InsideHoops.com provides USA Basketball information, features and complete game recaps. This is the home page for USA basketball roster, news, competition.

USA Men Fight Off Spain To Claim 118-107 Win And Olympic Gold Medal
Aug. 24, 2008

Riding 27 points from Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) and 20 points from Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), the 2008 U.S. Men's Olympic Team (8-0) dethroned reigning World Champion Spain (6-2) in a fight-to-the-finish 118-107 victory that earned the USA the Olympic gold medal Sunday afternoon at Wukesong Arena in Beijing, China. The gold was the USA's 13th all-time in Olympic competition and its first gold medal finish in a major international competition since claiming gold in the 2000 Olympics.

Answering every Spanish comeback attempt in the second and third periods, the USA watched its nine-point lead shrink to as little as two in the fourth period before 13 points from Bryant and Wade's fourth 3-pointer of the game propelled the USA past Spain and to its eighth consecutive double-digit win in as many games, including its second over Spain.

In Sunday's bronze medal game, Argentina (6-2) topped Lithuania (5-3) 87-75 to collect the third-place medal.

"I'm proud of our guys. We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history, I think," said USA and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "Because if we didn't have great character, we would not have been able to beat another team that had great character. Spain was fabulous. Everything we did, we tried to stop them, and we couldn't stop them completely. It was a great basketball game where everybody involved played at the highest level, and I think it brought out the best in us. We're thoroughly thankful for the opportunity to represent our country. (We're) ecstatic about winning the gold medal."

Both teams were hot from the field, but the USA bettered Spain's 51.4 percent (38-74 FGs) shooting with a 60.0 percent performance (39-65 FGs) of its own, and led by Wade's 4-of-7 shooting from deep, the USA shot 13-of-28 from 3-point to set a U.S. Olympic record for the most 3-pointers made.

"I felt that I haven't had a good game in the last two games, so I really made it a point to come out, be very aggressive from the start," said Wade, who tallied 21 of his 27 points in the first half. "I got into a rhythm early and it just kept going."

LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) added 14 points and six rebounds; Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) tallied 13 points and five assists and shot 9-of-10 from the free throw line; and Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) also added 13 points to round out the USA's double-digit scorers. Bryant also dished six assists.

"Every possession counted tonight for all 40 minutes, every possession counted, James stated. "You couldn't take one possession off, one second off. If it wasn't for the determination and the will power we have in each other, we wouldn't have pulled through and got this win. Much respect to Spain, but U.S. is back on top again."

The lead changed six times to start the game before two bonus free-throws for Spain put it ahead 22-17. Paul converted on a 3-point play to kick off a 14-3 run that gave the USA a 31-25 advantage when Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), who grabbed seven rebounds and shot 6-of-6 from the free throw line, cleaned up a missed free throw by Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) with 1:31 on the clock. The teams traded scores from there, and Wade drained a 3-pointer 10 seconds before the first break to stretch the U.S. lead to 38-31 after one.

Four different U.S. scorers combined for five made 3-pointers in the second period, including two from Wade, to help the USA counter 13 points from Spain's Rudy Fernandez, and the U.S. held a 69-61 lead at halftime.

Spain outscored the U.S. 10-6 to start the third period, and the USA called a time out at with 6:04 on the clock and just a four point lead, 75-71.

Out of the break, Anthony blocked a shot, Bosh collected the rebound and fired the ball ahead to Anthony on a fast break, and the USA capped the third quarter with a 16-11 run and the score was 91-82 headed into the final 10 minutes.

Spain opened the final stanza with a 7-0 run that forced another USA timeout just 1:47 into the quarter with the U.S. up by just two points, 91-89. Bryant scored two points out of the timeout, Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) sank a 3-pointer and Howard dunked a Bryant assist to cushion the USA advantage to 98-89 with 6:48 left.

As was the case for the entire 40 minutes, Spain refused to quit and two points from Gasol with 3:32 remaining pulled Spain within five points, 104-99. Bryant answered once again, this time drilling a 3-pointer while drawing Fernandez's fifth and final foul. Bryant sank the free throw for a four-point play that restored the U.S. advantage to 108-99.

