United States Basketball

[CMJ]

I've been having to follow on the Daily Dime's live chat. Sounds like Durant is carrying us.

[Mean Green Matt]

I've been having to follow on the Daily Dime's live chat. Sounds like Durant is carrying us.

Yeah, I believe he has 20 points, and 5 of 8 from 3-point range. The rest of the team is 1 for 13. Turkey is starting to look a little better. USA up 40-31. 24 seconds left 1st half.

Edited September 12, 2010 by Mean Green Matt

[CMJ]

USA 42-32 at the half. Maybe I can sneak away to catch some of the 2nd.

[Mean Green Matt]

USA by 16! Durant nails 2 three pointers in a row to start the second half.

[CMJ]

Our defense is kickin'

[Mean Green Matt]

Turkey went on a little run. Lead back down to 11.

[CMJ]

USA 81

Turkey 64

Final

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[Green Mean]

USA 81

Turkey 64

Final

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Was this the final?

[CMJ]

Was this the final?

Yep...we won our first Gold in this event since 1994. The Olympics may be the bigger deal to us, but it's nice to get this one as well.

[CMJ]

I just watched the replay on ESPN2. Really solid effort by the guys and you could see how genuinely happy they all were. You couldn't wipe the grins off any of their faces if you tried (and Turkey's fans certainly did since they booed during practically our entire medal ceremony/National anthem).

It was nice to finally see Coach K get a gold medal too (coaches don't get them at the Olympics but do at the World Championships).

[Mean Green Matt]

It makes me really happy that we beat the rest of the world with a team that did not even contain our best players. Although, without Kevin Durant, I don't think we would have even come close to winning. He was a beast.

[CMJ]

To a degree I am with ya Matt. But part of me thinks this was a better way to build a team. The 2008 squad did play learn to play like a team by the end, but I wonder if having ALL of the major stars on the team doesn't open up a Pandora's Box as far as team chemistry (or lack thereof) is concerned. A lot of the guys were young in '08 so that might explain why at the end of the day they all did look to Kobe Bryant when the chips were down in the Gold Medal game, but I wonder what would happen if we faced that situation in '12 with about 5 alpha males wanting the ball.

This team had role players, and excellent ones at that. You can't just throw a bunch of superstars together...somebody has to bang the boards, set picks, etc..