Tag Archives: Team USA

Gold! Coach K led Team USA trips Spain to sweep Beijing

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Four years after having their mantle of invincibility trashed with a bronze bust in Athens, the USA Redeem Team won back the gold medal with a 118-107 over Spain on Sunday. But not without having to work for it in the final game of the Olympic tournament.

Dwayne Wade score 27 points, Kobe Bryant 20 and LeBron James 14, yet the Americans were still in the fight of the Games when Rudy Fernandez hit his fifth 3-pointer to pull Spain to within 91-89 with 8:13 left in the game.

But Bryant hit a runner, Deron Williams dropped in a 3-pointer from the left corner and Dwight Howard took a feed from Bryant and slammed it home and the U.S. was able to keep enough of a cushion the rest of the way.

Spain, the reigning world champion, was led by Fernandez with 22 points and Pau Gasol with 21. Team USA finished with a perfect 8-0 record and wrapped up the final gold medal away in the 2008 Olympics.

Box Score


Coach K - This was easy. All these guys committed to Jerry Colangelo three years ago and they said they want to be part of a team. And Jerry said we’re going to have one collective ego but we wanted you to bring all your egos because that’s how you get better. We have not had one second of problem as a coaching staff with our team. It’s been the greatest experience of my life and the lives of the other coaches."

"It’s exhilaration. If we didn’t have the three years together, we wouldn’t have won this game because the three years gave us character to beat a great team that had great character in Spain. It was one of the great games in international basketball history. To win a game like that is the best."

LeBron James -"On behalf of the players, first of all, we want to give respect where respect is due to the Spain team. They were unbelievable. Just like Coach said, we had a game plan and they countered our game plan by making some incredible plays. Every possession counted tonight for all 40 minutes … every possession counted. 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."

K is for knowledge

K builds golden legacy

Same old USA-just better_

Chavez on the long journey

Resume Building

Super celeb Kobe Bryant

Wade and Bryant talk win and K

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USA cruises past Argentina – Gold Medal awaits K and company

[private]Team USA went to 7-0 today by defeating Argentina 101-81.  The Coach K led bunch has just one game to go and a win brings the Gold Medal back to the United States.  Spain awaits the "Redeem Team," on Sunday. Carmelo Anthony scored a team high 21 points and played with intensity throughout the contest.  LeBron James chipped in with 15 while star NBA guards, Paul and Wade had 12 apiece.  Needless to say Duke fans and Americans alike are proud of the effort.  Coach K has shown the world that he can take the best of the best and have them play together for the greater good.  And don't think for one minute that endorsements galore don't await each and every player.

Box Score Link[/private]

Team USA exacts revenge on Greece 92-69

BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. Olympic team stopped the pick-and-rolls -- and just about everything else Greece tried. These Americans, who looked so lost two years ago in the World Championship, appear to have found their Olympic defensive way.

Batting away balls or swatting shots on seemingly every possession late in the second quarter, the Americans broke open a close game and went on to a 92-69 victory Thursday night to clinch a spot in the medal round.

The Americans were also able to find the range on jump shots when the Greeks went to a zone defense to slow them down. Kobe Bryant, who entered the game shooting just 37 percent in the first two games, was 7-for-14 from the field and finished with 18 points.

Chris Bosh also had 18 points, Dwayne Wade added 17 and LeBron James had 13 for the United States (3-0), which moves on to a matchup of Group B unbeatens Saturday night against world champion Spain. The winner will earn the group's top seed for the quarterfinals.

Greece stunned the Americans two years ago in the semifinals of the 2006 world championships, shredding the U.S. defense for 63 percent shooting with clinical execution of its pick-and-roll offense in a 101-95 victory.

This time, the Greeks hit just 41.3 percent (26-for-63) from the field and just 4-for-18, 22 percent, from 3-point range as the Americans used a suffocating defense to extend a seven-point lead to a 19-point cushion in the final 51/2 minutes of the first half.

After the previously slumping Bryant finally knocked down a 3-pointer, James blocked a shot that led to Bosh's three-point play for a 44-30 lead with 2:31 remaining in the second quarter. James came up with a steal less than 30 seconds later and threw down a reverse dunk.

Bosh swiped at a ball that led to another Greece turnover, and James found him on the next possession for another three-point play and a 49-30 bulge. The Greeks then turned it over again, with James keeping his balance while nearly falling down to take an outlet pass and convert a layup, and Bosh blocked the final Greek shot of the half to make it 51-32 at the break.

And after stubbornly sticking to what wasn't working in the game two years ago, the Americans showed the Greeks different looks this time. They picked up full court on one early possession, then fell back into a zone defense on another.

Unlike their easy victory against Angola two nights earlier, the Americans kept up the defensive intensity after halftime. Dwight Howard smacked away a shot right into Kidd's head, leading to a shot clock violation, and James and Bosh had rejections on the same third-quarter possession a few minutes later.   The Americans still struggled from the free throw line and 3-point arc. They were 7-of-20 on 3s and just 13 of 23 at the line.

Greece (1-2), which lost to Spain in its opener, faces winless Angola before closing pool play against China.  Box Score Link  Next up - Spain

USA U18 Team comes up short against Argentina

Team USA fell to host Argentina, 77-64, in the championship game at the FIBA Americas U18 tournament in Formoso, Argentina.  UConn incoming freshman Kemba Walker scored 21 points in the defeat and was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.

Argentina used two big runs to secure the victory: 14-2 in the first quarter and 11-0 in the third.  USA Coach Bob McKillop described the environment as hostile and credited the Argentina team with being very talented and deserving champions.  He said the experience will assist the players in their upcoming college careers.

In July 2009, the U19 World Championship will be held in New Zealand and the USA will have the opportunity for redemption against Argentina and other top international teams.

Plumlee shines, Coach K readying for China, Peach Jam and more

Duke commitment Mason Plumlee struggled a bit in his most recent game, but had 14 points and 14 rebounds in the previous game versus the Bahama's as Team USA U-18 team continues to win.  The semi-finals start today with Team USA taking on Canada.

The time has been set for 9:00 est for the Duke at Purdue game which is part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.  This link lists the time for all games.  An aside, Mason and Miles Plumlee's Mom played for the Purdue Women's Basketball team and his Dad grew up rooting for the school.  His parents will have the opportunity to see their eldest son Miles in action just up the road.

Speaking of scheduling, Montana is looking forward to their jaunt to Cameron which highlights the Grizzlies schedule.

Team USA wants to re-establish itself to the world.  This link tells of how they plan to do it.

Dwight Howard is looking forward to July 21st which will be the start of practice in the quest for the Gold Medal.  Coach K is currently busy ironing out the final plans.  This is surely a busy time of year for Duke fans.

Boo Williams won the boy's 17-U championship at the Peach Jam.  Blue Devil Nation Premium members have access to several interviews with the likes of Andre Dawkins, Jamil Wilson, John Wall and many more.  BDNP is a subscription service which takes you behind the scenes and allows access to discuss those issues on a premium members only message board.  Go to one of the paypal logos in the right side of the menu in this link which is our old site.