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USA Men Get The Gold

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SAITAMA JAPAN – (SOURCE: Official Team News Release) – Three players in the NBA Finals. Two more who had to leave the team during training camp. Two exhibition defeats. One Olympic loss. Countless doubters. Four weeks after the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team partially came together for the first time as a team, all that adversity did was make what transpired Saturday at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 all the more special.

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With Kevin Durant scoring 29 points, including two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to seal the win, the U.S. (5-1) won its fourth consecutive gold medal, fending off France (5-1) 87-82 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The Americans now have 16 golds from the 19 Olympics in which they have participated.

Durant has played a major role in each of the last three golds, and he’s now tied with Carmelo Anthony for the most gold medals in Olympic men’s basketball history. The Brooklyn Nets’ superstar scored 30 points in each of the prior two gold medal games.

“I hate to compare stuff because you know everything is its own moment,” Durant said, “but this is one of those special journeys that it’s just hard to describe, because each and every one of us put in that work every single day, from the coaches, to the trainers, to the players. We all came in with that goal of, ‘Let’s finish this thing off. Let’s build a family. Let’s build this team. Let’s grow this team every day.’ And when you are part of a team that’s evolving by the second, it’s just amazing to see.”

For U.S. coach Gregg Popovich, one of only five coaches with five NBA championships, the Olympic gold medal fills one of the few voids on his long resume. As a player for the U.S. Air Force Academy, he did not make the 1972 U.S. Olympic team that controversially lost to the Soviet Union in the gold-medal game.

“You know what sayonara means? That’s how I’m feeling right now,” Popovich joked before turning serious. “I agree with these guys. Every championship is special, and the group you’re with is special. But I can be honest and say this is the most responsibility I’ve ever felt, because you’re playing for so many people that are watching and for your country and other countries involved. The responsibility was awesome, and I felt it every day for several years now. I’m feeling pretty light now and looking forward to getting back to the hotel and having something.”

Popovich likely will celebrate back at the team hotel with Jerry Colangelo, whose run as managing director of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team program ended with Saturday’s victory. He took the position in 2005 after the Americans lost three times and earned bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Colangelo was the architect behind these four consecutive Olympic golds and two FIBA World Cup titles.

Milwaukee Bucks teammates Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, who joined the Olympic team in the early-morning hours before the U.S. played France in pool play on July 25, became the fourth and fifth players to win the NBA Finals and an Olympic gold in the same year (joining Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Kyrie Irving). Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns also played in the NBA Finals shortly before flying to Tokyo.

“Getting in at one in the morning, me, Book and Khris, and then playing that night against France, losing that game and then being able to go through the rest of the tournament and then winning the gold medal game,” Holiday said of his whirlwind summer, “I don’t know — I guess me thinking about it, and me telling that story, man, that’s a hell of a summer.”

Jayson Tatum had 19 points and seven rebounds, while Holiday added 11 points and five rebounds and Damian Lillard had 11 points for the U.S. Rudy Gobert had 16 points and eight rebounds and Evan Fournier also had 16 points for France, which won its third silver medal in 10 Olympic appearances. The French also won silver in 1948 and 2000.

The 32-year-old Durant became the career U.S. Olympic scoring leader and the first American to score at least 100 points in three separate Olympic Games.

“Kevin Durant is exactly who we thought he was — one of the greatest players who ever played this game,” U.S. forward Draymond Green said of his former Golden State Warriors teammate. “One of the most special guys you’ve ever seen lace their shoes up and take a basketball court.”

Added an emotional Colangelo: “He’s a very special guy. He loves the game, he loves USA Basketball, and he’s just got that kind of character.”

As if the gold medal wasn’t enough motivation, the Americans also wanted to show their loss in the pool-play opener to France was due more to coming together swiftly after a delayed NBA season than a true representation of their talent. In that 83-76 loss on July 25, the U.S. lost a late seven-point lead and watched France close the game on a 16-2 run to snap the Americans’ 25-game Olympic winning streak.

“I remember we had a team meeting after the first game against France, Pop wasn’t there,” Durant said of the game in which he scored only 10 points and was in foul trouble. “You know when you have a team meeting, you’re kind of at the bottom. So, we just worked our way up from there. Everybody just committed to doing what’s best for the group, no matter what. It was just amazing to see that clock run down to zero and us celebrate like that and then celebrate in the locker room. It was just incredible, man.”

Durant’s leadership is what sets him apart, Popovich said.

“KD is not special because he’s so talented,” he said. “The way he works on his game is more impressive, the relationships he builds with teammates, the respect he garners, the joy he has in playing. It’s like osmosis, it goes into all the other players and allows you to develop a camaraderie and an enjoyment to be together. That sort of love of the game and love of people is what makes him more special than as a player.”

