight gold medal after a comprehensive 96-66 win over Serbia.
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Team USA completed their mission of adding another gold medal to the incredible collect of men’s basketball honours for the most dominant nation the world has ever seen.
BY beating Serbia, USA lead to their 25th straight win on Olympic hardwood.
“It was a special moment for me”, Anthony said in an emotional interview with NBC Sports after wrapping up his fourth Olympic run. “It was definitely different for me, but to come here in an environment where people accepted me and didn’t care about anything except being my buddy, that’s what I needed”. This is it for me. I committed to something … “I want to see the level raised”.
Serbia had troubled the team of National Basketball Association stars in their group-stage clash, losing 94-91 after missing a three-pointer on the buzzer, but it could not repeat that in the gold medal match.
An organised Serbian team produced enough trouble for the USA, as they did in the previous encounter, when the lead was exchanged five times and the game was tied four times in the first quarter.
The Americans lost three times at the Athens Games, and the sight of them wearing olive wreaths on their heads, bronze medals around their necks and disappointment on their faces, was a low point for the sport’s standard of excellence.
Durant had 14 points in the pivotal spurt, including a spectacular steal and fast break slam dunk that brought the loudest roar from US fans. In comparison, Durant alone was 5-for-11 from long range. Perennial all-star Kevin Durant led the way with 30 points and a series of highlight-reel three pointers and dunks. We didn’t move the ball well, and had no reaction as we did.
Kevin Durant admitted he wasn’t himself earlier in the men’s basketball competition at the Olympics.He took five shots against Venezuela, four shots against Serbia and six shots against France.
At the finish, the Americans were dancing at mid-court in celebration. Spain slowed down the pace, limiting fast break points and easy buckets.
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Sunday marked the final Team USA game for two figures who helped revitalise the programme after the bronze-medal disappointment of 2004.
