Team USA vs. Australia Live Look-In
DwightIn preparation for this game yesterday, Dwight Howard was hanging around Team USA practice, holding a piece of paper that looked like he just had some USA Basketball intern whip up. “Take nothing for granted. We are 0-0.”
* The Australians came out trying to pressure Team USA at half court. Seriously? The Americans might be trying not to take anything for granted, but I’m sure they appreciate being given an easier path to the basket.
* From the jump, Dwight is practicing what he preaches, treating Andrew Bogut like a rag doll. Dwight got position so deep on the block that he had to lean away from the baseline to finish an easy two.
* It’s honestly surprising to see Chris Antsey knocking down two triples for the Boomers. It’s not that he can’t shoot - he spent three years in the League because he’s a 7-footer with range. But during their exhibition game, LeBron had to step in to separate Kobe and Antsey.
* With the first quarter winding down, it feels like the Americans are getting a lot of their points off of second-chance rebounds. On the other end Australia can’t convert high-percentage bunnies. If they weren’t bricking these easy second-chance opportunities, the Boomers would be winning this game.
* With the game tied 21-21, Dwyane Wade responded by gritting his teeth and going to the basket. He got the entire defense to collapse on him, so when he grabbed his own board, he hit a wide-open ‘Melo to bury a three.
* After a couple of questionable calls (one on Deron Williams for an offensive foul on Patty Mills, one in which Patty Mills got an and-1 when he wasn’t touched, and then one when Chris Paul didn’t get a call as time expired), Coach K was fuming. As the ref told him to go sit down, he b-lined it for LeBron, and got down face-to-face to tell him something. “Get in there and take this shit over.”
* Coach K’s been mixing up lineups that we haven’t seen yet. But the LeBron-at-center look was flying around the floor. Wade found ‘Bron on the break for the first transition assist all game. Then Kobe pump faked someone out of their jock and tomahawked where Andrew Bogut should have been. But he edged away from that side of the block to avoid complete humiliation.
* Aussie coach Brian Goorjian sent Mark Worthington into the game to try to get under anybody’s skin on Team USA. It didn’t look like there was an issue until give Aussie’s were surrounding LeBron - who was giggling about it - and Worthington was rubbing up against him.
* Great way to end the first half. Deron Williams splashed a three to end his personal drought and put the Americans up by double figures. It’s still not going to be pretty in Team USA’s locker room.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Jack says:
GOOD DEAL DIME. BEING IN WORK MAKES IT TOUGH TO WATCH THE GAMES BUT THIS WILL HELP ME GET BYE. HOPEFULLY THEY START REPLAYING SOME BASKETBALL GAMES INSTEAD OF MORE BEACH VOLLEYBALL AND DIVING.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Australia hanging in there. 25-24 at the end of the first quarter.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:28 am
DCFlash says:
Man… if we don’t start playing better we could be in trouble… i think spain is lickin their lips…
August 20th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Mills looking like the Australian Chris Paul out there.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Quickie Von Quick Quick lineup with Melo at center is a good idea. Out run the Aussies. Seven point lead US.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:36 am
iain. says:
Mills has crazy game. What college is he at? And remember Joe Ingles, Dime did a little paragraph on him when he was featured on betterthanlebron.com, he hasn’t been as nice as i’d hoped..
August 20th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
50% from the stripe is not going to cut it for the US.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
This Newly fellow is playing tough. Doug Collins said the Rockets drafted him. I don’t remember that.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Deron with the buzzer beater at the half, 12 point lead US.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:47 am
DCFlash says:
Needed that by Deron…. if the aussies could hit the lay-ups this would be close…
August 20th, 2008 at 8:48 am
luke says:
ugh terrible sequence at the end of the half there…
patty mills needs to be a little more aggresive i think, should push it max speed whenever he gets it THEN go into halfcourt where we are ok anyway
August 20th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Jason says:
US needs to figure out how to shoot the ball…that last second bucket by Deron was nice though
August 20th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Where’s all the American posters? Y’all nervous or what?
August 20th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
I guess I forgot its work time out east. Sun just coming up out west.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:55 am
iain. says:
Thats dedication Spliff.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Prodigy195 says:
Thanks for the update Dime. Being in class sucks. Hopefully they replay this game cause highlights aren’t enough.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
2 threes off the bat for the US. This could quickly get out of hand. Or not.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Just like that its a 23 point lead.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Prodigy195 says:
Score? I’m stuck in class
August 20th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
82-52
August 20th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
A minute left in the 3rd.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Once again Tayshaun Prince comes in and plays good. They need to play him more. Dude can do a little of everything. US 89-61 at the end of 3.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Kev says:
Being Australian i gotta say im extremely impressed with patty mills, havnt reali seen this guy much but hes going places
August 20th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Ashlov says:
Crikey!
August 20th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Austin Burton says:
Joe Ingles is nice. He’s the next-best shooter on the court after Kobe.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Gotta agree about Mills. Ingles is showing some flashes but too little too late. I’m sure if Bogut didn’t injure his ankle again it would be a closer game. Maybe a 24 point lead not 28.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Ingles had that nice dunk. That was Australias only dunk of the game. Maybe the tournament. I don’t know I didnt see any other Aussie games.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:39 am
sans says:
@ Prodigy…nbcolympics.com has every game to watch, without commentary. Well, text commentary, which is funny at times, but really slow.
Is it just me or is Deron Williams going bald faster than anyone else in the L right now? Redd looks way better bald.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Prodigy195 says:
Thanks for the heads up Sans, I’ll go watch the games later tonight.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:41 am
sans says:
Oh and what’s with the Aussie jerseys? Those look like summer league joints!
August 20th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Austin Burton says:
They played like summer leaguers for the last three quarters.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:45 am
sans says:
You gotta love how Wade dribbles around shaking peoples hands and ish while the clock is running out…
August 20th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Its a wrap. Put another shrimp on the barbie. Whatever the hell that means. US gets the winner of Argentina/Greece. Personally I’d rather play Argentina because they haven’t played them yet and that means they need to stay focused. I think the US would be too confident after killing Greece last week.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Well isnt it always summer in Australia. That would explain the summer league uniforms.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:51 am
josh says:
Worthington can get under dudes skin, he’s been punched in the head multiple times in games, didnt work against Lebron though.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:52 am
heartbreaker85 says:
i think that if anything, the olympics has proven that dwight howard isn’t the “best center in the world” to date as the media has reported him to be. he’s practically useless outside 8ft from the ring, can’t play post-up basketball and relies heavily on his athleticism– which isn’t getting the job done in the FIBA tourneys.
that’s why he’s losing minutes to Chris Bosh more and more.
i say that the best center in the world is yao ming, but only because there’s no one else out there. the NBA’s new age centers are more like power forwards of yesteryear’s.
d-wade is u.s.a.’s MVP in this one.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Pizzle says:
If an NBA team doesnt draft Pat Mills next year they have rocks in their heads. This kid has shown that he can score against the best team in the world. He has run the Aussie team better than CJ Bruton and his has defended very well against bigger guys. He’s the Aussie Tony Parker. Only a little smaller AND with a better jump shot.