Today we play the quarterfinals of the men's basketball tournament, at the end of the two elimination rounds all the eight best teams advanced who have presented themselves at these Olympics and from this afternoon the hunt for a medal is starting to get serious, even if to tell the truth the gold one seems to have already been awarded for some time, with the phenomenal Team USA favourites.
The US team arrived at these Games with very serious intentions and so far they have dominated without problems, demonstrating in every game that they do whatever they want, joking the opponent in turn. Of course with the crazy group of players he has at his disposal, for coach Krzyzewski, winning this tournament and confirming the gold medal in Beijing must simply be a formality, an obligation, but as has already happened in the past if these competitions are not faced with the right spirit, there is the risk of going against unexpected fools.
Instead Kobe Bryant (who in recent weeks has been seen several times in the stands following other champions such as Phelps and Federer) and his companions are confirming the words and intentions of the eve, with the goal of reviving the glories of the legendary Barcelona '92 Dream Team, even if in recent weeks the players have repeatedly reiterated that that team will remain unattainable and the strongest ever. Team USA will take the field last (at around 23pm) e will face Australia, certainly the weakest of the teams that reached the quarterfinals and that cannot worry LeBron and his associates in the slightest (the game is not even listed), who in the elimination round scored an average of 117 points scored per game, with an average difference of 38 points.
In the meeting with Nigeria, among other things, they recorded the record for points scored in an Olympic match, 156 (the final was 156 to 73), breaking down the previous record belonging to Brazil which in Seoul '88 had scored 138 all 'Egypt, while in the last round they demolished Argentina, one of the favorite teams for a medal, with a score of 126 to 97. On the way to the final, the USA will then find the winner of the South American derby between Brazil and Argentina. The green-and-gold team found itself in this position in the draw at the end of the controversial last group match against Spain, which was won 88-82 in the end, but which left many with the bitter taste of a Spanish biscuit.
In fact, the two teams took the field on equal points, knowing that a possible victory would have given the winning team second place in the group (behind Russia), but also Team USA's side of the draw. For 35 minutes Spain looked like they had no intention of losing, something that instead Brazil, which left one of its best players on the bench, Nenè, didn't seem to mind at all. Then, however, +10 for the European champions, Leandro Barbosa let loose for the South Americans (we don't know how much his team-mates appreciated his last minutes...), bringing his team back under and at that point Spain was seemed to stop playing, contributing to the overturning of the final result.
Speaking of tonight's match the prediction should see the Argentines, Olympic champions in Athens and bronze medalist four years ago, as favourites, who rely on expert people like Prigioni and the Nba Ginobili, Scola, Delfino and Nocioni, but after a few disappointing years Brazil, which hasn't brought home a medal since the bronze medal in Tokyo in 1964, is ready to play it evenly, aiming on excellent elements such as Marcelinho, Varejao, Tiago Splitter and Nenè. Moving to the other side of the board, at 15 pm the tap-off kicks off for perhaps the most balanced match of these quarterfinals, the derby between Russia and Lithuania. If they play like they did in the first four matches of the tournament (the painless defeat against Australia came in the last one) and don't commit inattention in defence, Russia, driven by their star Kirilenko, should have a few more chances of winning, but the Lithuanian team, which in its history has won three consecutive bronze medals from 1992 to 2000, can count on a great team organization in which Montepaschi's point guard Kaukenas, the former Milano Maciulis, Jasikevicius and the young talent Valanciunas stand out: let's get ready so in a hard-fought game.
To complete the picture, at about 17 pm the fascinating challenge between two of the best European teams takes place: Spain coached by our Scariolo and France led by San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker, returning from one of his best seasons, but that a problem with the retina of his eye, caused by having found himself against his will at the center of a brawl in a club in New York, seriously risked leaving him at home. Fortunately, the delicate operation he underwent went in the best possible way and the ex-husband of the actress Eva Longoria showed up in London in excellent condition, dragging France to second place in the group behind the USA, supported by the other NBA Nicolas Batum.
The Transalpine national team, which won silver in Sydney in 2000, however he will have to contend with the European champions Spain, in the remake of the 2011 continental final, won without history by the Iberians (at the time Ricky Rubio on one side and Joakim Noah on the other were great protagonists, now absent due to injury). Sergio Scariolo has a very strong rooster in his hands, with players, just to name a few, such as Juan Carlos Navarro, Rudy Fernandez and the brothers Marc and Pau Gasol (the latter, star of the Lakers alongside Bryant, had the honor of being the standard-bearer during the opening ceremony). The Spanish national team, somewhat following in the footsteps of that of football, has amassed many triumphs in recent years (European champion in 2009 and 2011, world title in 2006 and runner-up at the last Beijing Olympics) and also these Games she is the great contender for a place in the final against the United States, but this afternoon against France a great test awaits her, one of those which, if passed, give you even more awareness of your own strength.
As for the home national team of Great Britain, after taking several beatings, they managed at least on the last day to take away the satisfaction of beating China with a resounding 90-58 and making the almost ten thousand fans in the stands happy. Speaking of fans, since the beginning of the London adventure, First Lady Michelle Obama has never failed to give her contribution to Team USA, attending the games and meeting the various players, complimenting them and urging them for the final victory, while her husband, President Barack Obama, a great basketball fan, has said that he will only come for a possible final. We can swear you've already bought the tickets...