There were the usual ups and downs in the gold medal game. The U.S. had another slow start, but quickly righted itself with a 16-6 run to close the first quarter up 22-18. Unlike the last two contests, the Americans did not fall into a double-digit hole, instead going up by as many as 13 points before settling for a 44-39 halftime advantage. The U.S. led 71-57 in the third quarter, before France’s Nicolas Batum hit a 3-pointer followed by another at the buzzer by teammate Thomas Heurtel that trimmed the margin to 71-63.

It set up a fourth quarter that was eerily reminiscent of the previous matchup. This time, however, the U.S. was a more cohesive unit and didn’t go cold down the stretch, even when France pulled within 85-82 on two Nando de Colo free throws with 10.2 seconds remaining.

Durant made his two free throws with 8.8 seconds left, and then Batum air balled a 3-pointer that set off a gold medal celebration.

JaVale McGee, named to the U.S. roster when Bradley Beal and Kevin Love had to withdraw, joins a unique group. His mother, Pamela McGee, won gold with the U.S. women’s basketball team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. They became the first American mother-son duo to win gold in any sport and the second in Olympic history. The other was Valentina Rastvorova (team foil fencing, 1960) and son Yevgeny Grishin (men’s water polo, 1980).

Delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic and facing adversity throughout this journey, the Americans relish this gold medal as much as any NBA championship.

“It’s great,” Green said. “It’s a challenge to do special things. I know it seems as if it’s come easy for so long. I played in 2016, it wasn’t easy then. It wasn’t easy this year, but nothing special, nothing is worth having that you don’t have to fight for. If it’s worth having, you got to fight for it. We fought. They fought. I think the better team came out the gold medalist.”

USA Women’s Hoops: One Game Away

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SAITAMA, JAPAN – (Source: Official USA Basketball News Release) – Just one more victory, and the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team will secure its place in history, and a couple individuals will put a final stamp on their international legacies.

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Behind double-doubles from Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart, the U.S. (5-0) displayed dominant defense in stopping Serbia (3-2) 79-59 in Friday’s Olympic semifinal game at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Up next is going for a seventh straight gold medal, a feat accomplished by just one other team in Olympic history in any sport. The U.S. will take on either France (2-2) or host Japan (3-1) in the gold medal game, which is Saturday at 10:30 p.m. (EDT) (11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning in Japan). The U.S. edged both teams in pool play.

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird also could claim their own spot in the record books. The American backcourt duo could win a fifth gold medal, which would give them the most golds of any basketball player in Olympic history. They currently share the mark of four golds with Teresa Edwards , who played for the U.S. in five Olympics from 1984-2000 and also won a bronze.

The U.S. women would match the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team’s streak of seven golds in a row, accomplished by winning the first seven golds (1936-1968) after the sport’s Olympic debut.

Friday’s win over Serbia was not one that will hang in the Louvre. The Americans shot 48.4% and committed 17 turnovers to just 12 for Serbia. But the U.S. defense picked up the slack, holding Serbia — which won bronze in 2016 at Rio in the country’s Olympic debut — to 30.2% shooting.

Griner had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Stewart 12 points and 10 boards, and Chelsea Gray added 14 points for the U.S.

“It wasn’t our best overall performance,” USA coach Dawn Staley said. “I thought we did a tremendous job defensively, just making it really hard for the Serbian team to get off clean looks. Offensively, I just thought we put enough points on the scoreboard to win. It wasn’t as clean and fluid as we would like, but at this stage of the game, you’re going to have to win a lot of different ways, and we found a way to win.”

Playing in a tough group might have been the best way for the U.S. to prepare for the knockout round. The U.S., France and Japan, three of the four semifinalists, all played in the same group, with Japan beating France in pool play.

“I think since we entered the knockout rounds, we’ve come to each game with a little more focus, so you’re seeing the results,” said Bird, who had eight points and four assists.

Sox Announce 2022 MLB Schedule

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BOSTON – (Source: Official team news release) – In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Red Sox released the dates for their 2022 regular season games. The club begins the season at Fenway Park on Thursday, March 31, when they welcome the Tampa Bay Rays in the first of a three-game series – marking the third year in a row the Red Sox will open at home.

The Red Sox will play the New York Yankees at Fenway Park three times – July 7-10, August 12-14, and September 13-14. The team will play at Yankee Stadium on April 7-10, July 15-17, and September 22-25.

The club will make a rare trip to Wrigley Field in 2022 for a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs July 1-3. The series will be the club’s first visit to Wrigley since 2012.

The Red Sox will travel to three other National League ballparks in 2022: Truist Park for a two-game series against the Atlanta Braves (May 10-11), PNC Park for a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates (August 16-18), and Great American Ball Park for a two-game series against the Cincinnati Reds (September 20-21).

