But when the US men’s basketball players had their first defining moment Wednesday, turning a first-quarter, 10-point deficit in the quarterfinal against Argentina into a 105-78 win that matches them against Spain in a blockbuster semifinal Friday, it was good, old-fashioned effort that steadied their wobbly ship.The Americans’ unrelenting, contagious energy brought them back from the brink.After three consecutive edge-of-your-seat finishes against Australia, Serbia and France, with Team USA’s defense faltering at every step along the way, a second unit that was headed by Indiana Pacers star Paul George and the Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler played with the kind of moxie that could certainly carry the team from here.
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This Friday, August 19, team United States of America will face Spain, a tough opponent they have struggled with in the past.
On the other hand, the Spain Men’s National Basketball Team is on a roll after starting the 2016 Rio Olympics with two losses.
“Guys took it personally coming into the game”, Durant said.
But it has never won gold at the Olympics, losing to the U.S.in the final game at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. The Americans have made the. Its roster is full of offensive weapons and National Basketball Association players Pau Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Mirotic, Jose Calderon, Alex Abrines, Fernandez, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Victor Claver to name a few from National Basketball Association. “They were just very cool and important displays of affection and respect”. The six-time NBA All-Star has been a key player on the previous Spanish teams that challenged the U.S. in Beijing and London, and figures to be a headache for DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan down low. “We really want to accomplish this”.
If there were any remaining doubts about the type of player George was going to be after his injury, last season and these Olympic games should end that discussion for good.
Team USA’s brilliant tournament play continued against Japan on Tuesday, ending in a 46-point victory for the Americans.
But Jordan made his presence felt in the middle with 16 rebounds and four blocked shots to go with his nine points. Kyrie Irving had 13 for the U.S.
Headlining the lineup is Pau Gasol.
Gasol said after he believed Spain missed its best chance to beat the U.S. “They’re good”, Paul George said on Wednesday.
What that means going into Friday’s game against Spain is a little hard to figure out. “We got all the talent in the world”. The victor will move on to the gold medal game on Sunday, where they will face the winner of Australia and Serbia’s semifinal matchup.
This time they contained a team that was as explosive as themselves over the last four games, as Spain had averaged 97.3 points and won by more than 25 per game after dropping its first two in Brazil. The key in this game was a 34-point third quarter from Serbia after they trailed by six heading into halftime. And Spain will be a big test to see just how much desire is there. Nikola Mirotic then picked up a personal and technical on the same play later in the period, sending him to the bench with four after he led Spain with 23 points in its quarterfinal rout of France.
Now they need one more to stay on top.
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“We wanted to come out and our whole thing was dominating”, forward Carmelo Anthony said.
