Sunday, August 12th, 2012 at 12:13 pm  |  96 responses

Team USA Defeats Spain 107-100, Earns Gold Medal


by Adam Figman

It wasn’t the easy road some assumed it’d be—especially at the end there, at least for a few minutes—but Team USA has accomplished what they were largely expected to do, rolling through the Olympic competition without a single loss and bringing home a gold medal. A 107-100 victory against Spain sealed the deal, a win that came on the backs of Kevin Durant (30 points, 9 rebounds) and LeBron James (19 points, 7 rebounds).

Here’s a quick recap, courtesy of CBS:

Kevin Durant scored 30 points, LeBron James added 19 and the U.S. men’s basketball team defended its Olympic title, holding off stubborn Spain 107-100 on Sunday for the gold medal — just as the Americans did in 2008.

Kobe Bryant added 17 for the U.S., which only led by one point after three quarters and was ahead just 97-91 when James drove the lane for a thunderous dunk and followed a miss by Spain with a 3-pointer. In the final minute, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski, in his final international game, took out his top stars who came to London determined to keep American basketball on top. When the final horn sounded, Krzyzewski locked James in a tight embrace as Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA rocked the arena.

Pau Gasol scored 24 and Juan-Carlos Navarro had 21 for Spain, which had to settle for silver in the second straight Olympics.

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  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    How about Rivers at HC and Pop as one of his assistants or vice versa.

  • Cole

    You don’t know anything about basketball if you think this team is better without Kobe. Who would they replace him with? James Harden? Eric Gordon?

  • God-is

    “And harden started to choke”

  • http://www.slamonline.com Nick Tha Quick

    Well there’s Doug Collins too who will receive some consideration since he’s been with the program forever but it’s gotta be btw Pop and Doc. or amuse everyone with D’Antoni and SSOL.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Redd

    Tom Thibs cause I’m bias. That was a close game, why wasn’t Ibaka playing in the crunch?

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    @caboose: lol i didnt know that coz i didnt rlly followed what was happening in memphis. wouldve stood in the nba if i was him tho

  • http://slamonline house

    92 Dream Team would have beaten them by 30+

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Durant was huge today. Kobe was good. LeBron was who he is. What a year for him. King James is exactly who he is. CP3 was great in the 4th quarter. If Coach K is really done, I’d give Doc Rivers a shot at it. Guys love playing for him. Pop has already been a part of the U.S. coaching staff. This isn’t about the Dream Team and who would win if they played mostly because they’ll never play each other. It may be nice to talk about but the most important thing is this team was a great one and they did what they were supposed to do. Anthony Davis has a gold medal before he has taken part in a New Orleans Hornets practice. I’m sure he’s learned a lot this summer playing with those guys. The upcoming season will be better than this past season. Looking forward to it.

  • Lyona

    Mike Krzyzewski overrated. Bronze 1990 Argentina. 2 losses. Kenny Anderson, Todd Day, Christian Laettner, Alonzo Mourning… FAIL. 2006 FIBA World Championship. Again Coack K FAIL with a bronze result and losing with an awful Greece without a NBA player. Coack had Carmelo Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Elton Brand, Kirk Hinrich, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Antawn Jamison, Joe Johnson, Brad Miller, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade… Yes, Coack K is a genius…

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Wade is done. He’s said this was his last shot. He’ll be 34 next time around and will be more banged up than he already is. 2016′s team may look like this:
    DRose, CP3, DWill, Kyrie Irving, Gordon, Westbrook, Durant, Melo, LeBron, Dwight, KLove, Davis.
    As for the best PG debate, it will never be finished and can never be finished. I never did think DRose leaped over Chris and Deron. We have a need to want to decide who’s the best when it’s really not up to us to decide. I’d rather just enjoy how great these guys are and how differently they play. Paul, Williams, Rose, Rondo, Westbrook, Irving. Hopefully John Wall takes the next step with the new guys he’ll be playing with. No need to compare.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Question with Kobe not on the 2004 team, what happened?

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    On that 2004 Team United States (USA)
    Allen Iverson Emeka Okafor
    Stephon Marbury Shawn Marion
    Dwyane Wade Amar’e Stoudemire
    Carlos Boozer Tim Duncan
    Carmelo Anthony Lamar Odom
    LeBron James Richard Jefferson

    ________________________________________________________________
    So ask yourself, since somebody trying to call Kobe out, when he played good the last three real games of the USA Team. Also LETS ASK THIS QUESTION, IF KOBE IS ON THE 2004 TEAM, DO THEY LOSE AND WIN BRONZE, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

  • BallsDeep

    Gordon? Why does everyone think Gordon will be on the 2016 squad? Gordon has peaked, and with a plethora of guards in the NBA is seriously doubt it. An undersized two… nah.