Four National League teams will make trips to Fenway Park next season, including three from the Central division: the Cincinnati Reds (May 31-June 1), the St. Louis Cardinals (June 17-19), the Milwaukee Brewers (July 29-31), and the Atlanta Braves (August 9-10).

The Red Sox will host the Minnesota Twins for a four-game series on Patriots’ Day Weekend (April 15-18). The team will be home on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, against the Baltimore Orioles, the first home game on Memorial Day since 2019. The club will face the St. Louis Cardinals at home on Sunday, June 19, which is both Father’s Day and Juneteenth. The Red Sox will also play at Fenway Park on Independence Day, Monday, July 4, against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The final home series of the regular season will be against the Baltimore Orioles (September 27-29), and the regular season will conclude with a three-game series on the road at the Rogers Centre in Toronto (September 30-October 2).

USA Fights Way to Olympic Semifinals

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TOKYO – (Source: USA Basketball Official News) – It was a battle of basketball titans, playing on the biggest of international stages, and during the first half of Tuesday’s semifinal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team (3-1) and Spain (2-2) danced with each other, felt each other out and landed significant blows each way.

Like a lengthy prize fight, it was the top-ranked Americans who quickly landed the haymaker in the third quarter. There was no standing eight count, but the second-ranked Spaniards were staggered. By hitting five 3-pointers and not allowing Spain to make a field goal for almost six minutes to begin the second half, the U.S. advanced to the Olympic semifinals with a 95-81 victory on Tuesday at Saitama Super Arena.

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The U.S., three-time defending gold medalist and winner of 15 golds in 18 trips to the Olympics leading up to Tokyo, will face either Australia or Argentina in Thursday’s semifinals. The U.S. is 8-0 against Australia and 7-1 vs. Argentina in Olympic play.

Kevin Durant scored 13 of his 29 points in the third quarter, hitting two early 3-pointers to open the second half, and he lead five Americans in double figures. Jayson Tatum had 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter to help put Spain away, while Jrue Holiday added 12 points, Damian Lillard 11 and Zach LaVine 10 points. The Americans improved to 13-0 versus Spain in Olympic action.

“The game is about buckets,” Durant said. “When you see the ball go in the rim, everybody’s got more energy — coaches, players, trainers, everybody. We started making shots, made some 3s, and guys calmed down and made some stops.”

Ricky Rubio dazzled for Spain, scoring 38 points for the 2019 FIBA World Cup champions and the team the U.S. has beaten in two of the past three Olympic gold-medal games. Sergio Rodriguez added 16 points, and Willy Hernangomez 10 points and 10 rebounds for Spain.

“I didn’t expect anything less,” said Holiday, a premier defender often tasked with trying to slow Rubio down. “Ever since he (Ricky) was, what, like 12, he’s been doing this. So for him to come out here and just display the type of talent that he has is really cool to be a part of and to see.”

For part of the second quarter, it looked like Rubio and Spain — which featured two five-time Olympians — might have the right formula to take down the Americans, who have repeatedly started slow in these Olympics.

Seven straight U.S. misses sparked a 10-0 Spain run that made it 39-29 with 3:25 left in the half. But Durant, a two-time gold medalist who passed Carmelo Anthony to become the top American scorer in men’s Olympic history on Sunday, triggered a 14-4 run to close the half and tie the game 43-43. The U.S. was just 4-for-17 from 3-point range in the first half.

“They played with extreme energy to start the game, and we were a little sluggish,” Durant said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well, and that kind of affected our defense a bit. But we got into it at the end of the second quarter and were able to get stops, get some scores and battle and try to get some momentum. In that third quarter, we knew exactly what we needed to do.”

And that was landing a decisive blow.

Durant hit a pair of quick 3-pointers and the Americans connected on five of their first six shots from deep in the third period. Meanwhile, the U.S. defense kept Spain from a field goal for the opening 5:44 of the half. The result was a 22-6 run that turned a tied game into a 65-49 U.S. advantage. Combined with the closing run of the first half, it was a 36-10 burst to take control.

Following a rare Olympic loss to France (3-0) to begin the tournament, the U.S. has steadily looked better and better in its last three games. The team might be finding the right elements needed to create chemistry at just the right time for a sqaud that expects nothing less than gold.

“I think the potential of this team is endless,” said U.S. forward Draymond Green, who had four points and two assists. “Unfortunately, we (only) got two games left. So, we need to make sure that we’re continuing to get better each and every time we step on the floor, and I think that’s why we’ve done it.”

