Saitama (Japan) (AFP)
If "Team USA" had wanted to send a message, it would not have done otherwise: the Americans, triple reigning Olympic champions, and their NBA stars bluntly dismissed Spain (95-81) to qualify for the Tokyo Games semi-finals on Tuesday.
As in the final in Beijing in 2008, then in London in 2012, La Roja suffered the law of the United States.
And while the latter had not shown a conquering face in the group stage, notably marked by an inaugural defeat against France (83-76), suggesting the possibility of a setback as premature as it was bitter in this shock, It has not happened.
By winning with the manner against the reigning world champions Spain, who many saw armed to take a nice revenge and strike a big blow in Tokyo, the Americans reminded the competition ready to challenge them that they remained the favorites. of this tournament.
In the last square, Thursday, they will find either Australia or Argentina in the evening in the Super Arena, where a standing ovation was reserved for them by a lot of members of delegations from all countries, who came to fill the stands.
- Rubio vainly magnificent -
Precisely pointed out, in the first week, for its propensity to favor "match-ups" (one against one), without really reciting a collective basketball, for lack of having been able to put in place automatic mechanisms, "Team USA" showed the best on that side.
It was, with their defensive know-how to be refined, one of the sine qua non conditions to defeat Spain, better armed in the interior sector.
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The great architect of their victory was named, unsurprisingly, Kevin Durant, author of 29 points (4 assists, 2 interceptions) who delivered a superb duel of scorers from a distance with Ricky Rubio, a formidable scoring machine (38 pts, at 13/20) which kept Spain afloat for a long time.
The latter also played very well in the first period, reciting his basketball and dominating the debates inside, to the point of counting 10 lengths (39-29) in advance, thanks in particular to Willy Hernangomez author of 6 points ( 10 in total) and 3 counters in a handful of minutes.
After having taken this small hail, "Team USA" nevertheless managed to pick up the score to finish tied (43-43) at the break, before sounding a terrible charge, in the wake of Durant author of three shots behind the arc , which resulted in a 36-10 inflicted in just over ten minutes between the 2nd and 3rd quarters, his lead peaking at 16 lengths (65-49).
- "We have found our identity" -
The result was a perfect mastery of events and opposing inclinations, Jayson Tatum taking over in the fourth quarter by registering 10 of his 13 points.
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By imposing themselves in this way, the Americans have obviously avoided an enormous disillusionment and especially garnered an increase in confidence which comes to drive away the clouds of doubts piled up above them, whereas they had arrived in Tokyo in a state of form far from optimal, the group having had a preparation poisoned by the Covid (Bradley Beal, tested positive, package), not to mention the late arrival of Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker after the NBA final.
"We have a common goal, which is to win a gold medal and we do everything to win it. We have to continue to be ourselves, we have found our identity and we understand how we have to play, and that was the perfect time, so hopefully we can keep that momentum going, ”Durant commented on NBC.
For Spain, the reigning world champion, the disappointment of no longer being in a position to bring home a medal is necessarily great.
She pays dearly for her misstep in the group stage against Slovenia, which sent her straight to the ogre USA.
This premature exit also marks the end of the international career of the immense Pau Gasol, who at 41 years old dreamed of adorning his fifth Olympiad with gold.
© 2021 AFP