By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)
The last few games of the group stage were shaky for Team USA, as they found themselves in a string of close games, including what was just a 3-point victory over Sunday’s opponent, Serbia. Yet, after blowing out Argentina in the quarterfinals, and doing just enough to hold off Spain in the semifinals, the American squad left no doubt about who was the best team in the world, playing their best game of the tournament to blow out Serbia 96-66 and win the gold.
Team USA was led by Kevin Durant, who scored a game-high 30 points, matching his 30 points from the gold medal game in the 2012 Olympics. Durant knocked down 5 of his 11 attempts from behind the three-point line; it’s simply unguardable for a 7-footer to bring the ball up and immediately pull up from 25 feet with one of the sweetest strokes we’ve ever seen on a basketball court.
DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, as both he and DeAndre Jordan did a much better job against Serbia’s big man pairing of Nikola Jokic and Miroslav Raduljica. Those two combined for just 13 points after going off for more than 40 in the previous meeting between the two teams.
In his final Olympic tournament as head coach, Coach K made some good adjustments along the way. The swap of Jordan into the starting lineup for Cousins was a necessary move, allowing Jordan to help protect the back line behind the poor defense of Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony, while Cousins could take on more of a scoring role with the second unit. He also gradually gave more time to guys like Paul George, Kyle Lowry, and Jimmy Butler, players who were willing to play defense and assume more of a secondary role on offense, rather than just having five guys out there best served with the ball in their hands.
Although it wasn’t anywhere close to the domination of the Dream Team, the United States still proved they’re far and away the best international team in the world. Given LeBron’s comments about how great it would be to play for Pop in 2020, we may see an even more unstoppable squad in Tokyo. Hopefully, someone rises up to serve as a worthy adversary to the Americans. Maybe Ben Simmons and Dante Exum joining an Australian team that just missed out on a medal in 2016?
Sergio Rodriguez and Spain Win Bronze
Speaking of Australia, they were denied that bronze medal in part due to the efforts of new Sixers point guard Sergio Rodriguez. With 5 seconds left and the Boomers down a single point, Rodriguez drove the lane and drew this foul against Patty Mills.
The decisive foul on Sergio Rodriguez in Spain vs Australia, foul or not foul? https://t.co/2HVJo343C7
— Sportando (@Sportando) August 21, 2016
It does technically look to be a foul with Mills not holding his ground with the right leg, but tough call to go against him in the deciding moments of the game. Still, Rodriguez came up clutch by draining both free throws to put Spain ahead 89-88. The Australians were unable to score on the ensuing possession, leaving El Chacho’s free throws as the bronze medal-winning points. For Rodriguez, it was his second Olympic medal after winning silver in London in 2012.
For the game, Rodriguez finished with 11 points on 4-11 shooting and a team-high 5 assists against just 1 turnover. All 11 of his points came in the fourth quarter, as clearly, Spain had no problem having the ball in his hands in key moments. On a 1-year deal with the Sixers, the stakes likely won’t ever be as high for Sergio in Philadelphia as an Olympic medal being on the line. Still, it’s good for the young guys to have a veteran around who has proven to be unflappable in tight, late-game situations.
The Sixers may not have obtained that point guard of the future this past offseason that many fans were hoping they would. However, the arrival of Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless should make for a marked improvement at the position over the upcoming season.
Hard work and dedication pays off! You always have to believe! #Bronze #Rio2016 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/4G1CNTojYq
— Sergio Rodriguez (@SergioRodriguez) August 21, 2016
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
