Live Blog: Spain v. USA Gold Medal Game

For once, I’ll actively be tracking an Olympic game without being interrupted. So what better than a roughly organized live blog during the biggest game for team USA.

2:20 a.m. – The intro begins with a brief image of the failed ‘04 USA team during the Olympics in Athens. Bittersweet to see A.I. with a long face on that team, his isolated play killed the USA that year, as did everyone elses, but did anyone forget his game winner during an exhibition game against Germany?

2:26 a.m. – Speaking of Ivey, anyone ever see him clown Dwight with this rainbow?

2:28 a.m. – ‘Bron starts the game by swishing a 3 pointer, and Gasol responds with an and1. Could this game start any better?

2:30 a.m. -  Alright, I’m done asking questions.

2:30 a.m. – Disappointing to not see Calderon play in this game. Interesting to see the 17-year-old, Ricky Rubio get more playing time.

2:31 a.m. – Speak of the devil, Rubio just flashed us a nifty no-looker that startled the US fastbreak defense.

2:33 a.m. – Back to back 3 pointers hit by Carmelo and Jimenez to make it 10-9 Spain. I think God is blessing me with an actual, competitive, real basketball game.

2:35 a.m. – Kobe fouls Navarro behind the 3pt line, 13-9 Spain. Eh, 13-11 now after Wade drives into the heart of the lane for one of his fearless, commercial lay-in’s in his opponent’s face.

2:37 a.m. – CP3 against Ricky Rubio, of course Paul respectively holds an upper-hand, but soaking match-up to watch.

2:39 a.m. – Christ, tear drop by Navarro, CP3 flies back the other way and scores an and1 before Spain could even get back.

2:40 a.m. – USA is playing sloppy. Relying on bare skill to overcome Spain, instead of ball movement and defense.

2:41 a.m. – Paul slaps another and1 against Spain. 22-20 Spain.

2:42 a.m. – Pau Gasol literally just nabbed 4-5 rebounds off continuously tapping the ball to the rim, failing to drop it in once.

2:44 a.m. – After sitting down for a couple minutes while holding his wrist, Rubio checks back into the game. Spain can’t afford to lose anymore engine guards.

2:45 a.m. – Rubio nearly completes the feat of crossing Deron Williams. Something that has it’s reverse effect as Deron has been burning guards in Beijing.

2:48 a.m. – Marc Gasol muscles in a bucket against the U.S., then pulls a reverse on his next possession. I can’t wait to see this big guy in Memphis next season. I can see this Gasol attract more fans in Memphis in a couple years.

2:50 a.m. – Bryant and LeBron were immediately benched early in this game due to their fouling and stupid play. Wade has been doing all the scoring for USA to keep them ahead since then. 31-38 USA at the end of the 1st.

2:54 a.m. – ‘Bron and Kobe are back in. In USA’s first possession, James feeds Kobe for a swoosh 3, good way to rebound back into this game flow.

2:55 a.m. – Dwight Howard nearly rips off Pau Gasol’s head after Pau got Dwight to bite his pump fake. Unsportsmanlike foul called immediately. This game’s beginning to get spicy between the two, common trait in a healthy basketball game.

2:57 a.m. – USA continues to rain three-pointer’s. 33-46.

2:59 a.m. – Rubio gets fouled while trying to go solo on a fastbreak against LeBron and Kidd. It appears as though Ricky is attracting the main attention in Spain’s offense. We all know Spain is loaded with their weapons, but with Rubio controlling the ball for most of the time when Spain is offense is leading to everyone’s eyes to be glued to see what this guy pulls out of his sleeve.

3:00 a.m. – Kobe lays in an alley-oop while facing Spain’s basket. Ridiculous lay-up.

3:04 a.m. – Another steal by Wade, he then dunks with authority, spawning a time-out called by Spain. 42-52 USA.

3:05 a.m. – Wade’s shot is kush. 3-pointers by Wade and LeBron, USA up by 14.

3:07 a.m. – Bryant and James sit down after a 3 by Rudy Fernandez, coach K appears to be saving those two heavyweights for the second half. 51-60 USA.

