The game kind of got out of hand early with the physical play. The Americans have never done that in the Olympics and are on pace to break the 102.4 points a game the 1996 team averaged en route to the gold medal.
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Carmelo Anthony (right) scored 31 points and became Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in Wednesday’s victory over Australia. Sheer talent – and some timely 3’s from Carmelo Anthony – saved the Americans, but the Boomers from Down Under exposed some weaknesses even if they were not able to get the final job done. “It definitely got real”.
It all helped the Boomers to a surprise 25-17 lead that suddenly had them as the team that was doing all the dreaming. “We’re fine playing physical, that’s our game in the National Basketball Association, but if they going to allow us to play that way they got to play it both ways”.
The Americans scored the first nine points of the third quarter for a 58-54 lead and did not trail again until Joe Ingles’ layup put the Boomers ahead 72-70 with nine minutes to play.
What the bookies didn’t realize was this wasn’t just another opponent that was going to be intimidated.
They battled for rebounds, fought over loose balls.
Carmelo Anthony, in the latest act of a distinguished worldwide career, rescued them from disaster.
Like the first two contests, the Americans got off to a awful start and were all knotted up with the Boomers at 29-29 after the first quarter.
“I was in my zone”, Anthony said. “We’re not afraid of anyone. We have a different feeling now and we want to keep that going”.
“We have had great, great players and great teams play for the United States”, Krzyzewski said. The tough Australian defense, primarily from Andrew Bogut, wouldn’t allow the USA any easy baskets inside.
In a match-up between two undefeated teams, Australia led by five points at half-time and pushed United States of America all the way, trailing by as few as five points with 1:20 remaining before the gold medal favourites pulled away.
So it turns out not every game in Rio will be a blowout for U.S. basketball. The Detroit Piston reserve, who may or may not be pushing seven feet with that mini man-bun, has been much better in the Olympics when he can bang inside.
Team USA, after blowouts of China (119-62) and Venezuela (113-69) in their first two games, had its first tough test in Rio against Australia.
The Americans did not shoot well in the first half and trailed for significant stretches in the game. “One is the streak is over”.
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“We had every opportunity to win the game”. The game was tied at 29 at the end of the first quarter, and Australia led by five points at halftime. The Gold Medal game is slated for August 21. And if they beat you, they beat you. “I know people are proud of us an we’re not supposed to beat these guys. but we believe we can beat them and we lost the game”.
