Yes, this was really happening. If Bogdanovic sank this shot, the game was going to overtime.
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An unheard of two straight close games for the US Olympic men’s basketball team has created a question that few dared consider just a few days ago: Is the best team in the world not good enough for gold? No problem all the way until the end, when they downed Serbia by 37 points in the finale.
The Americans trailed Australia at halftime and were motivated to avoid a similar fate Friday.
There is no intimidation factor with this bunch, lacking LeBron James or Steph Curry or any number of players that would give it more sizzle than the one-two scoring punch of Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. The story of the game was Serbian center Nikola Jokic, who tallied 25 points and six rebounds. What is going on? Plus, Team USA needs Jordan on te floor for his defense. We got a little complacent and a little relaxed early on, we allowed them to get confident, they came back and kind of changed the tempo.
The Warriors, with their superior shooting, were the next evolution of the San Antonio Spurs, who are the model for Djordjevic.
Had Serbia started more effectively, it may have sprung the shocking upset. Bigger, faster players can easily stop inferior ones if they’re just going to the basket against them one-on-one: their physicality gives them an overwhelming advantage.
Serbia shot 51.7 percent from the field and consistently exploited lackluster defense from the United States.
It was the US that struggled early in this one. Six of them have never played in global competition.
“It’s a different game”, George said. “With these guys, it’s constant movement”. You don’t ever sit still.
The Sacramento star might as well have bought a ticket and sat in the stands at Carioca Arena 1 for the past two games. There might be an action that guys just run on one side. “Once you move the ball, they are always chasing someone, so this is the thing. They don’t get exhausted”.
Paul George said Serbia’s systematic offense was unlike anything he and his teammates have faced.
With the U.S. in their group, there is no massive disadvantage finishing fourth for the quarter-finals, knowing they won’t have to play America in a crossover match, but they still need to build form. “I think we can.”. “We had a great start, great start”. When we stop moving the basketball, everything is stagnant. He also added 5 assists.
Green’s hitting on something here.
If the US women’s soccer team can lose in the quarterfinals and go home without a medal, with a relatively inexperienced group missing several familiar faces, its collective talent overwhelmed by superior teamwork and tactics, the same thing can happen to a basketball team that fits roughly the same description and doesn’t have the same intimidation factor of its predecessors.
Team USA isn’t playing history. But are the Americans running out of wiggle room?
What’s becoming clear is the USA’s routs of China and Venezuela were deceiving, because they’re the worst teams in Group A. The Americans will meet France on Sunday to conclude preliminary play. They are expected to advance to the quarterfinals scheduled on August 17. Only Anthony and Durant played in London.
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“I thought we played a courageous game”, Solo said.