3:09 a.m. – Wade stabs Another three pointer. Holy shit he’s evolving.

3:14 a.m. – 60-67. Funny, Germany scored 57 points total, against USA before getting eliminated in the preliminary round.

3:14 a.m. – We’re given a short glimpse of David Stern reclined in his seat watching this one. His face appears to be calm. I’m sure his insides are screaming “GARHH, GAHH, NBA players are decreasing. Childress, Kristic, Boykins, Arroyo. LeBron, Italy. I need solution. No salary cap. Yes.”

3:22 a.m. – 61-69 USA. It is now halftime in this gold medal game. Some small bullets to digest.

• Despite losing Calderon, an offensive spark and motivator, Spain as held together pretty strong against the US. Rubio, Navarro and Lopez haven’t let this one slip away.
• Dwyane Wade has 21 points. This is halftime. This is an Olympic game. Who ever still negates his comeback, please, say you didn’t see this game.
• Don’t be surprised if Spain throws the kitchen sink at USA and begins to play zone. Though it’s still a close one, if USA begins to notably pull away, Spain will take their chances with USA shooting from long range, something that has been up and down for this superior squad in this tournament.
• Kobe and LeBron have both shared limited minutes but have had their effect when they stepped in. Expect the two to continue to play 2 on 5 against Spain in a couple of drives.
• Where is Carmelo Anthony?
• Howard’s quietness has been something to worry about. Only attempted one shot for a miss and only 3 boards. His play has been a game-changer for USA in the past few games.
• The impact of the Gasol’s have been tolerable for USA thus far, the big men could have the final say in how this one ends.

3:33 a.m. – It’s the beginning of the third quarter. Kobe attacks early for US, but Spain has been able to respond on offense.

3:39 a.m. – Juan Carlos Navarro drains two teardrops over the U.S. defense, Spain has crept into a 71-75 game.

3:41 a.m. – Isn’t it refreshing and satisfying to see the best players in the country go at it live at this our if you’re nocturnal?

3:42 a.m. – Kobe to LeBron again, James is starting to have his effect into this ball game. 75-81 USA.

3:44 a.m. – Dives for loose balls, hard fouls, blocks. This game remains competitive, which is a good sign for Spain, bad for US.

3:45 a.m. – Marc Gasol’s nickname: “The Tank”. Wow factor: 3/10.

3:47 a.m. – Dwyane Wade at the baseline is like a fat kid at a Dunkin’ Donuts. Automatic.

3:48 a.m. – The Spain bench continues to get warned by the refs as they cry for the weak officiating.

3:50 a.m. – The Deron and Paul backcourt is in to close the third quarter. Marc Gasol continues to score inside for Spain.

3:52 a.m. – Navarro closes the third quarter with a smooth lay-up. Navarro had the bulk of the ball-handling for Spain after his two tear-drops in the beginning of the quarter. 82-91 USA.

3:54 a.m – Money quarter is in. LeBron picks up his 3rd foul. Five fouls and you’re out of the game, bad time to eff this up.

3:55 a.m. – You can just sense the extreme change of the game flow in the fourth. USA knows how important all this is, after all the hard work.

3:57 a.m. – Spain sparks a 7-0 run by the Gasol’s and a Rudy Fernandez three. 2 point game. USA failed two consecutive long range shots. They must put the ball on the floor and bring it inside or this could be a disaster finish for USA.

3:59 a.m. – Bryant drills a big shot in the key to end the run. USA up by four.

4:00 a.m. – LeBron fouls, again. That’s four.

4:01 a.m. – 89-96 USA. Kobe is doing everything from scoring to playmaking, he dishes a pass to a wide open Deron for a three.

4:02 a.m. – Another assist by Kobe to Dwight for a dunk. Spain scores, Kobe hits another three.

4:03 a.m. -  92-103 USA. But Fernandez slashes inside and dunks on (?) Dwight Howard for an and1 to make it 95-103.

4:06 a.m. – Howard makes 1/2 of his free throws after getting fouled, US gets in the penalty by fouling Pau Gasol. Unlike Dwight, Pau sinks both to put them down by seven.

