THE United States picked up its third straight Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball, repeating over Serbia with a 96-66 rout in the finals at the Rio Games for its 25th consecutive victory overall. Kevin Durant, who is now the American’s No. 2 all-time Olympic scorer (surpassing LeBron James) in just two appearances and 16 games, finished with 30 points (including 24 at halftime with USA up, 52-29).
All-National Basketball Association (NBA) Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins registered a double-double with 13 points and 15 boards. Carmelo Anthony became the winningest U.S. Olympic men’s basketball’s athlete with his record-setting third gold medal in addition to the bronze the New York Knicks forward won during the 2004 Athens Games.
Anthony tallied just seven points in the finals (all in the second half) but grabbed seven rebounds to move past David Robinson on the all-time U.S. Olympic rebounding charts with his 125th rebound overall. Earlier in the 12-team tournament, Anthony also surged ahead of James to become the No. 1 Olympic scorer in U.S. men’s basketball history.
Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is retiring from the USA Basketball program to give way to San Antonio Spurs bench boss Gregg Popovich, also copped third straight Olympic gold medal to set a U.S. record. During their 8-0 march to the gold medal, the Americans posted an average winning margin of 22.5 points.
Former NBAer Nemanja Nedovic scored 14 points for Serbia in the Rio finals. Serbia, a wildcard entry which had only lost by three points, 94-91, to the Americans during elimination-round action, settled for the silver medal in its first Olympic appearance as an independent nation.
Formerly a part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Serbs had not qualified for the Games since gaining their independence in 2006. Under the flag of the FRY, they took the silver during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, having dropped a 95-69 decision to the Yanks in the gold-medal encounter.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Sergio Rodriguez made a pair of free throws with 5.4 seconds left to lift Spain to an 89-88 win over Australia in the bronze-medal game. The Spansh, the silver medalists during the 2008 Beijing Games and 2012 London Games, were led by new San Antonio Spurs frontliner Pau Gasol’s 31 points and 11 rebounds in what could be the final international game for the 36-year-old, two-time NBA title member (with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010).
Gasol’s future Spurs mate Patty Mills topscored for the Boomers with 30 points. During the knockout semifinals, Serbia exacted revenge with an 87-61 rout of Australia and the United States downed Spain, 82-76, in a rematch of the Olympic finals in 2008 and 2012. The Aussies had earlier blasted the Serbians, 95-80, during elimination-round play.
During the eight-team quarterfinals, Australia beat Lithuania, 90-64; Spain clobbered France, 92-67; the United States smashed Argentina, 105-78; and Serbia defeated Croatia, 86-83, in a battle of former Balkan states. The Aussies reached the Olympic Final Four thrice — 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney and 2016 Rio Games — and lost in the bronze-medal game each time.
The Olympic Men’s Basketball final standings in the Rio Games are as follows: 1-United States, 2-Serbia, 3-Spain, 4-Australia, 5-Croatia, 6-France, 7-Lithuania, 8-Argentina, 9-Brazil, 10-Venezuela, 11-Nigeria and 12- People’s Republic of China.