Tag: Australia

Lot to keep an eye on as Spurs’ camp nears

By Mike Monroe

There are plenty of questions as the Spurs open training camp at their practice facility next week, but one big decision must be made before camp begins: Will the team insist that point guard Tony Parker continue wearing the protective goggles he sported during the Olympics in London?

Parker didn’t like the protective eyewear, but it was necessary after a freak injury that required surgery to remove a shard of glass from his left cornea. He pitched the goggles into the stands after Spain eliminated France from the medal round, declaring he was done with them for good.

When he arrives for his physical exam ahead of Tuesday’s start of camp, he may discover the club’s well-established history of erring on the side of caution with injuries demands he be fitted for new goggles.

“I’m not sure that’s a decision ‘Dr. Parker’ gets to make on his own,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. “We haven’t seen him yet. We’re now several months, post-injury. We’ll have a better picture of it when we see him. Somebody very qualified will examine that eye.”

The All-NBA second-team selection, and the Spurs’ top scorer and assist man last season, suffered the injury June 15. He was a bystander during a bottle-throwing incident involving musicians Chris Brown and Drake at a New York nightclub.

Parker was one of six Spurs who competed in the Olympics during part of the summer Buford declared “very productive” for the team’s core, in large part because everyone made it through competition healthy.

Parker played on the French national team with big man Boris Diaw and rookie combo guard Nando De Colo.

Veteran guard Manu Ginobili led Argentina to the bronze-medal game. Center Tiago Splitter helped Brazil qualify for the medal round. Guard Patrick Mills was one of the tournament’s top scorers in guiding Australia into the medal round.

“I think it was a good summer in a lot of different areas” Buford said. “Starting off with Kawhi (Leonard) and DeJuan (Blair) playing on the (USA Basketball) select team. Both of them had a very good showing and represented themselves well. Kawhi’s turn in the summer league, while short, was really impressive. Cory Joseph also had a good run through that.

“Obviously, we had a big crew of guys at the Olympics and they all played relatively well. After the Olympics concluded we had a really good month of open gym with a lot of our young guys.

“Of course, Tim (Duncan) was in there long before the open gym started. I just think the professionalism with which our group approaches the season is fun to see.”

Well aware that Blair believed the Spurs would trade him after he fell out of the playing rotation during the playoffs, Buford empathized with the fourth-year forward’s situation.

“We understand the way he feels,” he said. “If we were in his shoes we may feel similar. Having said that, DeJuan helped us win a lot of games and we have not had anything presented to us that puts our team in a better position than moving forward with DeJuan.”

mikemonroe@express-news.net
Twitter: @Monroe_SA

USA-Argentina live blog

Tipoff is minutes away in the third straight Olympic semifinal meeting between Argentina and the United State of America. Argentina has had more success against the USA than any other team in the Dream Team era, but even Manu Ginobili, playing in perhaps his last international, knows his team faces a huge challenge, putting its chances of winning today at somewhere between 5 and 10  percent. He also said Argentina is going to give it everything it has against the overwhelming favorites to win gold. We’ll be here throughout with notes and observations.

First quarter

Interesting day for Kobe Bryant and Andre Iguodala, the latter having been joined by yet another dominant big man in Los Angeles, and the former having been traded from Philadelphia and Denver as part of the Dwight Howard deal. Could be a challenge to maintain focus against the bulldog Argentinians.

9:50: Ginobili steals the tip, feeds Scola for the 18-footer. Nice start for Argentina — 10 seconds down, 39:50 to go!

8:11: Argentina picking its poison, sitting back in a zone and daring the USA to shoot from outside. Kobe’s already taken advantage for a 3, and just reverse dunked in somebody’s face for a 5-4 lead.

7:32: Scola’s scoop shot sent about 20 rows into the stands by Kevin Durant.

6:09: Kobe drills his second 3 in Andres Nocioni’s grill, Durant follows with the steal and breakaway dunk, USA leads 15-4, timeout Argentina. Somebody was curious about Bryant’s focus? He’s already got eight points with less than four minutes gone. Ginobili: zero, 0-for-1 shooting.

