In Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchup at the Olympics, the US men’s basketball team pulled away from Austrailia in the second half en route to another blowout win. They held just a 12 point lead at half but started the second half with a 14-0 run. Game over. In case you missed the game, here is what different people are saying about the Redeem Team at the moment:
Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press says:
“I’d like to give you one moment when the Australia men’s basketball team was in trouble against the United States, but that’s like picking one time of year when Hawaii is pretty. The Aussies fell behind early, came back to tie it at 21, and should have asked for the check right there. The final score was 116-85, and if you want to know what this tournament has been like for the Americans, this little nugget should tell you: Afterward, a few reporters were seriously asking the U.S. players what it felt like to be tested for the first time. A test? Five minutes into the second half of this quarterfinal game, the United States led by 23 points.
If that’s a test, I’d love to hear what those reporters think of the LSAT.”
Greg Couch of the Chicago Sun-Times says:
“I believe these big stars with some of the biggest egos on the planet are getting along and becoming friends, not just for show. The U.S. beat Australia 116-85 today, and the news was that Australia was within one at the end of the first quarter. The U.S. hasn’t lost a quarter yet in the Olympics, and is all the way into the semifinals. The U.S. will play Andres Nocioni and Argentina on Friday. The U.S. defense works into passing lanes, and blocks shots. And if an opponent isn’t demoralized from the start, it happens soon enough. That’s what happened today. You already know that Team USA is winning again. But Team USA is a team again, too, talking hokey things about winning for the three letters on the front of the jersey. And it’s believable.”
Chris Sheridan of ESPN says:
“Australia’s game plan included dropping four players quickly back on defense while letting a fifth, one of its speedy point guards, apply ball pressure and make the Americans use an extra few precious seconds before getting their offense running. The Australians also placed a premium on protecting the ball and turned it over only once in the first quarter — something no American opponent had managed to do until then — and dared the U.S. team to beat them from behind the arc (the Americans did finish 12-for-25 after the poor start). And when Team USA managed to get open looks, especially from inside, the Aussies gave hard fouls and took gambles that the Americans would miss from the line. For a half, it worked, and the game would have been even closer if Australia hadn’t missed several open looks from underneath and if Andrew Bogut hadn’t fumbled the ball out of bounds two times during a second quarter in which Australia coughed up seven turnovers.”
Rick Maese of the Baltimore Sun says:
“Any debate over whether replacing an NBA coach (Larry Brown) with a college coach (Mike Krzyzewski) was the right thing for USA Basketball has been quashed. It turns out a college coach was exactly what this team needed, someone who would stress fundamentals and defense, someone who didn’t bring an NBA mentality to international play.”
The reason for success so far has to have been the Redeem Team’s ability to flat out wear their opponents down with tenacious defense, easy transition hoops, and their superior athletic ability. Argentina represents their toughest test so far. I say Redeemers win by 20.