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    gordon might be undersized but he is extremely talented and physically gifted. he took alot of time to recover so i wouldnt be too suprised if he continues where he left off this upcoming season. when you look at kobe and wades battle with father time and other good twos like ellis on mediocore teams it really looks quite possible that he will be out there in 2014. but who knows what kind of injuries change that roster or maybe another supertalent in the next draft etc…

  • http://www.stillonthebench.blogspot.com TR

    I wanted to wait till the tourney was over to say this, but Kobe definitely looked slow and old. I know he played well the last few games, but he’s just clearly not as good as other guys anymore. Not saying he isnt great and top 10, but its just obvious now more than it has been previously. And i know people are going to point to the fact that he’s like 85 and say this is a dumb point, but its just my observation.

  • Otero

    The only reason Pau played so well the 3rd quarter is because his brother was in foul trouble and out of the game when there’s another big on the floor who can score on the block Pau has a tendency to float to the perimeter and not be as aggressive so I think Marc being out of the game actually helped Spain cause no way Pau goes off in the 3rd like that with Marc on the floor

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    @Otero: pau sure does that but im not so sure that he does that because he tends to take himself out of the game. i could imagine that coaches tell him to get position on the high post free throw- or baseine because he got more range / handles as a back to the basket center like bynum or his brother.

  • http://www.alllooksame.com Tarzan Cooper

    Kobe was the opponents best player in many games. He just chucks stupid shots randomly like he’s just diccn around in his backyard. Too much iso forcing up bad shots. Taking only chandler and love almost cost us. Gasols and serge were just too much. It was close.
    Big cuz and monroe should go to rio.

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    just by the way, the nationalism especially of us-american players and fans/citizens besides some other nations athletes/people really looks weird and scary to me. it is the year 2012, shouldnt these guys be wealthy enough to get one or two sociological reads about how stupid and vicious that is?

  • http://www.twitter.com/hurstysyd Hursty

    I like that they played ‘Born In The USA’ post-game. Because that’s totally an appropriate track.

  • http://www.sportmentary.com Sportmentary

    Congrats to Team USA. The game was a little too close for my liking. I’m guessing the competition faced by this team was better than the ’92 Dream Team but the ’92 team never outscored their opponents by less than 32 points.

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    @hursty: yup, especially in years with guys like olajuwon or duncan on the us roster, guys who werent born in the usa. or with shaq and kobe who spent much time growing up in germany or italy lol

  • Allenp

    Kobe had a ra(pe charge over his head in 2004 that is why he wasn’t invited. When you are accused of sexual assault it tends to put a camper on your Olympic candidacy.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    In 2004 Kobe was needed, because the USA team brought home a LeBronze and now people acting like Bron the man, come on. In 2004 they lost, 2008 Bron ran from the ball, gave to Kobe and in 2012, Bron got an easy dunk, hit a three, then continued to try to be a Hero and shot an airball. Bron has not changed, OKC choked and KD needs some fire. KD and Bron probably hanging out right now in London. Kobe is MJ, yall cats are funny, MJ was ten times a worst teammate than Kobe, I read the articles back in the day, his teammates hated him and his arrogance and Pippen wanted out, Horace got out and Rodman showed him no leadership. I forgot MJ won 15 rings by himself and never had any teammates. My fault. Keep hating on Kobe, when he has 7 rings, I told you so.

  • -Mas-

    Gracias a Gasol, graias Navarro, gracias Espana for making us proud!

  • http://www.slamonline.com Chinese Oppenheimer

    CP3 was the man of this game. I can’t see Rose doing the same in such a situation because he’s a different type of player. I can see Deron doing it too.

  • http://Roosterteeth.com Caboose

    Seed, dude, you’re a smart guy whenever it’s NOT about Kobe. However, when it is about Kobe, you’re about as rational as a 12 year old Twilight fan. You can say New Moon is the best movie ever because of how amazing Taylor Lautner’s performance is but everyone will just laugh at you. Well, not laugh, politely try to explain (as to a child) that, no, there actually are much better movies out there, you just aren’t old enough to see them. Someday.
    TLDR: Seed, c’mon.

  • Norman Urriza

    Paul Gasol scored 24 pts.team USA cannot find away to stop Gasol and then Lebron James accidentally hit Pau on the face…..

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    The Seed shouldn’t be taken seriously at all with his comments on LeBron. The “LeBronze” comment was incredibly stupid followed by more stupidity about LeBron never changing and him running from the ball in 08. Then the rambling about Kobe and MJ. Bron just had the best 8 months in basketball since Jordan in ’92 and folks still want to disrespect him. I can understand being a fan of Kobe but wow.
    Chris was an integral part in the 4th quarter. I think D-Rose would have been able to do the same thing especially those drives to the basket. Who else in the league gets to the basket and finishes better than D-Rose besides LeBron?

  • iceman

    @ the seed right now lbj is the best whether we like it or not lbj is the reigning mvp, finals mvp and now gold medal champ and he made some key plays in this game, so u talk about hating Kobe yet u hating on the best player in the world right now in lbj, and as for MJ i never once heard of PJ calling the goat uncoachable and let alone a soap opera of diesel and kb with its own dang wiki page lol,p

  • http://www.bustersbb.com New Allenp

    Chris Paul information:
    Here is a case where the reality and the statistics kind of tell the same story. Paul ranks 62nd among all clutch players, and after his eight-turnover, 10-point performance in the Clippers’ 105-88 loss to the Spurs on Thursday, it’s not hard to see why.

