For the third straight Olympics, Team USA will be playing in the Olympic finals for the gold medal. The final score was a bit closer than the game actually was down the stretch, as the US hovered around a double-digit lead for much of the second half, but Spain never completely went away.
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Team USA has conceded its greatest power to the rest of the world.
After putting away the team that handed them their last Olympic defeat on Wednesday, the United States’ men’s basketball team has now taken care of the country it has beaten in the last two gold medal contests.
This is where Thompson can be an overwhelming for the worldwide teams.
Kevin Durant added 14 points for the United States team while Kyrie Irving contributed 13 and DeAndre Jordan scored 9 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. And the United States men’s basketball team would win its 15th gold medal. Serbia and France both surpassed 90 points against them and Australia scored 88, as the team with 10 Olympic newcomers took longer than hoped in grasping worldwide offenses.
“It’s an wonderful feeling now”, center DeAndre Jordan said. Unfortunately for Spain, Jordan broke through with one of those games that earned him All-NBA First Team honors this past season and dominated the air up there like the prized recruit of a Jimmy Dolan scouting trip.
Of course, it’s indicative of Team Spain’s talent that these teams meet so often in the Olympics, but Team USA has clearly proven to be the superior squad. But for the most part we’ve got to be ready on the defensive end. He finished with nine points, 16 rebounds, two assists and four blocks.
It was a back-and-fourth third quarter, with the officials calling fewer fouls – although DeMarcus Cousins did foul out.
The low scoring affair was marked by tremendous defense by Team USA. To be here on the final game, to win the gold.
Spain shot just 39 percent and couldn’t get any consistent option other than Gasol, who played with a wrap covering his sore right calf.
Gasol, who posted a team-high eight rebounds, didn’t get much in the way of support on offense, with only one teammate, Sergio Rodgriguez (11 pts) scoring in double-digits. Some of this may be due to Spain’s older core and the legs not being as fresh as they used to be. That helped the American players chase around screens and survive when they switched on the perimeter. The countries met to decide the gold at the previous two Olympics in London and Beijing, with the USA coming out on top both times.
“It was just a real different game today”, coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
In the final quarter, US shot just 7 of 20 (35 percent) from the field and turned the ball over three times. Kevin Durant also got on the board early, as he elevated over Rudy Fernandez and knocked down a three. Kyrie Irving had 13 for the U.S. The ball movement isn’t coming from him. The scoring isn’t happening because he can’t make a shot (21.1 percent from the field, 10 percent from deep, 57.1 percent from the free throw line).
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He struggled mightily trying to defend Nikola Jokic in group play. “We’ve seen it in spurts throughout the tournament, but I felt tonight and the other night (against Argentina) were probably our best defensive games of the tournament and if we can put a full one together and win the championship”.
