While Dario Saric of the 76ers had the big play, a dramatic last second block of a Pau Gasol hook shoot, Bogdanovic was the consistent thread after halftime.
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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – From Kyrie to KD, DeMar to DeMarcus, many players on the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team are so well known to NBA fans they can simply go by first names or nicknames. But he remains a solid worldwide player who was the MVP of the FIBA Asia championship last summer when his team clinched its Olympic berth, and the 7-footer scored 18 points in an exhibition game last month against the U.S., China’s opening opponent on Saturday. Iverson was part of the disappointing 2004 Olympic team that fell to Argentina in the Semi-Finals, leading to an underwhelming bronze medal in Athens. “We can say we stole the two points”.
To begin this preview, let’s get the obvious out of the way: Neither of these teams are likely winning the gold medal, because there is one team that is an overwhelming favorite to capture gold. The team bolstered LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Russell Westbrook, among other all-star caliber players. “In Croatia, everybody thinks he needs to win the gold medal all by himself”.
Charles Barkley was another player that could fall under the same category as Iverson and Iguodala, Olympic-wise. “But this team has a different attitude and different mentality”.
Saric scored five points, grabbed seven rebounds and passed off five assists. Other former/soon to be Philadelphia 76ers to represent the US team included first overall picks in Luke Jackson and Doug Collins, and Mel Counts.
Saric and Croatia aren’t expected to medal, but with a younger core that also includes legit National Basketball Association players in Bojan Bogdanovic and Mario Hezonja (not to mention Dragan Bender, who isn’t playing this time), the guess here is that they will be a stronger team than the Spanish in 2020.
Until then, the Philadelphia 76ers will be rooting for their players to succeed but will ultimately be hoping for a United States of America victory with connections to Jerry Colangelo.
However, as mentioned above, in the second half especially, Gasol could barely get any looks or possession of the ball without Croatia quickly throwing double teams at him in the post or on a roll, in order to get the ball out of his hands.
8/11, 6:00 p.m. Croatia vs. Spain is scheduled to tip off at 6 pm Eastern time on Sunday, August 7th.
U.S. vs. Venezuela at 6 p.m.
8/9, 1:15 p.m.
8/9, 9:30 p.m.
U.S. vs. Australia at 6 p.m.
8/11, 1:15 p.m.
Spain vs. Lithuania at 6 p.m.
8/13, 9:30 p.m.
Croatia vs. Nigeria at 9:30 p.m.
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Spain vs. Argentina at 6 p.m.
