I have yet to write hardly anything about the Olympics even though it is the biggest story in all of basketball this offseason. In penance I will attempt to live blog Team
I need not remind anyone of the result last time these two squads matched up in the semifinals of the World Championships. Team
The only thing that is more of an unknown than the outcome of the game is whether or not I will be able to actually get up in time to watch the game and I am hoping to buy myself time by writing this before I go to bed on Wednesday.
Let’s hope for the best in both the outcome of the game and for my ability to answer the bell or actually the alarm.
See you in six hours…maybe.
5:59 AM: Alright. Tip off is at hand. This may be the first time in my life I wished that I drank coffee.
6:01 AM: Team
6:04 AM: I still have not figured out figured our if I am actually going to try to spell the Greek’s names or not. At this point even if I tried I would not get them right.
6:05 AM: Kidd gets his third foul. I wonder if Coach K kept him in the game just so he had an excuse not to play him.
6:06 AM: OK, the refs are clearly in the bag for
6:08 AM: Melo drains a three on his first shot. He has been a little disappointing so far, but hopefully this is the start for a big game for Melo.
6:10 AM: A touch foul on Melo results in a three point play when no one boxes out the shooter on a free throw moments after Doug Collins points out that the US looks a little flat.
6:12 AM: Half way through the first quarter and this looks like the worst case scenario for the
6:15 AM: A couple of turnovers and a couple of fast break scores reminds everyone how quickly the
6:18 AM: Melo does a good job bodying up Sofoklis “Baby Shaq” and forces a 24 second violation.
6:20 AM: The second half of the first quarter looked much more like the type of game the
6:23 AM: Two Greek possessions in the second quarter and two turnovers, the second one resulting in an amazing alley oop from Wade to
6:25 AM: After
6:27 AM: The
6:29 AM: Bosh gets called for his second foul and that has to be a concern for Coach K, but he stays in the game.
6:31 AM: After stabilizing a little bit
6:32 AM: Wade is absolutely taking over this game. After a three point play and another driving lay up he hits a three to put the
6:33 AM: Can someone please keep
6:36 AM:
6:37 AM:
6:39 AM: Another turnover results in a sweet reverse dunk by LeBron. The
6:41 AM: A beautiful pick and roll by LeBron and Bosh results in an and one for Bosh. US up by 19 late in the first half.
6:42 AM:
6:44 AM: The first half ends with Chris Bosh blocking a three pointer at the buzzer and the
ot pick up his third.
Carmelo finished the half with three points on 1/3 shooting. The way Wade is playing and with the point guard’s ability to penetrate Melo is not needed as a big contributor on offense. Melo has the fewest shot attempts out of anyone American who played at least ten minutes in the first half. He needs the ball in his hands in order to get in a rhythm. When he is turned into a catch and shoot player who only touches the ball every few minutes he is not going to be an offensive factor.
The good news is he is putting forth effort on defense and has fought for some loose balls and rebounds.
Looking at the half time stats the reasons for the 19 point spread is evident. We already mentioned that
I seriously doubt the Greeks can come back in this game, but obviously, anything can happen.
6:59 AM: The real good news is thanks to the 20 minute halves in international basketball this game will be over before I have to get my daughter ready for her first day of school. Apart from actually waking up in time to watch the game, missing the end in order to get her dressed and fed was my second biggest fear.
7:00 AM: It is fun to see the
7:01 AM: Melo gets fouled after a quick post up in transition and hits both free throws. Five points for Melo.
7:02 AM:
7:04 AM:
7:05 AM: Melo puts the
7:08 AM: Another steal results in another break away dunk for
7:11 AM: I do not like that weird pattern in the back of the uniforms for the
7:12 AM: Wade does a great job of bodying up to Baby Shaq and forcing him out of the lane on a pick and roll for another turnover.
7:15 AM: Melo misses a three and
7:18 AM: Wade finishes the third quarter with a three point play that puts the us back up by 20. At the end of three it is 74-54. The
7:21 AM: Bosh tips the ball off the rim at one end and scores on a fast break lay up on the other. He has been great, playing all out every second he is on the floor.
7:23 AM: One of the s
ubplots the team of Mike Breen and Doug Collins are discussing is the proclamation by Carmleo that he wants to set the record for most rebounds in a game for the
7:26 AM: After a tremendous set of rotations in transition to deny
7:28 AM: Coach K puts in the team victory cigar in the person of Tayshaun Prince with just under seven minutes left.
7:30 AM: Michael Redd becomes the latest US guard to body up a big man in the lane after a pick and roll forcing a turnover.
7:32 AM: With the
7:33 AM: It is pretty clear to me that this team is better with Jason Kidd on the bench. Defensively he is a complete sieve and with players like Chris Paul and Deron Williams on the team they have two guys who can run the offense and make every pass. I thought the news that Coach K was thinking about starting Bosh over Dwight Howard was crazy, but after seeing how active Bosh is I can see why he was thinking that. In today’s game Bosh played 21:20 to Howard’s 11:36.
7:39 AM: The only question left is whether or not the US will cover what I believe Chris Sheridan said was a 20.5 point line…that is if you care about that kind of thing.
7:41 AM: What perfect timing. As the