US Basketball: Worth A Pair Of Olympic Golds

Courtesy of NBCOlympics.com

Spain put on an a good show. But out in the Olympics, good just isn’t good enough. Having said that, the US Men’s Basketball team dubbed The Redeem Team closed out the 2008 Olympics Basketball tourney with a perfect 8-0 record and held off the Gasol brothers with a 118-107 victory to clinch the gold.

The US Women’s Basketball team had also won the gold via a 92-65 beating over Australia yesterday. It’s been said, and I’ll say it again, the US Basketball Team is worth a pair of golds.

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US vs. Spain and Australia

Courtesy of Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images

Two countries would have to bring their A+ games to beat the US basketball teams. It all begins tonight at 10:00PM (GMT +8:00) when the 2008 Olympics Women’s Basketball gold medal will be settled by a game between Australia and the US. Since I don’t pay attention to anything WNBA, I have no idea who the other stars are on the US Women’s Basketball team other than Lisa Leslie. I’m not even sure if she’s on the team this time. Well I just hope they win to hype up the men’s team.

Tomorrow afternoon, 2:30PM (GMT +8:00), the US Men’s Basketball team will play Spain. Again. This time, and as hinted, it will be about nothing else but for the gold medal. Spain lost to the US when they first met during group elimination play. I think it was a blow out.

Having said that, I think it’s going to be easy for Lebron, Kobe and company–unless of course if Pau would prove me wrong. Tomorrow. I’ll be glued to the tube by then as I’ll be off work come jump-ball time.

Celtics In Six (Period)

Sorry I forgot to follow-through as I just couldn’t believe the Lakers lost. I was rooting for them. My prediction was even simple: Lakers in Six. I guess I just believed too much in the triangle. Anyway, I’m glad the Celtics got it over with at home. It was murder out there. It’s like every shot the Celts made in the fourth quarter was much like adding insult to injury or more fuel to the fire. So the final score was Celtics 131, Lakers 92. It was the most lopsided closeout win in NBA Finals history. I thought I saw the Celts had scored more points in the fourth quarter than the Lakers so, that about says it all for the contest. BTW, it’s Paul Pierce who ran away with the Final MVP trophy. That’s him and the coach, Doc Rivers, on photo above.

With the NBA Finals over, I guess we can all look forward to the Beijing 2008 Olympics in August. I’d be all glued to the basketball games by then in anticipation of some great games involving the United States. See you then.

*Photo courtesy of the NBA.

Lakers 77, Celtics 113

Looks like the Lakers are giving up now while the Celtics are going to bring home the bacon tonight. So who’s going to be the Finals MVP? KG? PP or RA? I have no idea. I am sure, it’s not going to be Kobe.

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Lakers, Done In Six?

It looks like the Celtics are going to wrap things up tonight especially with a commanding 30-point lead with just under 3 minutes to go in the 3d quarter. I think that’s just too much for the Lakers to overcome. Stay tuned though…

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CELTICS 3, LAKERS 1

In one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history (at least in recent memory), the CELTICS trounced the LAKERS on their own floor with a remarkable 97-91 come-from-behind victory. It was all LAKERS from the first half up until late third quarter when the CELTICS were finally able to start answering back. All that and the LAKERS squandered their lead (as much as 24 points) during crunch time. I guess it really isn’t over when it’s over.

I wrote off the CELTICS as early as the start of the third quarter but boy was I wrong. Who would’ve thought the LAKERS would lose that game? That for sure would be a heartbreaker for them. But that’s basketball and it was the CELTICS who came out BIG when it mattered the most. With under 40 seconds left, Ray Allen’s breakaway lay-up was the haymaker. That was just the highlight to the LAKER’s defensive breakdown in the second half. Sasha Vujajic probably gave up on that play thinking someone was going to cover for him from the weak side. Nobody did. And that was the game’s turning point from my perspective.

I would think it’s now safe to say that the CELTICS are going to win this series. And Ray, Paul Pierce and KG would be getting a truck load of bonuses plus the rings! Stay tuned.

*Photo courtesy of the NBA.