Bryant's four-point punch didn't knock Spain out, however, as Carlos Jimenez' 3-pointer at 2:25 cut the U.S. lead to 108-104.

It was Wade who dealt the final blow against Spain with his fourth 3-pointer of the game at 2:04 that put the USA back up by seven, 111-104.

"Not only did we win this gold medal, but it was probably one of the best Olympic games ever," said Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons). "I kept thinking I might have been part of one of the best Olympic basketball games for all time.

Both teams never gave up; both teams shot a high percentage. A different player on each team always came down the court and made a great play."

Both teams converted its free throw opportunities into points. Spain shot 23-of-28 (.821) from the line, while the USA was 27-of-37 (.730) from the charity stripe.

Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) is the only two-time Olympic gold medalist on the 2008 team and becomes just the 13th U.S. player in history to collect two gold medals; while Kidd, Anthony, Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz), James and Wade now belong to a small group of just 18 two-time U.S. Olympic basketball team members.

"What you saw today was a team," Bryant added. "Everybody wants to talk about NBA players being selfish, being arrogant, being individuals. What you saw today was a team bonding together, facing adversity and coming of here with a big win."

The U.S. men have medaled in every Olympics they have played in, including 13 gold medals, 1 silver and two bronze, while compiling a 122-5 win-loss record for a 96.0 winning percentage. U.S. Olympic teams featuring NBA players are 35-3 in the Olympics, and the USA has won four of five Olympic titles (1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008).

Posted by BRIGGS:

Posted by Ira:

I agree with TMS and the others who say that Jennings should have kept his mouth shut. It does raise a red flag about his character and maturity. When all is said and done, I think Curry will be better than both of them.

It wasn't a classy comment but I don't see any venom coming from his mouth,

To dismiss a player or call a red flag off of am innocent video is kind of extreme.

Posted by djsunyc:

who the F is ricky rubio?

by reading this thread, it seems he's related to all of you the way y'all are talking about him.

Posted by Paladin55:

Posted by McK1:

Posted by tkf:

And this proves what????????



Outstanding........

[Edited by - tkf on 13-06-2009 12:45 PM]

nothing.

just bringing up more happened that day besides the two minutes Jennings devoted to Rubio.

Holiday came across as a PG based on the writer's play by play account- Jennings was mostly looking for his own shots.
[/quote]

I'm in the Holiday at 8 camp. Hope Walsh is too.

Posted by McK1:

You would think from the responses here that for the entire 7 minutes of the interview his only response was Ruio is hype.

Brandon went on to say put him in a gym with us - that us being himself, Flynn, Holiday, Curry, and Lawson - and Rubio would come out of that pack on the bottom. Would he?

If Jennings was the projected no. 2 pick with no real body of work to back it up and Rubio was here working out against the top prospects and he made the same comments would he be getting villified here. I doubt it. Most would be singing his praises as an insightful Euro guy.

Posted by McK1:

recant of the workout from a Kings beatwriter:

June 13, 2009
So who won the point guard battle on the floor?
We ask the above question because we all know who won the battle off the floor, even if Ricky Rubio wasn't around to defend himself against Brandon Jennings.

Chances are, Rubio wouldn't have been able to stop Jennings no matter where he was.

The 19-year-old is simply too quick. That was the prevailing impression among those who watched Jennings play. The viewing audience was just like the majority of hoops fans out there, largely unfamiliar with Jennings game because he left to play in Italy after playing his high school ball at Dominguez Hills in Compton and the esteemed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. But as he faced off mostly against Syracuse's power-packed point guard Jonny Flynn, Jennings impressed in a big way during the full-court scrimmage.

The danger of this format, of course, is that's it's only a loose version of a real game and hardly the place for players like Jennings, Flynn or UCLA's Jrue Holiday to show how they can run a team and make the most of his teammates. It's perfect for a guy like Jennings, who didn't help Flynn with the question of whether he can defend and had little trouble getting around Holiday from what I saw either. Most importantly, his shot was far more accurate on this day than it was in his last two Euro League seasons in which he shot 37 percent and 38 percent, respectively.

