US hoops back on top, beats Spain for gold
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:16:00 08/25/2008
BEIJING—The United States on Sunday won the gold medal in Olympic men’s basketball 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 in an epic final of hard fouls and flying elbows. After overwhelming everyone for seven games, the Americans led by only four points with under 2 1/2 minutes to play, then proved they could handle the close game that seemed would never come in Beijing.
Their prize—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, who turned 30 the day before the final, added 20.
The Americans, who were the hot favorites, had too much offense down the stretch.
Bryant converted a clutch four-point play with 3:10 remaining, holding his finger to his lips to quiet the rowdy Spanish crowd behind the basket.
Wade added another 3-pointer that made it 111-104 with just over 2 minutes left, and only then could the Americans relax a little.
‘Born in the USA’
The Americans began to celebrate during a break after some technical fouls on Spain with 26 seconds left.
When the final buzzer sounded, they whooped with joy, formed a huddle and danced around the center circle.
Chants of “USA, USA” erupted from the crowd of 18,000, with “Born in the USA” blaring 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 on Sunday.
Rudy Fernandez scored 22 points and Pau Gasol had 21 for the Spaniards, the reigning world champions who were hoping to win their first Olympic gold.
Long embrace
US players appreciated the tough game that 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.
“They did what they were supposed to do,” Gasol said. “We fought hard all the way.”
The Americans had won their first seven games by an average 30.3 points, including a 119-82 rout of Spain in the tournament’s group stage. But they never had control of the final game, giving up open looks from the perimeter and plenty of points in the paint after leading by as many as 14 in the first half.
But Bryant, who waited so long to finally wear the red, white and blue, hit two 3-pointers in a big fourth quarter to add the gold medal to the only piece of hoops hardware he didn’t already own. The NBA MVP pounded his hands toward the floor in celebration at the end.
The only cheer louder than that for Bryant was when TV cameras spotted former England soccer captain David Beckham in the crowd and his face flashed up on the giant arena screen.
Low point in history
James scored 14 points, while Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul had 13 apiece for the Americans, who had won bronze medals in their last two international events—the 2004 Olympics and 2006 world championships.
The United States started planning for this game after that first event, the low point in its hoops history, following a sixth-place flop two years earlier in the world championships. Jerry Colangelo was given control of USA Basketball and constructed a national team program in 2006, requiring those who wanted to play to commit to three years.
Colangelo got Bryant and James quickly on board and landed almost everyone else he asked for, finding a group of NBA stars eager to give up their summer to get back what they felt belonged to their country.
And he needed all of them against a Spain team that on this day would have likely beaten any other recent US squad.
Multiple golds
Jason Kidd ran his record to 56-0 in senior international play and collected another gold to place alongside the one he earned in 2000, becoming the 13th US player with multiple golds.
That elite list, which includes Michael Jordan and seven other Dream Teamers, could grow in 2012. Paul and Dwight Howard said they would be in London if asked, and perhaps half this team could join them.
James ran out for pre-game warm-ups with his finger in the air, already believing the United States was No. 1. But even though the Americans were shooting better than 70 percent for most of the first half, it would take a long time to prove it.
James and Bryant were both on the bench after picking up two fouls in the first 3 1/2 minutes, and though Wade came in and picked up their scoring load, the US reserves couldn’t open their usual cushion.
Spain hit seven of its first nine shots, leading for much of the first quarter. A quick burst of 10 points by James and Wade had the US advantage up to 14 points with 4 minutes left in the half, but Spain chipped away and trailed only 69-61 at the break.
Spain was within four on a number of occasions in the third, and Fernandez’s 3-pointer cut it down to 91-89 with 8:13 remaining. Bryant answered with a bucket, later added a 3, and things seemed safe when James scored to make it 103-92.
Spain made one last push to close within 108-104 on Carlos Jimenez’s 3-pointer, but Wade hit one on the other end, and the final score became lopsided when the Americans hit a bunch of free throws after the Spaniards became frustrated and were called for the technicals.
Argentina won the bronze with an 87-75 victory over Lithuania.
Reports from AP and Reuters
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