USA Basketball

[Superbone]

Yep, appreciate all the updates, FF! Ciao from Rome!

[Flagrant Fowl]

Ammazza!

[Flagrant Fowl]

Brandon Ingram is out with an upper respiratory infection. That's a pretty big loss for the Americans.

[Flagrant Fowl]

10:00-6:00
Pretty even game despite the 14-9 lead for the Germans. Franz looks much better than he did against Latvia. He just had a great dribble attack against JJJ, blow by and a dunk. Mikal is continuing his aggression offensively, hitting a nice turn around and drawing a foul at the rim.

6:00-1:40
Schroder picked up his second foul at 5:30 but stayed in the game until 2:20. The Americans tried their high pressure defense and it completely backfired, 7-0 run for the Germans. Cam Johnson entered around 2:00, he's the Ingram "replacement". Seems like the Americans are going to stick with the defensive pressure on all dead ball defensive sets.

1:40-end
Americans have been called for fouls twice on defensive rebounds. Really frustrating and pretty questionable calls, IMO. Haliburton picked up his second foul near the end of the quarter, one was on a dumb box out and the second a reach in where his hand got a lot of the ball.

33-31 Germany after a fantastically entertaining first quarter. I think there was only one turnover combined, and both teams displayed some nice ball movement and shot making. The Germans aren't going to let their focus lapse, so the Americans must stay tuned into the game. However, I don't think the Germans can stay in front of the American's dribble attack for the most part.

[Flagrant Fowl]

10:00-5:43
Germans are hunting Reaves in the post like Lithuania did two games ago but the Americans are playing better team defense and Reaves is actually being effective on the offensive end. The Wagner bros are getting the best of the matchup against their Magic teammate, Banchero. They clearly know his moves and where he's trying to get to with the ball. Americans battle back with efficient offense in the paint at a high intensity and take a 45-41 lead.

5:43-3:25
Brunson and Theis trade no foul call possessions from the officials. This game is moving so fast that I think the officials have a hard time keeping up sometimes. A hectic minute before the timeout. Mikal with a nice block at the rim, a bad turnover by Brunson, and Hart taking an elbow to the jaw on a rebound. Germans back up 52-48.

3:25-end
Mikal with another 3 pointer. He did the Melo celebration a bit earlier and come to find out Melo is sitting courtside for this game. The Germans went for an ill-advised lob that kinda boosted the Americans into overdrive. Edwards had a couple of brilliant isolation scores and Haliburton hit a 3. I get frustrated with Haliburton in these tight games because he still doesn't value possession enough. Every stop is critical, and he gave away a great defensive stop with a stupid three-quarter court pass that was pretty easily defended. The Germans are hitting a lot of well contested 3-pointers, while the Americans 3's have been quite a bit more open. That could be a problem for the Germans in the second half.

60-59 USA at halftime and this is flat out an amazing basketball game. No one on either team is playing poorly.

[bajanguy008]

Haliburton foul trouble was key
Team usually flows much better in the 2nd quarter

Brunson holds the ball too long and his playing bigger than his size style with the Knicks isn't working as well in FIBA
Now he's turning over the ball also trying to play make

[Flagrant Fowl]

10:00-7:16
JJJ drew 2 shooting fouls in the paint in the first 1:30 of the quarter, but Theis is giving it back to him. German wings are continuing to crash the glass. The main difference so far has been 2 dribbling turnovers by Josh Hart that've resulted in 5 pretty easy points for the Germans who lead 70-64.

7:16-end (I love FIBA)
Banchero and Haliburton enter for JJJ and Brunson after the timeout. Americans continue to be terrible at boxing out as guys just fly past them for rebounds. The game is getting a bit isolation heavy with each passing possession. Theis gets a bit theatrical trying to draw a foul that had less contact than the time I brushed my head against a tree branch. Theis is playing great, though. This whole stretch has been about the Germans crashing past the Americans for rebounds and everyone is guilty of it. And Andreas Obst from Germany is having a great game, I'm impressed with his composure. I officially sense some bad vibes after Mo Wagner hit a heavily contested moon ball of a three pointer.

