The US won the gold medal in Olympic men’s basketball yesterday with a 118-107 victory over Spain.
Culminating a three-year mission to end years of embarrassment, the US Olympic team survived a huge challenge from Spain.
After overwhelming everyone for seven games, the Americans led by only four points with under two-and-a-half minutes to play, then proved they could handle the close game that seemed would never come in Beijing.
PHOTO: AFP
Their prize was the first US gold medal since the 2000 Olympics.
“Much respect to Spain, but the US is back on top again,” LeBron James said.
Dwyane Wade scored 27 points for the Americans, who found a much gamer Spanish team than the one they humiliated by 37 points earlier in the tournament. Kobe Bryant added 20.
In a game so devoid of defense that it felt more like an NBA All-Star game than one with a title at stake, the Americans had too much offense down the stretch. Bryant converted a clutch four-point play with 3 minutes, 10 seconds remaining, holding his finger to his lips to quiet the rowdy Spanish crowd behind the basket.
Wade added another three-pointer that made it 111-104 with just over two minutes left and only then could the Americans relax a little.
They began to celebrate during a break after some technical fouls on Spain with 26 seconds left, then celebrated in the middle of the court when it was over with Born in the USA blaring out over the arena’s speakers.
“I’m proud of our guys. We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history, I think,” US coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Nobody else had been close to the Americans in Beijing. This team’s only Olympic competition had been history, in a Dream match-up with guys named Jordan, Magic, Bird and the rest of the US team that dominated the Barcelona Games in 1992.
Forget comparisons to those guys. The Americans were lucky to be better than Spain yesterday.
Rudy Fernandez scored 22 points and Pau Gasol had 21 for the Spanish, the reigning world champions who were hoping to win their first Olympic gold.
US players appreciated the game Spain gave them. After the contest, they hugged the Spanish players. Bryant had an especially long embrace for Gasol, patting his Los Angeles Lakers teammate on the back.
Seeming to appreciate the moment, after congratulating Spain, the team joined in a circle, jumping up and down at center court and waving triumphantly to the crowd as Krzyzewski applauded on the sidelines.
The Americans had won their first seven games by an average 30.3 points, including a 119-82 rout of Spain. But they never had control of this game, giving up open looks from the perimeter and plenty of points in the paint.
But Bryant, who waited so long to finally wear the red, white and blue, hit two three-pointers in a big fourth quarter to add the gold medal to the only piece of hoops hardware he did not already own.
James scored 14 points, while Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul had 13 apiece.
Argentina won the bronze with an 87-75 victory over Lithuania.
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa has withdrawn from this week’s Wuhan Open, organizers said on Tuesday, amid a racism row over an online photograph. Tournament organizers said the Spaniard had pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament, citing a gastrointestinal illness, hours before her first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. News outlets including Britain’s the Telegraph earlier reported that Badosa had posted a photo on Instagram in which she appeared to imitate a Chinese face by placing chopsticks on the corners of her eyes. The photo was taken last week in a restaurant in Beijing, where she reached the semi-finals of the
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
Italian defender Marco Curto has been banned for 10 matches for racially abusing South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan while playing for Como 1907 against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a pre-season friendly in July. Curto, who is on loan from Como to Serie B club Cesena, would serve half of the punishment immediately with the other half suspended for two years. “The player Marco Curto was found responsible for discriminatory behavior and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “The player is ordered to render community services and undergo training and education with an organization approved by FIFA.” Wolves said the club would
RSS