The World Is No Match For LeBron James In Olympic Basketball
LeBron James simply knocked aside overmatched Angola players like a schoolyard bully, going wherever he wanted on the basketball court.Now come the teams that can push back.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points, James dominated the game with his size and strength on both ends, and the U.S. men’s Olympic team wrapped up the easy portion of its schedule with a 97-76 victory Tuesday night.
The Americans (2-0) Thursday face Greece, the team that stunned them two years ago in the semifinals of the world championship. The Greeks are physical, and they should provide the first test of these games for the United States.
The United States improved to 4-0 against Angola, starting with the Dream Team’s Olympic debut in 1992. That romp is best remembered for Charles Barkley’s elbow to an unsuspecting Angolan player in a 116-48 victory.
After the Greece game Thursday, the Americans face world champion Spain, who are also 2-0 after rallying to beat China in overtime behind 29 points from Pau Gasol.
James hadn’t done much offensively midway through the second quarter when he made his presence felt on the other end, jumping so high to block Felizardo Ambrosio’s shot that it looked more like a volleyball spike, with James glaring back at the fallen Ambrosio as the ball went out of bounds.
The U.S. shooting would have been much better if not for Bryant’s 0-for-5 half, but he quickly got involved in the third quarter with eight points, highlighted by a spinning, 360-degree dunk on the fast break.
The Americans lost some concentration on the defensive end, allowing Angola enough open looks to keep it from becoming too much of a blowout for a while. Eventually they pulled away to win almost as easily as they did in a 101-70 victory against China on opening night.
Anthony also scored 12 points for the United States. Every U.S. player but Jason Kidd scored, but the Americans were only 5-of-21 from behind the arc after they hit just 7-of-24 against the Chinese.