#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.

.@USAbasketball beat Serbia to be crowned #Rio2016 #Olympic champions!

A photo posted by FIBA (@fiba) on Aug 21, 2016 at 1:35pm PDT

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?

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 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 9

Day 9 in the 2016 Rio Olympics Men’s Basketball tournament saw the favorites trot their way to separate victories, though Team USA had to go through the wringer before surviving France. Australia and Serbia, meanwhile, had easy times knocking off Venezuela and China respectively.

*The following also appears on FIBA.com.

#Rio2016 Roundup - Day 7

Day 7 in the 2016 Rio Olympics Men’s Basketball tournament saw Australia dominate China, USA nearly upset by Serbia, and France cruise past Venezuela.

*The following also appears on FIBA.com#Rio2016 Roundup - Day 7.

AUS over CHN, 93-68
Australia gave Andrew Bogut the afternoon off and still hammered China, 93-68, to clinch a top-four spot in Group A and a place in the Quarter-Finals.