U.S. Men’s Basketball Top Spain 82-76 In Rio To Reach Gold Medal Game

For the fourth consecutive Olympic Games, Team USA ended Spain’s hopes for a gold medal.

U.S. Men’s Basketball Top Spain 82-76 In Rio To Reach Gold Medal Game

Klay Thompson scored 22 points and Kevin Durant added 14 points as the U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Spain 82-76 Friday in the semifinals.

The United States will now hope for a third straight gold in men’s basketball in the final on Sunday, where they will face the winner of the Australia-Serbia semifinal.

It was the USA’s 52nd consecutive victory in a major international event and 24th consecutive Olympic victory.

Spain has also established itself as a top team, winning bronze in the sport at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. The U.S. remain the only team they seem consistently unable to defeat.

Thompson was the unquestionable offensive leader for Team USA. The Golden State Warriors guard recorded four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

DeAndre Jordan led defensively, deterring the Spaniards from drives to the basket and blocking shot attempts left and right. Jordan also contributed offensively, and finished with nine points, 16 rebounds, two assists and four blocks. The Los Angeles Clippers center joined the starting lineup in place of the Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins. 

Despite trailing for most of the game, Spain kept it close. The U.S. led 36-32 in the second quarter and 53-48 in the third. However, the Spaniards proved to be less of a threat than they were in the 2008 and 2012 Games.

Spain trailed 66-57 at the start of the fourth quarter, and the U.S. built a 72-57 lead with 7:28 left in the game.

Center Pau Gasol, who signed with the San Antonio Spurs just last month, proved to be Spain’s top player for the fourth straight Olympics. The 36-year-old Barcelona native scored a team-high 23 points, including two from three-point range.

Durant scored five of the US’s first seven points to help the Americans start on a good note. Durant, the leading scorer for the U.S. throughout the tournament, had eight rebounds.

USA out-rebounded Spain on both ends of the court, but it was especially noticeable on offense, where they scored 25 points on second-chance opportunities compared to 18 for Spain.

The U.S., which had at times struggled defensively in Rio, improved on defense in the quarterfinals against France and even further against Spain. Spain shot just 39% from the field.

The Americans extended the lead to double digits several times throughout the game, but the Spaniards always fought back and refused to let the match slip away from them completely.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 19: Sergio Rodriguez #6 of Spain goes to the basket against DeAndre Jordan #6 of United States during the Men’s Semifinal match on Day 14 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1 on August 19, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena