It wasn't easy but Team USA managed to escape their semifinals matchup against Spain with an 82-76 win. The game was always expected to be close, as the U.S. has struggled with quality opponents all tournament long, but Spain could never break through despite a great performance by Pau Gasol, who had 23 points in the losing effort.
Klay Thompson led Team USA with 22 points while Kevin Durant had 14. The U.S. will move on to the gold medal game while Spain will have to settle for a chance at the bronze.
The first half was played exactly as Spain wanted it. The U.S. started off well, with Durant leading the way, but could not create separation. The physical defense that the European powerhouse played at the point of attack really bothered the ball handlers -- especially Kyrie Irving, who was a shadow of himself. Since getting into the offense was a chore, Team USA started going into one-on-one play instead of moving the ball.
That played into Spain's hands, which was disciplined on defense. They were not afraid to foul to prevent easy looks, and that willingness to make contact and the officials' happy whistles resulted in a game that lacked any semblance of rhythm, which is what Team USA needs to get into a groove on offense. After two quarters the U.S. scored 45 points, an incredibly low mark for a squad with such ridiculous firepower. It would have been even lower if not for Thompson's 17-point explosion.
Team USA had dominated third quarters during the tournament but couldn't break away on Friday. They made some silly mistakes like traveling on a breakaway dunk and not putting a body on Gasol after shots went up on defense, but managed to keep the lead. Spain simply lacked the firepower to go on a big run, but had enough to keep things close going into the fourth quarter.
In the final period Team USA finally broke through. DeAndre Jordan, who played a terrific game, wore out Gasol and completely dominated the paint, while Spain's defense started to show some cracks. The lead quickly ballooned to double digits and Spain started to take too many desperation shots instead of searching for good looks. They kept making mini-runs but never got close enough to steal the game.
After a tough battle, the U.S. got past arguably its biggest threat and will play the winner of Serbia and Australia for the gold medal on Sunday.
3 things we learned from the U.S.'s close win
Spain missed its best chance of beating the U.S.
This was,undoubtedly the best shot Spain had of beating the team that kept them from the gold in the last two Olympics. Team USA simply lacked the star power of past iterations and a lot of their newcomers struggled to adjust to new roles and different rules. While Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka were absent, Spain largely had the core that made it a world power in the sport. This was their chance.
Unfortunately for them, they simply couldn't get it done. Pau Gasol did what he could playing through a leg injury and pitching in 25 points. Their first-half effort was great and they kept the U.S. from running away with it in the third quarter,but they simply couldn't sustain that level of play. In the fourth quarter they ran out of gas.
This might be the last time they will have Pau Gasol available and other powers are emerging. Team USA might begin to attract stars once again under Gregg Popovich. It's simply hard to see Spain having a better opportunity to beat the U.S. than the one they just squandered.
Without DeAndre Jordan dominating the paint, Team USA might have lost
It was not the prettiest game on offense for the U.S. or the most disciplined showing on defense. Luckily, they had Jordan in top form, dominating the boards, finishing well and erasing mistakes with his shot blocking. Team USA had 53 total boards to Spain's 41 and 21 offensive boards to Spain's 14. Jordan was the major contributor on the boards with 16, including a rim-rattling putback in the third quarter.
He truly was a force in the paint on both ends, one of the game's best players. DeMarcus Cousins getting into foul trouble was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed Jordan to be out there for longer than he would have otherwise and that's exactly what the U.S. needed. Jordan might not be the most talented of players, but his athleticism, defense and hustle allows him to make a difference at this level.
Klay Thompson is the ultimate streaky shooter
Thompson hadn't been good in the Olympics. He was averaging seven points on 30 percent from the floor and 35 percent from beyond the arc. He was far from the valuable contributor he was in the FIBA World Cup and not even close to the player he was last season for the record-breaking Golden State Warriors. But when he was most needed, he went off.
Thompson had 17 first-half points, which the U.S. desperately needed. Without his contributions, they might not have led at the half, since the offense was bad for long stretches in the first two quarters. Luckily, for a while, he couldn't miss. It shouldn't be surprising, really. There's no one -- not even Stephen Curry -- who can get hotter than Thompson.