5:10: Ginobili finally gets on the board with a George Gervin finger roll, Kobe counters with his third 3. USA, 18-6.

4:06: Goodness, Kevin Durant just missed consecutive open jumpers. Should have left him at home.

3:46: Ginobili finally finds the range with a nothing-but-net 3, Argentina back to within 18-11.

2:29: LeBron with the great chase down block on Delfino, Argentina still on a 9-0 run and down only five, 18-13.

1:50: Nocioni with the buttery pull-up, Argentina has 11 straight.

1:35: Kevin Love’s Beard hits the offensive glass, draws the foul and makes one to snap Argentina run. USA, 19-15.

1:15: Gorgeous driving layup by Westbrook, USA 21-17.

0:00: USA leads 24-19. Great job by Argentina weathering the early storm and climbing back into it. Just the kind of resilience you’d expect from such a veteran team. Scola said Argentina had to hold USA in the 90s to have any chance, and its on pace through one. Have to wonder about depth, however; Ginobili played the entire first and probably won’t rest hardly at all.

Second quarter

9:13: Kobe’s 4 for 7, rest of Team USA is 5 for 14. Make it 5 for 15 after Deron Williams bricks a 3.

7:24: Delfino with the HIIIIIIIGH arcing 3, Argentina back within 4 at 28-24.

5:44: Amazing pass from Chris Paul to LeBron in the lane, USA 34-27. Kevin Love’s Beard with another offensive board.

5:11: LeBron James — AKA The Best Player in the World — just overpowering Argentina off the dribble in this quarter. He’ll shoot the bonus after bulling his way to the rim for his fourth layup in the last three minutes.

Put those retirement plans on hold for Argentina’s “Golden Generation.” Craig Sager just reported that Nocioni said that another medal could motivate them to return for yet another Olympics. It bears noting that Manu will be 39 in 2016.

4:59: Ginobili finally gets a rest with the USA leading 39-27.

3:42: Delfino keeping Argentina in it, hits another gap-closing 3, USA up 41-32.

2:41: A small victory for Argentina. Ginobili checks back in, and it actually managed to cut a couple of points into the lead. Scary thought, though: Argentina trails 45-35 and both Durant and Anthony have been mediocre at best.

0:35: Prigioni with the gorgeous feed to Scola inside, USA’s lead back down to eight, 45-37. Argentina trails, but the pace has certainly been to its liking.

0:01: Argentina races down quickly after Kevin Love’s Beard scores and — who else? — Ginobili hits a 3 pointer just before the buzzer to make it 47-40. Not a terrible spot for the USA, which has a decent lead despite shooting horribly (5 for 16)  from the arc. That’s been a strength all tournament long; remember the onslaught of 3s that broke open the USA’s rout of Argentina in pool play? But certainly, Argentina has kept the pace and the score very much to its liking.

USA had been plus-26 per game from the 3-point line in the Olympics. Today? Minus 3.

Third quarter

9:50: And Bryant promptly bricks a quick 3.

9:40: Not so for Ginobili, who drills another one from beyond the arc. Team USA’s lead down to 4, 47-43. Outscoring Team USA by eight after the early 18-6 deficit.

9:05: USA back up eight after two technical free throws and a rare tip-in from Tyson Chandler.

7:51: Argentina continues to hang around. Turnover at the US end leads to Ginobili’s three-point play at the other end, back within five at 51-46.

6:26: Bad sequence for Argentina. Durant sandwiches a couple of 3s — the second after a tremendous offensive rebound by LeBron James — around a floater from Chris Paul for a quick 8-0 lead. Just like that, USA leads 59-46 and Argentina is hanging on by its fingernails.

4:01: LeBron turns the corner and explodes for a dunk over Nocioni, and one. Good, even though the rim is still shaking. USA 64-51.

2:02: Durant, MIA throughout the first half, is officially on fire. Hits his fourth 3 of the quarter, USA leads 70-53.