    Paul normally shoots .361 from three-point range, but he shoots .267 in the clutch; from the field, he normally shoots .472, but he shoots .390 in the clutch. Plus, he averages 2.9 turnovers per 48 minutes of clutch time, whereas in real time, he averages 2.5.

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    @new allenp: what sample size is this? cp3s career stats or just this years spurs series?

  • http://www.bustersbb.com New Allenp

    @danpowers
    Clutchness is a difficult thing to define, and you could even argue that it’s impossible to articulate using statistics. For example, if you define it as, “Fourth quarter or overtime, less than five minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points,” as 82games.com does, it works and it doesn’t.

    It’s important to know how a player’s going to perform when his team is down and there’s no time left, but is a fourth-quarter situation in January really comparable to a fourth-quarter situation in a Game 7 in the playoffs? Some players’ clutchness is off the charts in the middle of the regular season but it disappears when it really matters in May and June. The “clutch stats” sometimes indicate otherwise because most elite players fire away far more in crunch time than they do in regular time, which inflates their points total without necessarily increasing their accuracy.

    Here’s a look at some of the most un-clutch elite players in the NBA, taking account of the statistics and their performances when it really matters in the postseason.

  • LA Huey

    The US team must not have known about the FIBA rule that you can’t allow the guy you’re guarding to yell or you’ll pick up a foul. Great win though.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Nick Tha Quick

    International Pau > NBA Pau
    International Melo > NBA Melo
    However International refs <<<< NBA refs. No contest.

  • Ron

    I totally dig international melo, sometimes I wish the league would maybe adopt fiba specs like the three point line, then I realize I’m day dreaming.

  • Ron

    And being a retard

  • BallsDeep

    Ha… true. As someone who’s been there, and this is to NBK, the seed, lakeshow, JTTaylor etc. MJ is by far the best competitor I have ever seen. Stop raving on about Kobe, and shut the hell up about LBJ. Fact, LBJ is overrated. I know he just had a good season, but i’m 100% sure people don’t see the games I see. From what I see LBJ isn’t clutch. DWade is clutch. Rondo is clutch. Paul is clutch. LBJ is not the defensive presence I see. He plays 4-5 positions but he ain’t shutting anyone down. MJ shut his man down. His defence was awesome. He was almost as good defensively as he was offensive. No joke. LBJ, Kobe etc don’t do that. Todays game is nothing compared to how it was. Today MJ would average 50, with all the touch fouls. C’mon people, look around you, watch YouTube. Am I lying?

  • Zabbah

    Ballsdeep speaks the truth. MJ would’ve matched his career average by the middle of the third quarter in today’s NBA.

  • http://www.slamonline.com L.E.

    Seed
    Your boy Kobe isn’t like Jordan.
    I remember Ron Harper saying, that playing and working for the Bulls and with Michael was the better experience, than the drama in L.A. .

  • http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

    @allenp: sure, sure. i was just wondering if this were his clutch stats over some years or just last playoffs. could be a subjective impression by me but i remember seeing paul having some nice playoff performances down the stretch for example some years ago when he led a mediocore hornets team to beat the mavs in the playoffs and he allways appeared quite cool in the clutch to me. id take last rugged seasons stats off the books of any player anyway lol. didnt see the spurs clips series anyway, just some highlights and a condensed version of one game so i wouldnt have any explanation about why he had such a bad performance. but anybody who plays ball knows that anyway: sometimes youre just off

  • Bola

    MAN. lebron is the best player right now, but to say better than MJ? I beg your pardon. MJ played against great competition with great players. How many skilled Cs do we have today? How many PF now can we give the ball to in clutch moments now? Just look at the Defence, it can’t be compared to the defence MJ played against. If MJ was young again at his prime he would own these noobs who call themselves professional ballers but cry like girls when nothing goes their way. Point taken LJ is the best right now but MJ>LJ>KB

  • the box out of

    Have a feeling Paul wont be in Clipperland anymore after his contract is up. ballsdeep is right. US D is awful and international D from other countries is non-existent. But I think it’s more of the hand check rules enforced to speed up the game that made this guys like Lebron adapt to the situation thus.If NBA bring the handcheck back it would make LbJ learn the post earlier and no way guys like tony parker thrive. he’d be crushed on the first screen by a 90′s type knicks or detroit team. Todays’s game is just made for greed. Don’t just thank Stern for it.

  • Mas.2

    ÑBA will be back in RIO 2016. Ricky Rubio, Marc Gasol, Claver, Rudy Fernandez, Serge Ibaka, ect. We will be back and stronger than ever.
    No mistakes. Keeping Marc in the game with 3 fouls was a slip. Having Rubio running the show will make a big diference. Alex Abrines…Alex Abrines…Alex Abrines…

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    @Ballsdeep LBJ is overrated? People don’t see the games you see? Do the Heat play secret games somewhere that only you know about? Did Jordan play games that only you were allowed to see? LeBron has been the best player in the league since the 08-09 season. Not overrated at all. He’s not MJ. Kobe’s not MJ. They don’t have to be. They’re great enough as they are.

  • http://yahoo.com u all ready know

    usa

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