4:07 a.m. – The game continues to get scrappy and amplified.

4:08 a.m. – Whoaa. Kobe hits a three after getting fouled behind the 3pt line with 3 minutes left in the game! But that’s countered by a Jimenez three pointer for Spain! But that’s also countered by a three by Wade! 104-111 USA with two minutes left. This is pay-per-view type of stuff.

4:11 a.m. – Spain becoming ridiculously clutch, with quick ball movement and smart shots. They stop the ball for some free throws and manage to make one.

4:14 a.m. – Bryant hits another one of his multiple daggers, extending the lead to eight.

4:15 a.m. – “U.S.A.” chants begin. Ricky Rubio’s 17-year-old age settles in. He stomps his feet towards the ref after a delayed foul call to stop the clock and Rubio is tagged with a technical foul giving the US four free throws and the obvious victory.

4:18 a.m. – It’s going to be hard to let go of this Olympic team. With the buzzer sounding, Team USA have legitimately become the actual “Redeem Team”. 107-118 is the final score.

Behind the late game heroics by Kobe Bryant, USA holds off Spain to reclaim the Gold Medal. Dwyane Wade held the team together with his strong scoring leadership throughout the game. Spain never disappeared in this contest, making it a memorable one. With 1:12 left, Kobe Bryant hit a mid-rang jump shot that fittingly stamped redemption for team USA.

Kobe erupts, USA advances

Deron Williams’ pull-up trey to beat the buzzer before half time sank a deep dagger into Australia. The 3-point bucket off an outlet pass by Bosh with only three seconds left on the clock gave USA a 12-point cushion heading into the half. The rest was history. USA then went on a 12-0 run to break away from the Aussies and begin to prepare for the semifinals. This game seemed balanced for the first set of minutes, just like most of USA’s match-ups in the Olympics, but the Americans eventually overpowered their opponent on many faces of the game. USA was unstoppable on all sides of the ball, out-rebounding Australia 57-28. Their dominance of the boards and the flow of the game was undeniable. Even Chris Paul had his share of rebounds with seven. LeBron led the pack in rebounding with 9, with players such has Anthony, Bosh, Wade, Dwight and Kobe at least five boards each. Jason Kidd was finally used throughout the game, running for nearly 16 minutes and helping US push the ball across the court at a smart speed.

The storyline was simple. America held the upper-hand in all parts of the game against Australia. The only way the Australians managed to keep a respectable score at times would be by occasionally hitting the three. Anytime Australia executed a play that could potentially grow confidence, USA would immediately push the ball across the floor and respond, with a three or a powering dunk. Every American scored for the team once again, with Bryant being the leader with 25. Kobe woke up from his solid play to explode all over Australia through difficult jump shots and jams.

I set my alarm for 8:00 a.m. to catch this one, but I immediately fell asleep before tip-off. A couple hours later, I woke up to a close Greece v. Argentina game. Spanoulis’ failed game-winner for Greece at the buzzer set up a watchable Argentina v. USA meet. Unlike Australia, Argentina has their set of stars, lead behind Ginobili with 20.3 ppg. After catching the Australia-USA game on the Internet, my necessity to catch their match against Argentina is nearly as big as a next House episode. Unfortunately, my job schedule will once again shot down all hopes like it has all summer. No matter who comes out victorious, the finals will be a game to see for anyone who know/enjoys Anything about Basketball.

This year’s Olympics have been magnificent to say the least. From swimming to running, the achievements and victories earned by all athletes are eternally appreciating. Basketball has evolved into a much more interesting sport than it usually was with USA becoming a team you can’t go all-in on. Watching different countries pitch in their style of play against each other has become eye-candy. Watching USA basketball continue to slowly overcome their feats presented have been gripping for me to continue to follow and write on. Therefore, their future events will continue to flog the page.

Preliminary Round-Up

Carefully well-played, aggressively earned, the USA’s latest two games against Greece and Spain represent their powerful caliber.