0:44: Ginobili flings in a stop-and-pop floater, Argentina back within 15.

0:00: USA, 74-57. All those open looks Argentina was conceding finally started falling in the third as Durant sank four 3s. The real difference maker, however, continues to be LeBron James. His fingerprints were on virtually everything Team USA did, be it swooping layups, powerful rebounds or kickouts to open shooters. He’s got 18/6/6 through three, and the USA is on pace for another date with Spain.

Fourth quarter

9:15: Westbrook drains a 3, the lead blows past 20, and the rout is officially on.

6:34: Behold the power of a fully operational Team USA. Melo’s second straight 3 gives the Americans a 93-64 advantage. Doug Collins makes a great point — with a bronze medal game to play against Russia tomorrow morning, Argentina is probably better served by pulling the plug.

3:08: It’s beyond garbage time at this point. Ginobili and Co. are all on the bench, and the lead’s been hovering between 25-28 for the last few minutes. Argentina did a great job for two quarters, but the USA’s superior shooting was just too much to contain for an entire game.

0:00: USA wins 109-83. Much like the Australia game, the final score doesn’t do justice to how well Team USA’s opponent fought. But in the end, you need to play perfectly and hope the USA helps out by shooting poorly to have any chance of an upset. That didn’t come remotely close to happening today, even after Argentina controlled the pace in the first half,  as USA sank 13 of 26 3-pointers in the second.

Kobe Bryant scored all 13 of his points in the first half to keep the USA ahead, Kevin Durant picked up the slack with 15 of his 19 in the second, and LeBron James was dominant throughout, following up the first triple double in Team USA history with 18/7/7. Manu Ginobili (18 points), Luis Scola and Carlos Delfino (15 apiece) both acquitted themselves, but it wasn’t nearly enough to avert the USA’s second-half onslaught.

So, after having defeated Argentina three times in the past three weeks, the last two in emphatic fashion, USA has done nothing to diminish its status as the heavy favorite in Sunday’s gold medal final with Spain. Argentina will look to bring home its third medal in three Olympics — an impressive feat by anyone’s standard outside of the USA.

USA-Australia live blog

So now the fun really begins. Team USA cruised through pool play without a loss, despite a couple of speed bumps against Lithuania and Argentina. The heavy gold medal favorites should have little trouble with Australia today. Indeed, the only real drama will probably be how many shots Patty Mills gets up. Over/under — 25. And, as always, box score is .

First quarter

6:11, USA leads 12-10. A small victory for the Boomers — they won the tip! Pretty solid start so far for Australia, which trails by only two as Matt Nielsen heads to the foul line. Kevin Durant has a couple of 3s so far, but so does Mills — on two attempts, no less, and both over Kobe Bryant.

4:08, USA leads 19-12. Questionable strategy from Australia’s Brett Brown, whose team is actually trying to run with the U.S. Not sure if that’s going to pan out over 40 minutes. Fortunately for the Boomers, however, the U.S. is only 2 for 5 from 3-point range so far. LeBron James is running the show with three assists as the Americans lead by seven following Carmelo Anthony’s three-point play.

2:36, USA leads 22-16. James just distributed a gorgeous no-look bounce pass inside to Russell Westbrook. That’s assist No. 4 to go with five rebounds.

0:00, USA leads 28-21. Lots of trouble early for the Boomers, who are shooting poorly (33 percent from the floor, 33 percent from 3, 42 percent from the line) and have committed 10 fouls. Still, they’re only down seven after Mills slithered to the rim for his ninth and 10th points to cut the deficit to seven.

Second quarter

8:55, USA leads 31-22. Going to be a LONG game. Australia has already committed 13 fouls, including three here in the early moments of the second quarter. USA not far behind with nine.

4:37, USA leads 44-36. The USA is having a tough time separating from the scrappy Boomers. Every time it looks like the Americans are ready to go on a big run, Australia pulls a couple of plays out of their hat. Or, it just funnels the ball to Kobe, who is 0 for 3 with two turnovers.

