Spain’s hopes of grabbing the gold were shattered after it lost, 95-81, to Team USA in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics men’s basketball event.
Spain has been one of the US’ toughest competitors in the Olympic games, most notably in the back-to-back Finals in 2008 and 2012. And this quarterfinals matchup did not seem like it would be any different as the US and Spain were almost evenly matched.
Though USA won, there’s a lot to unpack from the game that highlighted the team’s strengths and exposed their weaknesses.
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First off, when Team USA plays cohesively as a unit, it’s extremely difficult to stop them. In the third quarter of the game against Spain, six out of nine of their field goals were made off of assists, half of which came from Jrue Holiday who ended the match with 12 points and five assists.
This is a good sign for Team USA because it gives them momentum going into the next few matches. After playing just four games in the Tokyo Olympics, the team has gotten more familiar with the system of head coach Gregg Popovich.
The combination of momentum and confidence is crucial especially this late in the competition with tough contenders expected in the semifinals and finals if they make it through.
Obviously, at this point, no games will be handed to them. The US needs to earn their wins if they want to make it to the top. They face Australia in the semis and, if they advance, will take on the winner of the France and Slovenia matchup.
The quarterfinals match also proved that the US is no longer unbeatable. Yes, the US finished with a dominant 11-point win, but Spain gave them quite the challenge in the first half. The team did not have a clear-cut answer for Ricky Rubio who heated up and gave Spain 38 points in 27 minutes.
France has already proven that it’s possible to defeat the American superteam, and the last few Olympics have shown how much international basketball has improved.
The days of Team USA snagging the gold even before the start of the competition are long gone. It’s now a new era of athletes that are extremely talented no matter what country they are from.
Yes, the US is still dominating and still the favorite to win the gold medal but it’s going to be a difficult road to get there.
