Showing posts with label 2016 Rio Olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2016 Rio Olympics. Show all posts

#Rio2016 Roundup - Finals



Team USA bagged the 2016 Rio Olympics Men’s Basketball gold medal after making short work of Serbia in the Final, while Spain broke Aussie hearts in their battle for the bronze. 

*The following also appears on FIBA.com.

USA over SRB, 96-66
The USA won the Olympic Basketball Tournament for the third consecutive time by beating Serbia, 96-66, in Sunday's Gold Medal Game at Carioca Arena 1.


A photo posted by FIBA (@fiba) on

In a re-match of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup Final, the two-time reigning World and Olympic champions rode the outside shooting of Kevin Durant and the powerful inside play of DeMarcus Cousins to turn a 19-15 lead at the end of the first quarter into a commanding 52-29 halftime advantage.

#Rio2016 Roundup - Semifinals

Images from FIBA.

Team USA met expectations by subduing Spain in the semifinals of the 2016 Rio Olympics Men’s Basketball tournament even as Serbia exploited a lethargic Australia to advance to the Final.

*The following also appears on FIBA.com.

SRB over AUS, 87-61
Serbia cruised to a resounding 87-61 win over Australia in Friday's second Semi-Final of the Olympic Basketball Tournament to set up a showdown with the USA in Sunday's Gold Medal Game.

Serbia last reached the Olympic Final 20 years ago. At the Atlanta 1996 Games, playing under the flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, they lost to the USA, 95-69. The USA and Serbia faced each other in the Group Phase in Rio, with the two-time defending champions edging out a 94-91 win.

#Rio2016: Olympic gold or NBA title?

#Rio2016: Olympic gold or NBA title?
DeAndre Jordan and Kyrie Irving (USA)
(Image from FIBA)
*This first appeared on FIBA.com.

USA players have been asked the question before, whether winning an NBA title or an Olympic gold medal is a greater and more significant achievement.

LeBron James, before he reached the top of the podium at the Beijing Games in 2008, made his position very clear.

"This is bigger," James said ahead of the title showdown against Spain. "Being a part of the game (Gold Medal Game) on Sunday is the biggest thing for me, ever.

#Rio2016: China's Yi Jianlian - 'Tough time, great experience'

#Rio2016: China's Yi Jianlian - 'Tough time, great experience'
Yi Jianlian (CHN)
(image from FIBA)
*This first appeared on FIBA.com.

China signed off from a second straight Olympic campaign with no wins on Sunday night when they fell to Serbia in Group A, 94-60.

For veteran Yi Jianlian, there were mixed emotions. He spoke after the game.

FIBA.com: It's been a tough Olympics in terms of results for China with five losses in as many games, but was that not expected?
Yi Jianlian: The team is young. We know we're young, we don't have a lot of players who have played before (in major tournaments). We still have to learn, we've got to face ourselves.

#Rio2016 Roundup - Quarterfinals


Most of the quarterfinals games ended in blowouts in the  2016 Rio Olympics Men’s Basketball tournament save for the last one, where Serbia barely scraped by regional rival Croatia to join Australia, Team USA, and Spain in the Final Four.

*The following also appears on FIBA.com.

AUS over LTU, 90-64
Australia cruised past Lithuania, 90-64, in Wednesday's first Quarter-Final of the Olympic Basketball Tournament to advance to the Semi-Finals for the first time in 16 years.

#Rio2016 Roundup - Day 10



The final day of action in the 2016 Rio Olympics Men’s Basketball tournament elimination round was full of drama as Brazil beat Nigeria, Spain outplayed Argentina, and Croatia prevailed over Lithuania.

*The following also appears on FIBA.com.

BRA over NGR, 86-69
Brazil beat Nigeria, 86-69, in their last Group B game on Monday to give themselves a chance of advancing to the Quarter-Finals.