This team is serious. Everyone knew that coming into the Basketball Olympics, but their level of seriousness towards gaining gold was to be determined. From early lashings about their poor play off pick and rolls, and their questionable size, team USA has overcome all the feats to this point. All of these wins have done nothing but help reassure their dominance in this Olympic tournament. After destroying Germany, USA’s next set of games will be the cream of this whole tournament. One simple loss and their dreams for Gold are quickly diminished. It definitively hurts to see your chances at Gold go down the drain after all the hard work, players such as Carmelo and LeBron know the feeling.

Such an experience has only evolved their explosive play and leadership throughout this road. LeBron’s effect while playing as a power forward for the US has been something to write a book on, he has been all over the floor in Beijing, resulting in the media and online bloggers to only write about nonsense and avoid spurning any negative regarding his play. Sure, Kobe had his signs of mortality by failing to sink in a handful of three-pointers against Greece and of course the media has jumped on that one immediately, but Bryant’s collective dominance in certain parts of the last two games have dissolved any other bites towards any poor play. Carmelo has been consistent. Wade has been a leader. Deron Williams and Chris Paul have been fulfilling. Howard and Bosh have both been treats. Boozer has been questionable. Jason Kidd has provided specific leadership at best, continuing his undefeated all-time record throughout the Olympics while maintaining his pass first style of play. They’re 5-0 run through the preliminary rounds leads me to run isolated reviews on the dirty dozen.

A-List

Dwyane Wade

92 Min/16.2 PPG./2.4 SPG./3.6 RPG./77.2% FG (31/43)

The man comes out of the bench to ignite immediate fire. Dwyane Wade has covered all the essentials needed by the USA throughout the preliminaries. From mind-bobbling passes to deadly finishes that ridicule the opponent. Wade has bounced back from his shoulder injury stronger than ever, leaving Miami drooling for the upcoming season. Wade has evolved his staggering attack through steals and slashes to the hole. Flashes from his early days during the Miami’s Championship run are all over the place every time Dwyane steps on to the floor. His unexpected offensive surge off the the bench destroys any existing positive flow created by the opponent. It is critical that Coach K continues to let the teams current MVP come off the bench, which he will, leaving ongoing success for the team’s momentum.

LeBron James

118 Min/15.8 PPG./4.4 APG./4.4 RPG./60.8% FG (31/51)

‘Bron has been ‘Bron throughout the preliminaries and some more. While playing as a power forward, LeBron has made many international teams gasp at what freakish abilities a power forward could ever posses from team USA. His exclamation blocks gives a laughing stock for viewers who thrive off the embarrassment of others. Predicted poster boy of the Redeem Team, James brought forth what most expected from him; his natural talent.

B-List

Chris Bosh

78 Min/8.8 PPG./5.2 RPG./81% FG. (17/21)

The only disappointment surrounding Chris Bosh during the Olympics is his playing time. Bosh has been electric down low. His stats would be along the lines of any other international stud, such as Ming, Scola, and Minghas. His lengthy stature smoothly blends with the other big men he’s matched up with and his aggressiveness results in more rebounds for USA.

Dwight Howard

83 Min/12.2 PPG./5 RPG./0.8 BPG./75.8% FG (25/33)

Howard has had is small slumps throughout some games but majority of the time he’s back to his powerful attack. There were games where Dwight was absent, considering none of the plays were directly designed for him. But Howard overcame such issue with his pursuits to earn his own points through rebounds and quick feeds down low from the guards. His latest explosion against Germany (22pts/10rbs) settles down any doubts regarding USA’s need for size.

Chris Paul

110 Min/7.4 PPG./4.6 APG./3.2 RPG./2.4 SPG./52% FG. (13/25)

Paul has become the main point guard to run the floor, once Kidd’s small share of minutes are over. He’s been playing no different than his near MVP season last season in the NBA. The defense is definitely there for Paul. CP3 has been able to take advantage of some of the poor ball-handling a group of guards have internationally. He’s hasn’t been shooting magnificent but that’s nowhere close to being a factor with the players he’s surrounded by every time he’s running the floor.

