On the heels of their 96-66 win over Serbia in the gold medal game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, team us basketball is celebrating like it’s their god damn job.
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With the win, the Americans claim the final medal of the Rio Games.
Despite overcoming several deficits throughout the 2016 Olympics, Team USA managed to win close games in addition to occasional blowouts (i.e. gold medal game versus Serbia).
Kevin Durant led the way with a blistering performance which saw him net 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting – 18 points in the second quarter – including five 3-pointers and multiple thunderous dunks. They went 88-1 in global play under coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has said the 2016 Olympics will be his last.
The U.S. led by 23 points at the half and by 36 after three quarters, leading by as much as 41 before Serbia managed to close the margin in the game’s final minutes. He had already become the leading scorer earlier in the tournament, capping an Olympic career that began with disappointment as a member of the USA team that finished third in 2004.
This is the United States team’s 15th Olympic gold in 18 appearances, not counting the boycotted Moscow Olympics.
“We did a good job of bottling all that up and unleashed it on Serbia”, George said.
“It’s just his love for the game”, said USA forward Paul George, who completed his own fantastic story following a horrific leg injury.
Serbia’s silver medal is the second basketball medal for the country in Rio, with Serbian women’s team beating France in Saturday’s bronze medal game.
By the time Lindsay Whalen’s layup just beat the halftime buzzer, the US led 49-32 and Spain had just two baskets in the final 6:55 of the half.
The US, missing such greats as LeBron James and Steph Curry, reserved its best for last, having come under criticism for previous lackluster displays.
Afterwards, the dynamic scoring forward wouldn’t commit to playing for the United States in 2020 when the Olympic Games are held in Tokyo. Anthony, so often criticized for not winning National Basketball Association championships, became the model for USA players.
Ok, ok, the rest of Team USA got one, too.
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In addition to the gold medal, Krzyzewski’s last game as National Team head coach resulted in the team’s 76th consecutive win, a National Team record.
