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A classic lifts up the sport

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:39:12 GMT

The scoreboard said United States 118, Spain 107 at the end of the Olympics gold-medal game on Sunday in Beijing, but the big winner was the sport of basketball. Already the major team professional sport that attracts the most attention at the Olympics, basketball was witnessed in all its glory on Sunday by a truly worldwide audience, much of which stayed up through the night to watch. Those fans who didn't wake up for it assumed that the U.S. would win in a stroll. They will be sorry they missed what was a classic thriller for almost every one of the 40 minutes played. The final was not only the highest scoring gold-medal game by far in Olympics history, but in the first half alone, the USA and Spain scored more points than the enitre 1968 and 1972 gold-medal games, and just a few short of 1988's final. Very few people expected Spain to try to outshoot the Americans, but with just over 2 minutes left, the score was 104-108 and the game could have gone either way. Credit the USA for finding its top players of the day, Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant, and credit them for hitting the big shots that won it, fair and square. But credit Spain, which played without injured starter Jose Manuel Calderon, for proving again that European basketball remains highly competitive, beyond all doubt, on the world's biggest basketball stage.

The first half was surely the greatest offensive display in Olympic basketball history, and possibly one of the best first halves anywhere, anytime. That's because, despite the 61-69 score, there was no lack of defensive force. In fact, bodies were flying so much that 31 fouls were called in the half and 41 free throws attempted. Combined, the teams had averaged only 39 fouls in the previous games. That show's how hard they were banging, and puts into context the fantastic offensive play needed to withstand such tough defense. Wade led the U.S. in 8-for-14 three-point shooting, but Spain made 5 of 8 from downtown, as Rudy Fernandez rainbowed in a pair to keep the scoreboard close at the half. Still, the three-point shooting that had always been an Achilles heel for the Americans was clearly an advantage now. When left open, the U.S. buried its jumpers, but Spain stayed close in part because surprise starter Juan Carlos Navarro found his short game, hitting his trademark running "bomba" shot, while Fernandez went off like a firework when he entered for the first time in the second quarter. With the warrior-like Felipe Reyes scoring twice after halftime, Spain quickly cut the difference to 4 points, 67-71, and kept it matching the U.S. basket for basket through 75-79. Eventually several free throws, a baseline turnaround shot by Wade and a triple by Carmelo Anthony reestablished a double-digit lead for the U.S. at 80-91. The Spanish responded with a couple of alley-oop passes to Gasol for dunks, the second of which made it 86-91 early in the final quarter. Then, Ricky Rubio stole and hit Fernandez with a cross-court bounce pass on the break that he buried from downtown. Suddenly, it was a two-point game, 89-91.

Right then, whatever else happened next, the sport itself was the winner, because not one of a world-full of experts had expected Spain to be so close so late in the game. The Spaniards were so close because, with the ball in their hands, they were just as talented and inventive as their opponents. As it turned out, the...

One day, one game, one gold

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:29:21 GMT

The Olympic final that many people expected is upon us. The reigning world champions from Spain take on the team that dominated Olympic basketball last century, the United States. Both won testy semifinals on Friday to assure themselves at least silver medals, but neither came to Beijing thinking about anything less than gold. The fact that the still-undefeated U.S. won their first meeting, during the group round, by 37 points, makes the Americans the favorite in the final, without doubt. Team USA has dominated in every game it has played, whereas Spain was taken to overtime by another opponent, China, and had the tougher semifinal. Still, Spain's only defeat so far was the U.S. game, so certainly the two best teams in teams in the tournament are going to decide the Olympic title. Those semifinals might also tell something about how these two teams arrive to the last of eight games each in 14 days.

The first semifinal, Spain 91-86 Lithuania, was European basketball "pure and tough", as the Spanish say. A steady stream of protagonists on both teams took turns stepping on court and going to battle for both teams. They parried for most of the first quarter, but the style of half-court chess, inside-outside probing and constant hard contact was established. Spain got the first sizeable lead, 28-20 early in the second quarter, but before halftime, there was a 14-point swing, with Simas Jasaitis and Ksistof Lavrinovic firing enough three-pointers to put Lithuania up six. Over just 30 seconds late in the half, however, Lavrinovic and his fellow Lithuanian big men Marijonas Petravicius picked up fouls that would come back to haunt them. Both fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, when their team needed all the help it could get. Spain, on the other hand, kept finding the help it needed as players used a revolving door at the head of their bench to keep fresh. After halftime, it was Real Madrid warrior Felipe Reyes battling to score inside and teenager Ricky Rubio pulling key rebounds and drawing key fouls. The fourth quarter saw Ramunas Siskauskas and Sarunas Jasikevicius, who was again in classic form as the Lithuanian floor general, give their team a 69-71 lead. The Ricky-Rudy show commenced then, however, with their patented alley-oop connection, after which Fernandez buried a three-pointer and free throws. Rubio stole next and Pau Gasol went to the foul line on Linas Kleiza's second unsportsmanlike foul, which got him ejected. Lithuania was fading, and Carlos Jimenez, who locked down Siskauskas for much of the game, finished off the victory at the foul line. In terms of preparation for the final, this semfinal war was certainly tiring, but Spain's number of contributors was encouraging for their hopes against the deep U.S. bench.

There...

