Hot favourites the United States won Olympic men’s basketball gold by outgunning Spain 118-107 in a final of hard fouls and flying elbows. The American players whooped with joy at the final buzzer before forming a huddle and dancing around the centre circle as chants of “USA, USA” erupted from the crowd of 18,000.
Gli Stati Uniti tornano a vincere l’oro, che mancava da Sydney 2000. Contro i campioni del mondo finisce 118-107. Partita stupenda: interpreti strepitosi Wade e Fernandez, ma i canestri decisivi sono di Bryant.
Title favourites United States beat defending champions Argentina 101-81 in a bruising game to reach the Olympic men’s basketball final. Fired up by an eyeball-to-eyeball clash with Argentina’s Fabricio Oberto, Carmelo Anthony led the US victory drive with 21 points. Luis Scola carried the fight for Argentina with 26. Argentina lost Manu Ginobili, the tournament’s leading scorer, in the first quarter, making it virtually impossible to match the superior firepower of the Americans.
Manca solo una partita, poi la redenzione degli Stati Uniti sarà compiuta. Nella semifinale più attesa battono l’Argentina 101-81 (49-40) e tornano in finale 8 anni dopo Sydney. Ma sulla sfida pesa l’infortunio di Manu Ginobili, l’ennesimo alla caviglia, dopo solo 6’30″ di gioco. La sensazione è che neppure con l’asso degli Spurs in campo, stavolta l’Argentina avrebbe potuto competere.
The Americans will take on Spain in Sunday’s gold medal showdown, a team they blew out in the group stages of the Beijing Games. Spain defeated Lithuania 91-86 in the other semi-final.
Ventiquattro anni dopo i Giochi di Los Angeles la Spagna torna in una finale olimpica. Batte la Lituania 91-86 (40-42) in una gara tirata per 40’ ma bella solo nell’ultimo quarto, quando Rudy Fernandez firma l’8-0 spagnolo che decide la gara (81-74), sull’abbrivio positivo dato da Felipe Reyes.
The unbeaten United States continued their relentless quest for gold by crushing Australia 116-85 in the quarter-finals. The US overpowered the Australians to reach the last four propelled by 25 points from Kobe Bryant and 16 from LeBron James.
Kobe è arrivato. Dopo essersi dedicato all’Olimpiade come un tifoso e spettatore qualsiasi, lascia per la prima volta la sua impronta sul successo degli Stati Uniti per 116-85 (55-43) contro l’Australia che vale la semifinale olimpica.
A US team of NBA All Stars made easy work out of defeating Spain in a 119-82 victory as the reigning world champions suffered their first defeat in the Beijing Olympic basketball tournament. This victory left the United States one win away from topping Group B, something they will achieve if they beat Germany next week. The Americans used their signature blanket defense and a high powered offense to put the game away early in the second quarter, going up by 20 points with a balanced attack based on an array of fast break dunks and savvy outside shooting.
Gli americani danno una lezione di basket ai campioni del mondo imponendosi 119-82, ma allungando sul 56-36 prima del riposo lungo. Grande difesa e contropiede spettacolari le armi vincenti dei ragazzi di coach Krzyzewski. Punito l’atteggiamento da fenomeni degli iberici.
Le stelle americane liquidano 92-69 gli ellenici in un match senza storia vendicando il k.o. subito nella semifinale mondiale 2006. Gara in archivio già dopo il primo tempo: sabato sfida stellare tra i ragazzi di coach Krzyzewski e la Spagna campione del Mondo. L’Argentina ferma la Croazia.
World champions Spain nearly paid a heavy price for over-confidence, needing a dramatic fourth-quarter rally against China before escaping with an 85-75 over-time Olympic victory over the hosts. Los Angeles Lakers star Pau Gasol scored nine of his 29 points in the extra five-minute period to give Spain the victory after the team with half a dozen National Basketball Association players fell behind 61-47 after three quarters.
Pau Gasol batte Yao Ming e la Cina butta via l’occasione della vita contro la Spagna campione del Mondo. Che commette l’errore più stupido contro la squadra di casa: pensare di poter vincere facile e non difendere. Tirare è l’unica cosa che i cinesi sanno fare decisamente meglio di tutti gli altri, e senza grande pressione si trovano ad un passo dal miracolo.
That’s the same day the Spaniards meet Germany, who lost 87-64 to Greece, ahead of a Saturday showdown with the Americans, who routed Angola 97-76 to match Spain atop the group. Dwyane Wade scored 19 points to lead the US NBA stars, who next meet Greece on Thursday in a revenge game. The Greeks were the last team to down a US NBA squad, beating them in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Championship in Japan.
Seconda vittoria facile per le stelle americane, che battono 97-76 gli africani con cui il Dream Team di Jordan, Magic e Bird debuttò alle Olimpiadi del ‘92. Wade miglior realizzatore Usa con 19 punti, spenti Bryant e Kidd. Giovedì comincia la vera Olimpiade contro la Grecia.
The millionaire stars of the U.S. basketball team swept past hosts China in the showcase match-up of the Olympics, watched by tens of millions on Chinese television and cheered on by U.S. President George W. Bush. Talismanic giant Yao Ming, flag carrier for China at the opening ceremony, could not protect his colleagues from the speed and power of the NBA professionals. Ming, who plays with the Houston Rockets, scored 13 points in the 101-70 loss to the U.S. in what was billed as the most watched basketball game in history.
Gli americani faticano all’inizio, sorpresi dalla precisione dalla distanza dei padroni di casa. Nella ripresa la squadra dei sogni comincia a marciare ad un ritmo infernale e chiude 101-70 inchiodando gli avversari con una montagna di schiacciate.
Derrick Rose is going home, and a record crowd of freshmen are following him to the NBA. The Chicago Bulls selected Rose, who grew up on the city’s South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley. With Beasley going second to Miami and Minnesota picking O.J. Mayo at No. 3, college freshmen made up the first three picks for the first time in draft history. New York Knicks followed at No. 6 with Italian forward Danilo Gallinari, whose father played with new coach Mike D’Antoni overseas.
With Beasley going second to Miami and Minnesota picking O.J. Mayo at No. 3, college freshmen made up the first three picks for the first time in draft history.
Al Madison Square Garden di New York, Chicago chiama con il numero uno la guardia di Memphis, poi Miami indica Michael Beasley. Gallinari “pescato” col numero 6 dai Knicks di D’Antoni.
