MEN'S SEMI FINALS BEIJING

Indeed against the U.S. last time, we did a terrible job,” was Spain coach Aito Garcia’s first reaction about the final.

“We’ll see what happens. The U.S. players are really outstanding.”

Outstanding indeed USA were as they left nothing to chance right from the word go.

The Americans had raced away 14-4 seven minutes into the game, when Argentina suffered a serious setback to any chances for a comeback. The San Antonio Spurs guard injured his ankle, never to return to the game.

USA led 30-11 at the end of the first quarter and 49-40 at half-time warding off a late second quarter surge by Argentina.

Carmelo Anthony led the American scoring with 21 points ahead of LeBron James with 15. James got 13 of his point in the second half.

The Americans scored the first four points of the second half and Argentina, without Ginobili who failed to return to the bench for the second half, weren’t able to get the deficit under double digits the rest of the way.

Luis Scola, the MVP of last year’s FIBA Americas Championship where Argentina finished runners-up to the USA, had a monster game.

He scored a game-high 28 points – 16 in the second half – and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Carlos Delfino also got hot in the second half by pouring in 15 of his 17 points.

The first semi-final seemed to have done more than its share of excitement that goes with an Oympic last four encounter.

Spain, after a gritty performance from the unheralded Felipe Reyes in the third quarter, rode the back of Rudy Fernandez and Pau Gasol in the fourth to a famous win.

Reyes, the Real Madrid star, had just one point at half-time but scored eight in the third quarter while in the fourth Fernandez had nine of his 18 points and Gasol seven of his 19.

Spain seemed headed for a cruise when they went up 28-20 midway through the second quarter, but Ksistof Lavrinovic shot back-to-back three-pointers to cap a 14-4 run that put the Lithuanians back in the game.

In all Lithuania had five successes from behind the arc – including three by Simas Jasaitis – to lead 42-40 going into the changing rooms.

Lavrinovic was in the thick of action again in the closing moments of the third quarter succeeding with his free-throw that came following a Pau Gasol foul during his successful three-pointer attempt. That ‘four-point play’ put Lithuania ahead by four points before the start of the final ten minutes.

Spain the decisive move two minutes into the second quarter staging a 10-3 run to take the score to 81-74 and never trailed again.

In between, Lithuania had suffered a heavy blow to their chances when Linas Kleiza was ejected after committing his second unsportsmanlike foul for the game.

Spain hung on to that lead to clinch their first final entry 24 years.

“This just made us more confident for the final,” Spain captain Carlos Jimenez said.

We’re going to go all out in the final even if we’re facing the U.S.

Simas Jasaitas and Sarunas Jasikevicius shared the scoring honors for Lithuania with 19 points apiece.

“We played well but we lost because we made small mistakes,” Jasaitis said.

“We allowed them to have second shots. In the last quarter, they went into a zone and I struggled to make my shots.”

“But this is basketball - sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
Scores

Spain 91 (Pau Gasol 19, Rudy Fernandez 18, Felipe Reyes 13, Carlos Jimenes 11) bt Lithuania 86 (Simas Jasaitis 19, Sarunas Jasikevicius 19, Robertas Javtokas 15, Ksistof Lavrinovic 13, Rimantas Kaukenas 11). Quarterwise Scores: 21-19, 40-42, 62-66.

USA 101 (Carmelo Anthony 21, Lebron James 15, Dwyane Wade 12, Kobe Bryant 12, Chris Paul 12) bt Argentina 81 (Luis Scola 28, Carlos Delfino 17, Alfredo Quniteros 12). Quarterwise Scores: 30-11, 49-40, 78-64.

 

 

 




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