The US have now won 50 straight games in Fiba global play, and there is every chance they will extend that to 53 over the closing stages of this tournament as they secure another gold medal.
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Once again, Team USA was pushed to the limit as a recurring theme reared its head down in Rio on Sunday afternoon. “We’re having spurts of dominating, but we’re just not finding ways to put a full 40 minutes together”.
Thompson finally had the three-point shooting eruption that everyone was expecting and reminded everyone that he was one of the Americans’ best players at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The bad news: Team USA hasn’t looked this vulnerable since Krzyzewski took over following the debacle from Larry Brown’s group in 2004.
Team USA continues to dominate the Olympics men’s basketball tournament.
Then again, so did the close wins against Australia and Serbia. Every team is going to come at us, so at the end of the day, we’re just trying to win. Kevin Durant has probably underperformed as well, at least in the last two games.
Boris Diaw of France moves the ball against Carmelo Anthony of United States at Rio.
Oh hey so it looks like things are getting interesting for the USA men’s basketball team.
Despite another close finish, the USA finishes undefeated in group play.
US managed to hold on to the lead to beat France by three points.
Third quarter, 4:45, 67-59 U.S.: A silly foul by Kevin Durant on a 3-point shooter gave France a bit of an opening. Andrew Bogut made seven of his nine shot attempts. Nobody, including oddsmakers, has wavered in considering the US a strong favorite, and nothing they showed Sunday should change that, though France affirmed the USA vulnerabilities.
Krzyzewski made an adjustment against France, deciding to bring George – who is known as one of the best perimeter defenders in all the National Basketball Association – off the bench. Like Bogut, he took advantage of the team’s weak interior defense. Draymond Green is out here recording near-trillions on the box score.
The Golden State Warriors teammates appeared to set the tone, too, because the US closed out the first quarter in emphatic fashion as George and DeRozan led a second-unit charge that allowed the Red, White and Blue to take a six-point lead into the second quarter. “There’s talent around this world and they’re showcasing it”. But right when it looked like Team USA was going to blow the game open, France, playing without Tony Parker due to a toe injury, charged back and put yet another scare into an American squad that hasn’t been all that impressive.
Ultimately, the Americans likely have too many good scorers to be defeated.
Kevin Durant finished with 17 points on 6-6 shooting, moving into the top 5 all time for Team USA in points scored. Moreover, despite the fact that China did not win any game in the preliminary round, Yin, who plays for Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association, recorded an impressive average of 20.5 points, 0.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds.
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But the USA showed in 2004 that they can be upset if they make enough mistakes, and another close call could end up being the Americans’ last.