94-84 at the end of 3 quarters and that's with the Americans being 18-18 from the free throw line. The Germans are straight up feeling themselves right now. They blew a 16 point lead to the Americans in an exhibition last month, but I have an unfortunate feeling they won't let that happen again.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Haliburton foul trouble was key
Team usually flows much better in the 2nd quarter

Brunson holds the ball too long and his playing bigger than his size style with the Knicks isn't working as well in FIBA
Now he's turning over the ball also trying to play make

That's right. It's fine when he can pivot his way into a good shot or pass, but it's just not there in the same way in these FIBA games.

[Flagrant Fowl]

10:00-8:24
Quarter starts with Brunson taking a terrible foul on Obst for 3 free throws. Americans can feel the urgency, they have to get stops and attack. The third quarter was so awkward for them offensively that it might be what killed them off. The Germans took a timeout up 10 after two good defensive possessions. Where was Kerr when that was going on for the Americans in the last quarter? The Americans can't afford to trade possessions. Germany up 98-88.

8:24-4:42
Finally a stop on a badly missed layup but JJJ hits the backboard and it's a goaltending violation. Defensive rebounding is like a Mensa test for the Americans at this point. Even when they know the answer, they still get it wrong. BBQ chicken on Reaves in the post again. The Americans are in the bonus, but think it's slipped away now with the Germans up 106-96. Even when they get a stop it feels like a miracle if they secure the ball on the rebound or steal.

4:42-3:17
Reaves 3 pointer out of the timeout. FINALLY Edwards is relentless to the rim. He had a dunk right before the timeout and again attacked for a foul now, but only hit 1 of 2. Anthony fucking Edwards again. He's taken over this stretch with two huge rebounds and now a massive 3-pointer. This has to be his moment. Germany still up 106-103, but 0-4 from 3-point range in this quarter.

3:17-end
Germans are hunting Reaves on every possession. Edwards with a heat check around 1:50 that I didn't love because JJJ had Schroder pinned in the paint. Haliburon lost Obst and slipped on an inbound and there was no doubt Obst was hitting the wide open 3. Mikal gets to the rim but is too soft, blocked shot -- no foul. Reaves draws a clever offensive foul but the next possession ends with Edwards throwing away a pass intended for JJJ. A mad finish to the game, but the Germans advance 113-111.

This was a great game. That third quarter should haunt Steve Kerr. He let the Germans dictate way too much control during that quarter and the Americans just slightly lost enough focus to put themselves in an unrecoverable hole.

[The Bobster]

Well, obviously you can't take the 2nd string guys to the Olympics and expect a win. They have a lot to fix.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Well, obviously you can't take the 2nd string guys to the Olympics and expect a win. They have a lot to fix.

Yes, they need to take their best to win, but I disagree that there's a lot to fix. It was a killer, but the only issue was rebounding. Everything else was good enough to win gold in this tournament.

[Split T]

So we got USA-Canada for the bronze? Thought that would be our gold medal game. Shows what I know. Serbia vs Germany for gold.

[bajanguy008]

Great analysis again "FF"

Twitter and the Networks gonna make it sound like The US played poor and fail to acknowledge the German performance

How many NBA players on a team doesn't determine how good some of these International teams are

Expect alot of USA really lose to Schroder, Theis n Wagner ?!?!?
Again that's just lazy takes

Very good game, learning experience for those guys

[Flagrant Fowl]

Yeah, don't pay any mind to the hot takes about the USA choking. My first instinct after watching this German team in their first game was that they could win gold. They're really damn good.

[Flagrant Fowl]

So we got USA-Canada for the bronze? Thought that would be our gold medal game. Shows what I know. Serbia vs Germany for gold.

BRONZE IS THE NEW GOLD!!!11

[Flagrant Fowl]

Maybe it was Ingram being out, but I have some questions about Kerr's rotation for this game. Mikal didn't get nearly enough looks offensively in the middle part of the game, and Banchero was pedestrian in most of his minutes. JJJ wasn't in foul trouble so I don't know why he was pulled so early in the 3rd quarter.

[Split T]

Mikal only missed one shot and it must have come at the end.

[Split T]

Serbia doing this without their best too since Jokic isn’t playing.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Mikal only missed one shot and it must have come at the end.

Yup when they need it the most. He should've gone harder at the rim to at least draw a foul and he knew it immediately when Isaac Bonga made a nice block from the weakside.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I just ventured into social media. What a shit show of out of touch takes. A lot of American sports fans have a tremendous ability to be self righteous morons when it comes to international competition.