Kobe Bryant

104 Min/12.6 PPG./2.4 RPG./1.8 APG/27.6% 3PT FG. (8/29)

KB24 has been the main attention of this team since day uno. His worldwide affection is felt throughout Beijing, resulting in his performance to be magnified. So, it wasn’t soon before long everyone began to quickly point at his weak 3-point shooting. Shooting 1/7 from the perimeter in the opener against China, and 0/8 against Angola, questions swirled his ability to drain the 3-point shot that’s closer than NBA range. Anyhow, Bryant has recovered slowly by attempted less from the arch and focusing more on working the ball closer to the basket. His defense hasn’t been as stellar as the exhibition games, but it’s more than enough to this point. Many still await his big game, which could be soon.

Deron Williams

104 Min/8.2 PPG./3.2 APG./2.6 RPG./44.1% FG (15/34)

When paired up with Chris Paul, the two are close to unstoppable. Deron’s mesh with Paul is like none other, when isolated as a prime point guard, he does more than sizzle. His handles are too much for the guards he’s defended by and he’s been able to find the open man when necessary. The most effective guard out of the three.

Carmelo Anthony

87 Min/8.6 PPG./4.8 RPG./1.2 SPG./46.7% FG (14/30)

Anthony has puzzled a few with his slack throughout this preliminary round. His minutes are down and so is his shooting. The fire from the exhibition has fizzled-down, resulting on him becoming a barely solid forward for USA. His rebounds are nothing to bash about, but his shot selection has been ridiculously questionable at times.

C-List

Jason Kidd

65 Min/1 PPG./3 RPG./1.6 APG./100% FG (2/2)

Jason is doing exactly what he was put here for, to run the team with his overwhelming generosity and continue to spray his leadership among his teammates. His layup against Spain marked his first shot attempt throughout the round, sinking a three against Germany marked his second and last basket to this day. None of that is worth being noted though, Kidd has had his respectable share of dishing the ball at the right moments early in the game. He has more rebounds, blocks and steals than everyone else in the C-List.

Carlos Boozer

39 Min/4.4 PPG./2.6 RPG./56.2% (9/16)

Boozer has played like his rookie days for Cleveland. Nothing horrid. But it becomes a surprise to some because of his huge role back in Utah. He’s slowly been picking it up as the games go on. With Howard and Bosh’s play lately, there’s no worries. He should continue to work hard with the little minutes he’s given at the end of quarters.

D-List

Tayshaun Prince

62 Min/3.8 PPG./2.2 RPG./46.7 (7/15)

It has been a solid run for Tayshaun when he gets his minutes. Team USA is content with his performance thus far. He continues to contest more shots from the opponents and has his small jabs of scoring occassionally.

Michael Redd

58 Min/4 PPG./1.2 RPG/33% 2PT FG (4/12)/25% 3PT FG (4/16)

Redd has defined why it’s never good to solely depend on shooters. The proclaimed “Zone Buster” hasn’t been able to bust anything but his shot. Every shooter has their slump at times, this just isn’t the best time to have one for Michael Redd. It is still early to completely dismiss his weak play for USA.

Be sure to tune in to Team USA face off against Australia in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday 8AM ET.

USA v. China Bullets

The intensity could not be matched on Sunday in Beijing. Team USA held strong after a strong start from China in the first half, and capped off an assuring victory in what was one of the most watched basketball games ever.

