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USA/ESP – Americans overcome battling Spain to win gold medal game

rss-editor@fiba.com — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:38:22 GMT

BEIING (Olympics) - The United States sent their best to the Beijing Games and it’s a good thing they did because the Americans needed every weapon in their arsenal to beat Spain in the gold medal game at the Olympics. After steamrolling the competition and charging into the final as huge favourites, Team USA had to put on an incredible shooting performance to win 118-107.

ARG – Ginobili ends up just as happy as if he’d played

rss-editor@fiba.com — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:53:19 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Manu Ginobili laced up his high-tops and tried to play for Argentina on Sunday in the bronze medal game against Lithuania but felt too much pain in his ankle and had to watch from the bench. Ginobili suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury that nearly knocked him out of the Olympics in the first quarter of his team’s ...

ARG/LTU – Unheralded Gutierrez, Quinteros shine as Argentina win bronze

rss-editor@fiba.com — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:49:15 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Argentina didn’t have injured star Manu Ginobili but Leonardo Gutierrez and Paolo Quinteros filled the void as the South Americans beat Lithuania to capture the Olympic bronze medal on Sunday. With Ginobili looking on from the bench wearing a pair of jeans and an Argentina polo shirt, Gutierrez and Quinteros combined for 15 points in the first half and 22 overall in an 87-75 victory.

ESP - Teenager Rubio making history by capturing medal

rss-editor@fiba.com — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:46:05 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) - Ricky Rubio will become the youngest basketball player to receive a medal at the Olympics on Sunday after Spain's clash with the United States in the title game. The 17-year-old Rubio will overtake Vladimir Tatchenko, who won bronze at the 1976 Olympics as a member of the USSR team. Rubio doesn't turn 18 until October 21. The DKV ...

USA/ESP – James, Americans ready to play game of their lives against Spain

rss-editor@fiba.com — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:07:37 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – United States forward LeBron James has called Sunday’s gold medal clash with Spain the most important game of his career. A player many consider to be the best in the world, James reached the 2007 NBA Finals with Cleveland but the Cavaliers lost to San Antonio in four games. Now the 23-year-old superstar is 40 minutes ...

ARG – Manu fear over ankle injury

rss-editor@fiba.com — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:30:35 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Manu Ginobili will not play in the bronze medal game at the Olympics with Argentina because of the ankle injury that knocked him out of Friday’s 101-81 defeat to the United States. The South American giants will take on Lithuania on Sunday. "Only a miracle would allow me to go on the court,” said Ginobili, ...

USA/ARG - USA win but Manu-less Argentina make life uncomfortable for them

rss-editor@fiba.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:21:19 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) - The United States beat defending champions Argentina 101-81 on Friday night to earn a ticket to the gold medal game at the Olympics. The Americans, who won the gold medal in 2000 but lost a semi-final to Argentina four years ago before settling for bronze, got a team-high 21 points from Carmelo Anthony. The USA stormed out to a 21-point lead and Argentina then lost superstar guard Manu Ginobili to an ankle injury.

ESP/LTU – Reyes, Rudy and Pau carry Spain past brave Lithuania into final

rss-editor@fiba.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:59:06 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Spain edged Lithuania 91-86 to reach the gold medal game at the Olympics for the first time in 24 years while sending the Baltic giants to their fifth semi-final defeat in a row. 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 ...

FIBA – It’s the World Champions v World No 1 team

rss-editor@fiba.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:47:56 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) - The No 1 team on FIBA World rankings – USA – will take on the reigning FIBA World Champions – Spain – for the Olympic men’s basketball gold. That was the script laid out after USA steamrollered defending Olympics gold medalists Argentina 101-81 and Spain scraped from the bottom of their reserves to stop ...

USA/ARG – Team USA wanted Argentina and now they’ve got ’em

rss-editor@fiba.com — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:18:50 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – In the post-game press conference after the United States’ 116-85 triumph over Australia, Kobe Bryant, the architect of the Boomers’ demise, was asked if he wanted to play Argentina or Greece in the semi-finals. Bryant, fresh off his best performance at the Olympics, stated firmly: “We want to play the best. ...