Now as much as Jennings stood out, the Kings - who were looking at these players as prospects for their No. 4 pick in the June 25 draft - must consider their specific need when it comes to type of point guard. Jennings described himself as a "pass-first" point guard afterward, but that wasn't evident during the workout as he was clearly looking for his shot and putting his one-on-one skills on display. The media was privy to the final 20-or-so minutes of the session, with the curtain down for a good time before that which certainly included action that will affect the team's decision-making process.

Holiday was in for his second workout with the Kings, but the spotlight was off of him mainly because he was faced off against Notre Dame point guard Kyle McAlarney. The winner of this main event, during and after, was Jennings. But because there was no extended video permitted to be shot (no surprise there considering the high stakes of this kind of face off), I decided to take verbal notes while watching the scrimmage. For the most curious of you out there, here is a play-by-play that is somewhat revealing. The bolded line was the highlight of the outing.

Jonny misses jumper over Jennings
Flynn and Jennings guarding each other, Holiday with Notre Dame guy
Jennings denies Flynn, plays tight
Jennings gets free off screen, hits jumper in the lane
Jennings short on jumper top of key against Flynn
Flynn misses drive,
Jennings takes charge from big, nope they called block
Holiday rotates on Jennings, who stutter steps gets around him right baseline and hits layup - no problem getting by Holiday
Notre Dame guy hits jumper left baseline from Holiday assist
Jennings loses Flynn on pick, finds guy for dunk coming left
Jennings steps back, almost three top of arc over Flynn
Jennings misses jumper over Flynn, left wing,
Holiday dunk on the break, Jennings can't get there for LeBron-style block (only lower)
Flynn misses layup in traffic, Jennings the other way gets blocked - layup by Holiday
Jennings loses Flynn on screen, misses layup baseline
Flynn loses Jennings on screen up top, finds big man down low for layup
Holiday big board in traffic with two others, finds big left wing - 20-footer good
Flynn left wing, 20-footer
Holiday pull-up left wing, good over big
Flynn floats right, flip pass left wing, three-pointer good
Flynn goes at Jennings in the lane, Jennings contests, and Flynn misses a five-footer
Guard hits a long two over Holiday coming off a screen
Jennings top of key stepback miss over Flynn
Holiday right wing, finds big through traffic, layup good
Holiday goes hard for layup, Jennings contests and Holiday misses
Holiday driving left, finds Flynn on right wing, who buries a three
Jennings misses three from top, somewhat contested
Jennings takes a spill in the three-man weave, gets quick breather and is back at it again
Holiday throws to self on three-man weave off backboard for the dunk.

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/sports/kings/archives/2009/06/so-who-won-the.html

this article describes Jennings as another Stephon Marbury... quick, score first mentality, brash... there's no way to tell who's better & how they really play until u see these guys playing against each other in a real game... they'll have plenty of chances to prove who's better in the coming years.

Posted by djsunyc:

who the F is ricky rubio?

by reading this thread, it seems he's related to all of you the way y'all are talking about him.

for all we know, he could be the best pg in this draft or he could be the worst. the question is whether it's wise to take a risk with a lotto pick, or give up assets to move up to take a guy that could be the best or worst.

Posted by Nalod:


I could imagine Jennings is kind of pissed cuz he thought he would be a top pick after years of hype in High School. Lets not talk about his IQ, he could not even get into college.

He'll be what he'll be and im sure all he did was try to hype himself into a higher position.

Regarding 19 year old Lebron and melo lets not confuse them with their game 5 years ago. It was raw and they did not crack the rotation. Selection saw it fit to have Marbury on the team. No one to rebound, no one to shoot.

Jason Kidd would never look good in a combine. His game speaks for itself.

Rubio has proven himself to be a good prospect. Its not what he has done but what he can be projected to be. Im not worried about his stats, and neither should Jennings.

Its about running a team and getting your peers respect. Rubio might not be as talented as Jennings, but he might be a better pg.

Jennings would be wise to understand the careers of Marbury and Billups and realize that both could always take their man and get it done. One was a leader, the other a bully.

Jennings should also make sure when he gets minutes against rubio its not about showing him up but making sure his team wins.