Luka’s Corner

Team USA began its three-game "Road to Redemption" against Australia on Wednesday, beating the Aussies 116-85. The game was close in the first quarter (25-24) and even at the end of the second (55-43), but the US blew their opponents away in the third quarter behind pressure defense and fast-break points. Overall, the result was never in doubt for the Americans, who now advance to the semifinals. Here are my three points from today’s game:

Break-Out Game for KB24

After a miserable preliminary round for the reigning MVP, the first game of the knockout rounds proved to be very different. Finishing with 25 points and 5 rebounds, his thunderous dunk at the 7:05 mark in the second quarter set the tone for the US team, which outscored the Aussies by 11 in the period. More importantly for Kobe, he found his shooting rhythm, shooting 10-16 from the field and 4-7 from the three-point line. Not to mention that he (and LeBron James) keyed the American defensive pressure in the second and third periods, when the game was put away.

Three-Point Momentum

Team USA won the game behind solid defense, which created opportunities in the open court for LeBron and company. But, just as importantly, it also found its rhythm from behind the arc.

The two most important plays of the game, in my opinion, were Kobe’s dunk in the second (which fueled a second quarter run) and Deron William’s three at the halftime buzzer. Williams’ shot gave the United States momentum heading into the second half because the "Redeem Team" was up double digits instead of only up nine points after 20 minutes. Entering the second half, both Kobe and Carmelo Anthony hit threes and that was the start of the blowout.

It will pay dividends for the US players that they started hitting their threes in the final 20 minutes because it gives them momentum heading into the next game. I look for them to come out firing in the semifinal.

Where are the Free-Throws?

The United States shot a dismal 18-31 (58%) from the foul line and in the first half, when the game was still undecided, they could not get into any rhythm from the line. This is troubling because, in order for the US to win gold, it has to shoot at least 75% from the line. Especially with a team that attempts so many free-throws, the Americans have to capitalize when they are aggressive in the first place and are rewarded with easy foul shots.

It is also troubling for the US team that Kobe Bryant, a career 84% shooter from the line, shot only 1-4 in today’s game. In addition, LeBron James, who gets to the line so often, shot only 1-4. I cannot stress enough how made foul shots would benefit Team USA. To put it in perspective, if the United States made only five more foul shots (which would give them 75% for the game), the game would have always been in double digits. Made foul shots would also take off pressure from the American scorers, so their offensive game would flow even better than before.

The US team breezed through the preliminary round with a 5-0 record, beating both Greece and Spain. They seemed to get better with every passing game and are riding hot into the knockout round. While it does not seem possible, considering their current form, that USA will lose in either the quarterfinal, semifinal, or final, it is one and done from now on. One off game could decide a team’s fate. Anyway, here are a couple of things to watch out for going into the next round:

Australia

Not so long ago, the United States were held to a close game against Australia in the pre-Olympic games, winning by only 11 points (87-76). This was the closest result for the U S team since the World Championship in Japan and it is also troubling because Australia’s best player, Andrew Bogut from the Milwaukee Bucks, did not even play in that game.

Since then, Australia has looked solid in the preliminary round, finishing with a 3-2 record. More importantly, they finished their last three games with a 3-0 record, including impressive wins against Russia (95-80) and Lithuania (106-75). In addition, their star center played extremely well in the five games, recording 14.4 PPG and shooting 62% from the field. Not to mention that Patrick Mills will see heavy action at the point guard spot and we all know how that went for Team USA last time.

The Australian team will have as much confidence as it needs to beat the US team, since they almost beat the Americans before. They also know that they have a better chance now with their anchor down low actually playing.

Early Jitters

This team has experienced players on the roster, like Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant, but it is inevitable that they experience jitters before and during the game. I think so because, even though they played five games in Beijing already, this is the time to turn on the pressure even more. Wednesday is the day that the team has been waiting for ever since the disappointment in Japan in 2006. This may be overwhelming for some of the younger players like Dwight Howard and Deron Williams, for example, because of the increased amount of pressure in the knockout round.

Another thing to watch out for in tomorrow’s game is if the US gets down in the first half. This was a concern even in the preliminary rounds, but the concern is heightened when one game may turn out to be your only game. The US is not particularly known, over the past eight years, for keeping its composure when down early. This is a concern that the US team must abolish.

In my experiences playing the game, I have had a few injuries that are true pests. I have also had a few that truly make you suffer. But, the most painful and most annoying injury that I have ever had to play with is a strained back. This strain occurred in the shoulder/neck area.

I know that this is not a typical Luka’s Corner blog, but I just wanted to make my point. My point is that I cannot even imagine how painful it is to play with back spasms. To dig even deeper, I know that Tracy McGrady has received his fair share of criticism for failing to win a single Playoff series and not showing up at times in crunch time, but I have the utmost respect for his ability to play through back pain.

Back pain is, in my opinion, the toughest injury to play with because it limits your mobility in both your upper and lower body. One wrong movement sends you into an uncontrollable fit of pain. So, hats off to Tracy McGrady for being as successful as he has been throughout his career, especially with back spasms.