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Indeed! I love watching Olympic basketball.Go USA! They better win the gold this year.
It's time to clean house!
Go USA! They better win the gold this year.
It's time to clean house!
Indeed! I love watching Olympic basketball.Go USA! They better win the gold this year.
It's time to clean house!
Russians need to take it to Chris Paul as much as possible, his D is looking weak.
USA is playing nuggets style basketball now. everyone for themselves. got to get control back to the point guards. probably should put in jason kidd since the team isn't responding to chris paul.
ak47 is abusing melo.
kobe missed that??
cmon team usa.
Kidd is a good idea, I think they need to start going low to Howard too. Coach K doesn't seem to agree, Russians just down 8 with 3:52 to go in the 3rd.
i wonder if kidd is even gonna play in the 2nd half....i dont know why he wouldnt but the announcers were yappin about it earlier.
I like how Wade chucks the ball at the rim every time the whistle blows even if he is at 3/4 court.
redd is the best shooter on this team.. he should play more imo.
Kidd is old coach K wants to save him for when the games count.
Quarter 3:
Interesting that Kidd does not start the 3rd, he has been out for a while. CP3, Melo, Dwight, Lebron and Kobe start. Better passing leads to a Melo baseline jumper off the iso and he hits. USA defense forces a turnover on Russia's first offensive possession. Lebron is just a beast at getting inside. He really is the perfect balance of grace, power and speed. True to this games form, AK draws the foul (non-shooting). AK blows by Melo but misses the lay in thanks to a nice rotation from Howard. CP3 hits Kobe in the corner for a 3 ball. AK is abusing Melo and laced a sick pass down the middle of the USA's defense.
After starting out the quarter with nice ball movement, USA is looking sloppy. Kobe is trying to assert himself a little more, he has taken 3 shots in a row. He has made 2 of them. USA looks a little unfocused in this quarter. AK with the steal and pushes it. He then dishes it for an assist. Back to back turnovers for team USA. It is now a ten point game (54-44). Kobe hits immediately. AK with a sick drive/scoop. Russia is upping the defense with another forced turnover. USA looks lethargic. Melo is asleep this quarter defensively as he commits a shooting foul and puts Russia at the line with a chance to cut the lead to 8 after the timeout.
Bosh is in. Kobe hits a contested shot off of terrible offense. AK to the rim again for the layup. The hybrid zone that Russia is playing (more man-to-man) is causing USA to just not move the ball. If it was not for Kobe beating his man and hitting tough jumpers, USA would be in bad shape in this quarter. Russia has been active and have kept the deficit to only 8.
Williams and Wade are in. Williams instantly makes a sick pass to Kobe off the turnover and Kobe misses the layup after the ridiculous spin move. Wade has brought the energy still and causes a turnover and then hits a really tough shot. USA with another turnover as Redd enters the game. Wade with another steal and fouled in the open court. He is playing the best by far along with Deron. Redd hits a 3 off a Wade pass. Not great ball movement, but a much needed shot to open things up. This has been one of the worst quarters in all of the tune-ups for team USA. Russia has played very good defense and had some nice offensive possessions but they have turned the ball over a lot. USA has defended actively, with the exception of falling asleep by Melo and CP3 in this quarter.
Williams to Wade off the turnover. Nice fast break. Bosh looks a little lost on both ends. Williams comes up with the rebound, pushes it, hits Redd for the 3. Score is 71-51 to end the third. Wade, Kobe and Williams really fueled all the positive things in that quarter. Nice push by the last unit to end the 3rd. Still no Kidd?
Redd is going to be key on this team, I always thought Team USA could use his shooting. Tim Duncan was the best shooter on the 2004 team.
the coaches don't want to risk injury and put kidd in. i want to see if he can really control the USA team. deron williams did a decent job. USA defense is still sucking.
at least we are 22 pts ahead now.....but there is A LOT to improve on, especially on defense....too bad that its not going to.
Wade, Kobe and Williams have taken over this game.
man LeBrons gotta stop putting on muscle
lebron looks really mad....at the refs?? or just simple frustration?
Kobe calls glass on the 3 ball. So you guys think the USA can beat the Spanish team?
im surprised coach k hasnt put the lower end of team usa's bench in already.
edit: here they come...i think.
well wasnt the greatest game by team usa but we still beat em.
hope dwight will beat up on bogut on monday.
Quarter 4:
Bosh, Redd, Deron, Melo and Wade are in to start the 4th. First basket of the quarter to team USA and it puts them up by 22 (73-51). Banked in 3 for Russia, no! Melo immediately responds with a jumper. Melo commits a foul, he has really had a poor defensive game despite team USA's very good defense tonight. AK with a nice behind the back move is fouled and makes it, but it will not count. Kobe comes back in along with Lebron. AK-47 misses both but chases down the board to keep possession.
Lebron with a bullet pass inside to a cutting Kobe who is fouled on the floor. Chris Paul comes in. Lebron misses, Russia rebounds, Wade steals and dishes to Melo for the put back. The game is still being played at the slower pace, mostly half court sets for both sides. Kobe with a steal, throws the alley-oop to Wade but AK steals it then gets an offensive rebound and free throws on the possession. Lebron fouls out with 10 points. Jason Kidd has not played one minute in the second half. Melo has rebounded well this game, along with scored nicely (mostly off of nice passes from Wade and Williams), but done little else. Wade with another assist to Melo.
The lead for USA is hovering around 22 with 4 minutes left and AK is at the free throw line again. So much dribbling from USA and not enough ball movement. USA is trying to run out, but CP3 made a bad decision last possession. Prince, Dwight, CP3, Williams and Redd are in for the last 2:30. USA wins 89-68
Analysis: Team USA's gambling, high pressure defense worked well today. For the most part, they caused a ton of turnovers and everyone with the exception of Melo and CP3 have had great energy defensively. Will it work against better teams? Not sure, because when the press is broken, USA looks lost. Offensively this was the worst game I have seen from USA. Not much ball movement, too much 1-on-1 and to often stagnant. When they moved the ball, they looked fantastic (go figure) and they are so athletically superior that the isolations do work well, even though it becomes predictable. Williams, Wade and Kobe carried this team tonight.
Russia played well defensively for the most part. They had what I like to call an active man-to-man/hybrid zone defensive scheme. They caused some turnovers and rebounded well, but were just over matched athletically and in skill. They had some nice moments offensively (mostly from AK-47) and did a good job of getting to the line. Solid team that was well disciplined.
USA pick and roll defense needs to improve fast. jose calderon and marc/pau gasol will rip through USA defense like nothing at the current pace. most of it is just laziness and trying to reach in for the steal in order to get a highlight. spain, greece, and argentina won't miss their free opportunities.
The one thing about all the pre-Olympics games that stood out to me is how weak and soft Bosh looks even against mediocre compe ion.
I wanted the Spurs to sign him in 2010 since he's from Texas but man he looked so-so at best....
Why would he go back with Kidd when the team has a better chemistry and experience playing with Paul and D. Williams? I think he decided Kidd is not good enough to run this team compared to those other 2. Kidd is 3rd string.
Williams should be first choice off bench.
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