Sizing up the semis

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:59:36 GMT

The day started with a 17-year-old point guard walking on-court to run the reigning world champions in the do-or-die stage of the Olympics men's basketball tournament. It ended with an open three-point shot in the air that would change the fates of two teams - when it missed. In between, Wednesday's four quarterfinal games offered plenty of fascination for anyone who loves basketball. If a year or more ago someone had predicted that the Olympics semifinalists would be Argentina, Lithuania, Spain and the USA - with Greece missing out by the margin of that open three-pointer - there might not have been much of an argument. To watch it all unfold that way on Wednesday, however, was something to see.
Spain began its quarterfinal with Croatia under the baton of young Ricky Rubio and the big-game resolve of Pau Gasol. Spain's defense wasn't so fearsom as in the World Championships final two years ago, when it barely allowed an easy pass, but had a similar spark on Wednesday as Croatia struggled to break 30 points midway through the third quarter. Spain fans will also be encouraged by the variety of offensive contributors, in particular big men Felipe Reyes and Jorge Garbajosa. By taking Croatia completely out of the quarterfinal so quickly, and not depending on three-pointers at all, Spain left a teasing impression that its best basketball is still to come.

Lithuania was similarly in-command against China, with the added benefit of having to work harder to hold its edge despite an energized home crowd for the opponents. Sarunas Jasikevicius was his old self again, no-look passing, burying threes and marshalling the Lithuanians in his non-stop director's role on the court. Big men Robertas Javtokas and Marijonas Petravicius did wonders keeping Yao Ming under wraps. And Ramunas Siskauskas tied up the whole package in a safety net of timely shots, rebounds and zero turnovers. Lithuania has the recipe, and if its many three-point shooters are cooking, no opponent is safe.

The ability of the United States to turn games suddenly into blowouts is what makes it the gold-medal favorite. They did it again against scrappy Australia, which had chances to cut the difference to five points or lower before halftime. When Australia kept missing, the U.S. pounced, going up by 12 at the break and then scoring the first 14 points after it, effectively ending the game. Kobe Bryant was the spark this time, but the fact that it could have been any of several other players is why no one is betting against the U.S. this time.

Argentina survived the toughest quarterfinal with a little luck and a rotation of six players. That last three-point shot could just as easily have fallen, and we'd be talking about the Greeks in the semis. Argentina needed, and got, a huge boost from Carlos Delfino, who scored 18 of his 23 points over 8 minutes bridging the last two quarters. His teammates deserve credit for getting him the ball and riding the wave, because with out that recognition, the defending champs might be out now. Instead, they get a shot at duplicating their semifinal win from Athens against the Unites States.

So what about Friday's semis?

The lure of a silver medal is huge for both Spain and Lithuania, so expect two extra-motivated teams. Spain has only medalled or had the chance to in...

Fearless forecasts for quarters

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:09:57 GMT

The knockout stage of the 2008 Olympics men's basketball tournament starts on Wednesday with an air of unpredictability. It's true that one team, the United States, has stepped forward as the favorite. That is based less on its 32.2-point average winning margin than its talent and focus. After all, the last U.S. team to win gold, at Syndey in 2000, won by 29 points on average before the quarterfinals, but was pushed hard prior to winning the tournament. Likewise, at the last World Championships, the U.S. won by 28 per game before the quarters - and got eliminated. That history says that anything can still happen. The question is which other teams are ready to push or eliminate? That's where there is the most unpredictability, but with four teams in the quarters, Europe once again is a likely candidate to be in the hunt until the very end. Here's how the quarterfinal matchups look...and some fearless predictions.

Spain vs. Croatia

Few would have said so before the tournament, but this matchup can now be called a tossup. Even though it has only lost to the United States so far, Spain has looked less than convincing during long stretches, due in part to the worst three-point shooting of any team in Beijing. Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio have anchored the offense and defense, respectively, but others will have to step up now that elimination games are here. Good candidates include Rudy Fernandez, Jose Manuel Calderon and Juan Carlos Navarro. Croatia arrived from the qualifying tournament, has already surpassed most predictions, and now has little to lose. Croatia also boasts plenty of special, ambitious players who would love to return their country to the Olympic medal stand it occupied for silver in 1992. One of them, dangerous scorer Marko Popovic, is not expected to play due to injury, however. If he is joined on the bench by backcourt mate Zoran Planinic, who also missed the last game, Croatia will have numbers problems. Half of Croatia's roster play in Spain, and in the opening round of last summer's EuroBasket, they upset the host Spaniards. A repeat is not likely, but far from impossible. Prediction: Spain

Lithuania vs. China

In this quarterfinals rematch from 2004 in Athens, Lithuania starts as a favorite, based on winning Group A while China was fourth in Group B, but there is more to this game than meets the eye. Consider just one unique subplot: Jonas Kazlauskas, the coach who gave the Lithuanians their last Olympic medal, the bronze in 2000 at Sydney, is now on China's bench. The question is whether Kazlauskas knows them better than the Lithuanians know his new team. How the Lithuanians handle Yao Ming, the best rebounder and fourth-best scorer left in the tournament, will be pivotal. Robertas Javtokas must defend well but avoid fouls, since he will be the big body Lithuania depends on, and because Yao shoots free throws so well anyway. Also, watch out for China's streaky shooters, especially after Lithuania let Australia bury 16 triples in the last group game. Its veteran guard trio - Sarunas Jasikevicius, Ramunas Siskauskas and Rimantas Kaukenas - needs to defend the perimeter well and to include their big men on offense if things are to run smoothly for Lithuania. Don't forget that China will also enjoy the support a sellout crowd at Wukesong Arena and that of a huge nation behind them. Under...