• With a final score of 101 to 70, it’s not hard to sit back and appreciate the offensive arsenal team USA has always carried. Every player for team USA had their share in the scoring department besides Kidd and Prince, who both didn’t attempt a field goal and played less than 20 minutes combined.
• NBA and former NBA players for China felt the respectable need to shoot the most throughout the contest. Yai Jianlian went 4/13, Yao Ming was 3/10 and Wang Zhi Zhi shot 4/9 from the field. Unfortunately for China, they ended up shooting 34% from the field and were outscored 11 to 23 in the 3rd quarter.
• LeBron was all over the place. His beastly 2-handed blocks put terror into the mindset of driving the ball past team USA’s guards. James totaled for 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. The amount of maturity and experience compared to his performances in ‘04 for team USA are ridiculously distinct.
• Shockingly, Carmelo Anthony played only 14 minutes after starting the game. Anthony had only 3 points and 4 rebounds. His absence wasn’t much felt throughout this game thanks to ‘Bron, Kobe, Howard and Wade. Him bouncing back against Angola on Tuesday with a strong game is an easy thought.
• Kudos to Deron Williams failed-attempt to dunk over Yao Ming in front of his home country.
• Jason Kidd continues to play a minimal amount of minutes while failing to have any lasting effect (besides leadership skills) on any of the Olympic games for his team. Kidd’s stat-line against China, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and 3 turnovers.
• Dwyane Wade: 20 Min, 19 points (7/7 FG), 2 assists, 2 steals.
• China’s clean start against USA kept me glued to the TV, as millions of others watched to see how team USA’s composure would remain steady throughout all the momentum.
• For a convicing set of minutes in the beginning of the game, Dwight Howard appeared to be team USA’s dominant inside presence. Howard muscled his way through and1’s and dunks early in the game, giving his team their physical stature. It was Chris Bosh though, who put the cap to USA’s inside game with 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Warning Shots

Yes, the Aussie’s unexpectedly made the “Redeem Team” break the biggest sweat in these exhibition games, but USA’s play against Australia is only one of many alarms set off before opening night. Many questions arise after these exhibition games. Though they’re ranked above all, USA’s flaws have been exposed and will be dissected by hazardous teams such as Argentina and Spain. Not to mention, the critical decisions Krzyzewski has to make before facing China.

Clouds of pessimistic questions hovered over Team USA before they even stepped foot into against Canada on July 25th. Some of them vanished into comforting sunshine, but countless ones arose when USA found themselves leading by a merely 4-points midway through the third quarter against an unsound Australia team who didn’t have their best player, Andrew Bogut playing. At times, USA couldn’t shoot the ball nor defend. Thanks to Wade’s continuing stellar play, USA ended up winning by 11, but Australia definitely held their own against USA. Team USA’s defense was exposed several times throughout the contest, from inside cuts to perimeter defense. Australia’s Paddy Mills scored 13 points off the bench and most importantly, Mills outran Team USA’s defense at times. While the USA team remains positive after the win, unparalleled sports columnists will feast on the game against Australia.

The point guard position for team USA has been one of the steady headlines throughout these exhibition games for team USA. Jason Kidd’s involvement with his teammates throughout the heat of the game has been unavoidably questionable. Kidd, originally named the team’s starting point guard, has played less minutes than his two back-ups, Chris Paul and Deron Williams in all of the exhibition games. Jason has yet to have any noticeable impact into the team’s play. Now, most should take into consideration, this most definitely could be one of Coach K’s strategies for the teams engine. It’s always hard to spark hard criticisms against coaching staff’s game plan considering these “training” games give coaches the freedom to experiment with different strokes. Despite Kidd’s minimal involvement on the court, CP3 and DWill have been maestros at running the stacked offense.

The team’s lack of size have shown their shades of need against these tall international teams. Howard, Boozer and Bosh aren’t expected to make game changing plays, but like any other big men, they’re defensive inside presence is key. The main players that have been nabbing boards for this team though has been Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony. Now ‘Melo’s spot at the power forward position gives no surprise to his numbers and Howard has respectably shared his good source of rebounding, averaging 5.1 with his low minutes. On the other side, players such as Carlos Boozer has averaged only 2 rebounds a game, resulting in him not seeing any action in USA’s last game against Australia. The team’s importance when it comes to their front court could be their back-breaker in the future.

On the positive side, Dwyane Wade has exploded for USA through all these games. He has come off the bench in all of the contests, averaging, 18 points per game, 2.2 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game. His steals have erupted into jaw-dropping dunks. He’s broken down his opponents off the dribble and has taken the ball inside with his patented side-step extremely effectively. Alongside LeBron, Kobe and Melo, Wade is easily in the conversation as USA’s leader, while still coming off the bench.

Team USA faces many historical moments ahead, whether they are good or bad. Any game they take part in will be must-watch TV, especially their match-ups against Spain and Greece in the Preliminaries. Their opener against the host, China is also something critical to witness. USA will finally be in full effect, as will Yao Ming and China.