2:14, USA leads 54-38. Not sure if this is a word, but you’ll get the picture when I say Team USA is severely out-athleting Australia. Offensive rebounds on the last three possessions fuel a quick 7-0 run that pushes the Americans out to their biggest lead. Deron Williams, of all players, is the leading scorer with 13.

0:50, USA leads 56-40. Great sequence for LeBron, who contests Mills’ fastbreak layup, then races downcourt to facilitate a wide-open layup for Kevin Love. How’s this for a juicy state line: 7 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists. LeBron at his all-around best.

Halftime, USA leads 56-42. Australia actually did a pretty good job hanging in despite severe foul problems and horrendous shooting. Still, there’s no doubt which team is in firm control at the moment. Team USA has proven adept at coming out of halftime strong in these Olympics, so we’ll see if it can continue the trend.

A minor upset: Mills has taken only nine shots! Pick it up, Patty…

Third quarter

9:50, USA leads 56-47. Now, that’s more like it. Mills with the quick 3, steal and layup in the first 10 seconds.

8:20, USA leads 56-53. Two 3s for Ingles, and Australia is on an 11-0 run. So much for that strong start Team USA was hoping for.

5:02, USA leads 67-58. Vintage Bryant. Drills a spot-up 3, forces the steal, then goes out of his way to dribble to the 3-point line after gathering the loose ball. Of course he made it. Never mind that he’d played horrendously up to that sequence. You could have bet your house that shot was going up.

0:00, USA leads 84-70. An active, energetic third quarter for the Australians. But for all their good work, they can’t cut even a single point off the USA’s lead. At least they didn’t fall behind any further — small victories and all of that. Conversely, the Americans were frighteningly sloppy, especially on the defensive end. It’s quarters like this that gives other teams hope that the juggernaut of international basketball can be beaten.

Fourth quarter

7:34, USA leads 90-75. LeBron whips a beautiful cross-court pass out of a double team to Williams for the 3. He’s up to 11 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Has missed out on at least three or four assists thanks to errant shooting from his teammates.

6:38, USA leads 92-78. Wild loose ball at halfcourt ping pongs around until it finally gets to Mills, who drills the Bruce Bowen Memorial Corner 3. He’s up to 22, the second straight Olympics he’s scored at least 20 against Team USA.

6:16, USA leads 93-78. Kevin Love battles through the entire population of Australia to pull down an offensive rebound and draw the foul. Man’s play right there. Even his facial hair is manly.

4:53, USA leads 107-80. Kobe with one of his patented hot streaks, hitting three straight 3s to give USA its largest lead. Then LeBron finds Love behind the back for the fastbreak layup and his 10th assist of the game and the triple double. That’s the beauty of Team USA — can play up and down for most of the game, and just like that they’re up by almost 30. EDIT — my bad, LeBron cracked double-digit assists on one of Kobe’s 3; in fact, he assisted on all of them, according to the play by play. Still, the pass to Love was pretty sweet.

2:24, USA leads 109-84. Mills up to 24 now after his layup. Great, gutty effort from the Spurs’ backup PG against overwhelming odds.

Game, USA wins 119-86. An unfair final score for Australia, which competed hard throughout. But such is the challenge presented by Team USA, which can turn tight games into routs in the span of mere minutes. That’s what happened today, when it pummeled the Boomers 35-16 in the final quarter behind an onslaught of 3s from Kobe Bryant.

Bryant, who had been MIA in the Olympics up to that point, bounced back from a miserable first half to score all 20 of his points after halftime. But James was the dominant player, turning in a master class of all-around basketball with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. As amazing as his line is, it was even more impressive watching it unfold live. EDIT — historic as well; LeBron is the first American to record a triple-double in international play.

And now we have a fascinating match-up with veteran Argentina on Friday. Overwhelming firepower against smarts and savvy. If it’s anything like past meetings in the Olympics, we’re in for a real treat.