LTU/ESP – Lithuania confident and ready ahead of semi against Spain

rss-editor@fiba.com — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:58:35 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – World champions Spain thrashed Lithuania 91-66 earlier this summer in the build-up to the Beijing Games. Expect Friday’s Olympic semi-final between the sides to be much closer. “This will be the most difficult game for us at the Olympics,” said Lithuania veteran Sarunas Jasikevicius, who made five of six ...

ARG/GRE – Argentina win thriller over Greece to set up USA rematch

rss-editor@fiba.com — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:39:15 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Argentina edged Greece 80-78 to advance to the semi-finals of the Olympics where they will take on gold-medal favourites Team USA. The South Americans, who beat Greece in the quarter-finals four years ago in Athens and then defeated the USA in the last four, had to survive a nervous finish. They led by five after a daring ...

USA/AUS – Superior rebounding allows Americans to bowl over Boomers

rss-editor@fiba.com — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:57:13 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) - The United States didn’t hit all of their shots against Australia but they made up for it with plenty of rebounds and eventually pulled clear for 116-85 win to reach the semi-finals of the Olympics. Kobe Bryant had 25 points to lead the USA, who grabbed 57 boards to just 28 for the Boomers. The Americans will now meet ...

LTU/CHN – Lithuania end China’s Olympic dream with blowout win

rss-editor@fiba.com — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:34:23 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Lithuania booked their fifth Olympic semi-final appearance in a row by pulling away from Yao Ming and China for a 94-68 triumph on Wednesday. Sarunas Jasikevius made five of six shots from long range and led all scorers with 23 points as the Lithuanians set up a last-four clash with world champions Spain. China’s giant ...

ESP/CRO – Croatia slow out of the gate and lose to Spain

rss-editor@fiba.com — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:42:13 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Pau Gasol and Spain built a big first-half advantage and used that as a platform for a 72-59 victory against Croatia in the first quarter-final of the men’s basketball tournament at the Olympics. Gasol had nine of his game-high 20 points in the first quarter as the world champions opened up a 22-11 lead and the Spanish ...

FIBA – Men’s Quarterfinal Round-Up

rss-editor@fiba.com — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:45:39 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) - Defending Olympic gold medalists Argentina and Greece played out an epic encounter before the former scraped through 80-78 by the proverbial whisker to enter the semi-finals of the Olympic men’s basketball competition on Wednesday. Team USA, meanwhile, made up in defense for their early struggle in shooting to power past FIBA ...

FIBA – USA and the chasing pack ready for the quarter-finals

rss-editor@fiba.com — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:58:49 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) - China have done the minimum that was required for their Olympic basketball campaign but world champions Spain need to reach the final if they are to meet the expectations of their adoring and demanding fans. And the way Aito Garcia Reneses’ men capitulated against the United States in their Group B game, a 119-82 humiliation on ...

USA – LeBron & Co meet USA Olympic hero Michael Phelps

rss-editor@fiba.com — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:33:55 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – The USA locker room was full of stars after the Americans’ 106-57 destruction of Germany on Monday night. But the brightest star of all wasn’t a member of the basketball team that has so far flattened everything in its path in pursuit of a gold medal. It was USA swimming hero Michael Phelps, the 23-year-old that ...

ARG/RUS – Maradona cheers on Manu, Argentina in win over Russia

rss-editor@fiba.com — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:41:48 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – Argentina held off Russia for their fourth successive win at the Olympics on Monday with football legend Diego Maradona among those in the crowd. Maradona stood and applauded throughout as Luis Scola poured in 37 points in a 91-79 triumph for the South Americans. Argentina will face Greece in Wednesday’s ...

USA/GER – United States annihilate Germany to go unbeaten in Group B

rss-editor@fiba.com — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:05:09 GMT

BEIJING (Olympics) – The United States delivered a first-quarter knockout punch against Germany on Monday evening to remain the only undefeated side in the men’s basketball tournament at the Beijing Games. The Americans, behind an excellent start from Dwight Howard and LeBron James, won 106-57 and will now take on Australia in the ...