USA vs. Lithuania Recap

Team USA routs shorthanded Turkey

This exhibition game started off as a tight one when Turkey found themselves scoring the basketball effectively with open shots and forcing ten turnovers out of team USA. Mehment Okur nor Hedo Turkoglu took part in this game due to undisclosed reasons. At first it appeared as though the Turkey would be fine without the two stars when the team took a 27-24 lead over USA with 1:42 left in the first quarter. But shortly before half time, LeBron and Carmelo help lead the their team back to a comfortable lead. Dwyane Wade indeed came out of the bench due to LeBron’s return, but had the same offensive impact. Wade tallied 13 points this time for team USA, rapidly slashing to the rim whenever given the opportunity. LeBron was 8-9 from the field along with 6 boards, 5 steals and four assists with only 23 minutes of playing time.

Carmelo Anthony still remains to be the best player in the tournament, Anthony continues to score in bunches, showing no signs of weakness. His 17 points spawned from his patented quick mid-range pull ups and dunks. At one point, off a bullet pass from James to Bryant, Kobe bounced the ball in front of the basket to Anthony for a dunk. Dwight Howard opened up a in a big way as the team’s center with powerful dunks that set an exclamation point to USA’s dominance in this exhibition.

Team USA’s next exhibition will be against Lithuania, the 5th ranked team in FIBA. Although it’s uncertain whether who will actually suit up to play, Lithuania is highlighted by talented players such as Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Linas Kleiza, Ramus Siskauskus, Rimantas Kaukenas, Sarunas Jasikevicius.

Wade Returns; USA breezes past Canada

Forget Dwyane Wade’s return, Carmelo’s consistent dominance and the absence of LeBron, the main story behind team USA’s exhibition game against a flimsy Canada was their defensive play. In a game that never came close, the Canadians were held to a dismal 9 points scored in the fourth quarter. On stopping the highly dependant pick and roll’s team USA will face internationally, Coach K stated, “We have a plan, and we think it’s a good plan, and a lot of it is making sure the pick-and-roll is defended by five guys, not two.” Surely, there were a few times we could see USA look shaky against the pick and roll, but for the most part it wasn’t anything to bite your lip about just yet. Team USA forced 24 turnovers from Canada, while also 7 total blocks compared to Canada’s zero. Dywane Wade led the team in steals (3), while putting up 20 points alongside Michael Redd and Carmelo Anthony.

Dywane Wade’s return was marked with his signature explosive play. He sprinkled his state line with 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 rebounds to accompany his 20 points. Carmelo Anthony continued his overwhelming international success with 20 points, 6 boards and 3 assists. Michael Redd also came into the game, shooting nearly lights out 6-8 from the field, nothing but three point shots. Redd finished 20 points along with 2 rebounds. The crowd was overly amused with USA’s ease in dominance when scoring the basketball, it sometimes appeared as if they were playing at the nearby Rucker. When Kidd was given a breather, the deadly backcourt mesh of Chris Paul and Deron Williams, left Canadians mind-boggled. CP3 made his eight dimes seem effortless as he fed Dwight Howard with a backdoor alley-oop. Dwight shared his inside dominance in the paint, leading all players with 7 boards and 3 blocks. Kobe Bryant enjoyed squashing the defense presented to him, Bryant tallied 15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in this warm-up. Jason Kidd surprisingly had no assists or points, but took part in one of the biggest highlights of the game with a football outlet pass fling to ‘Melo before Anthony swung it behind him to Bosh for the dunk.

This game was a great confidence builder for the team. Team USA was able to flex their offense and defensive play against a weak Canadian team. It was fulfilling to see USA bring forth a stronger defensive push then what they had in ‘04. Their next game against Turkey should provide a more competitive effort. Turkey is led by a healthy deal of size in their players who can also shoot from a respectable distance. With players like Hedo Turkoglu, winner of last season’s Most Improved Player Award and Mehmet Okur taking part, team USA will look to stretch the defense with a greater deal of awareness. Players like Tayshaun Prince and Chris Bosh should expect more playing time.