Celtics Acquire Josh Richardson

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BOSTON – (Source: Official Team News Release) – The Boston Celtics acquired guard Josh Richardson from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for center Moses Brown in a post NBA Draft transaction, among the first of the 2021-22 NBA season.

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Richardson played inconsistently when give opportunity by Miami Heat (Getty Images)

A six-year NBA veteran, Richardson, 27, has posted career averages of 12.3 points (42.7% FG, 35.8% 3-PT, 83.2% FT), 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocked shots, and 30.6 minutes in 373 career games (299 starts) with Miami, Philadelphia, and Dallas. He has averaged at least 10.0 points in each of his last five seasons from 2015-16 to 2020-21, including a career-high 16.6 points per game with Miami in 2018-19.

Richardson produced 12.1 points (42.7% FG, 33.0% 3-PT, 91.7% FT), 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 30.3 minutes in 59 games (56 starts) with the Mavericks last season, marking the fourth time over the last five seasons he has recorded at least 10.0 points and 1.0 steals. The Oklahoma native was one of four NBA players to average 10.0 points and 1.0 steals while shooting at least 91.0% from the free throw line in 2020-21 (Paul/Curry/Irving).

Acquired from Oklahoma City as part of a three-player deal earlier this offseason on June 18, Brown has averaged 7.3 points (54.0% FG), and 7.6 rebounds in 52 career games over two seasons with Portland and Oklahoma City.

Nigeria Defeats USA in Friendly, 90-87

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LAS VEGAS – (Source: Official News Release) – The USA Men’s National Team (0-1) stumbled in its first exhibition game as it prepares for the Tokyo Olympic Games, losing 90-87 to Nigeria on Saturday before a crowd of 4,313 spectators at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The difference between the USA and Nigeria on Saturday? While the statistics will bear out a few facts, it might come down to something very simple: The time the players on each team have been together.

Saturday’s result, which was the unofficial beginning of the USA men’s quest to win a fourth-straight gold medal when the Olympics begin in less than two weeks, came after the squad had just four practices. The team has only two players from the 2016 Rio Games. Nigeria, meanwhile, has been practicing for about a month.

“I think with four days of practice, there were a lot of things I liked out there, but in a way, I’m kind of glad it happened,” said USA head coach Gregg Popovich. “That loss means nothing if we don’t learn from it. But it could be the most important thing in this tournament for us, to learn lessons from this and see what we did to move on, because it’s a great group of guys, high character, and we’ll figure it out.”

Conversely, it was a watershed moment for Nigeria, which will be making its third-straight Olympic appearance. Nigeria played the U.S. in its debut at the 2012 London Games and lost 156-73. The loss marks just the second in 33 exhibition games since Jerry Colangelo took over as USA Men’s National Team director in 2005. Colangelo is retiring from his position following the Tokyo Games.

Kevin Durant, already a two-time gold medalist who sported a 39-0 record in international competition with USA Basketball coming into the game, scored 17 points — including clutch 3-pointers down the stretch — to lead five Americans in double figures. Jayson Tatum — part of the starting five with Durant, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard and Bam Adebayo — added 15 points and a team-best seven rebounds.

Gabe Vincent, who plays internationally under his Nigerian surname Nnamdi, led the upstarts with 21 points and four assists. Vincent, who plays for the Miami Heat, was one of seven players on the Nigerian roster Saturday from the NBA and one of 12 in its 49-player camp. Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Brown coaches the 22nd FIBA-ranked Nigerians.

Missing from Saturday’s game for the U.S. were three players who are still chasing a championship in the NBA Finals — Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns and Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks. To fill out the roster for the five exhibition games, seven players were added from the USA Select Team that scrimmaged with and against the Olympians during practice this week.

Popovich pointed to two areas where the Nigerians were superior on this day: rebounding and 3-point shooting.

Nigeria won the battle on the glass with a 46-34 overall advantage, including limiting the U.S. to just seven offensive rebounds. That complemented a stellar shooting effort from 3-point range. Nigeria was 20-of-42 from deep for the game and 11-of-19 in the second half.

“Rebounding was a problem,” Popovich said. “The stats – I almost wanted to give it back to the stat guys and say, ‘Can you do these over? There’s got to be some mistakes. Do your homework over again.’ Because I thought we got murdered on the boards. We got beat on the boards, but I thought we got murdered.”

Red Sox Extend Matt Barnes

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BOSTON – (Source: Official Team News Release) – The Boston Red Sox today signed right-handed pitcher Matt Barnes to a two-year contract extension that spans the 2022-23 seasons, with a club option for 2024. Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement before Sunday’s Red Sox game against Philadelphia.

Barnes, 31, has spent his entire career in the Red Sox organization since Boston selected him in the first round (No. 19 overall) of the 2011 June Draft. In 362 career major league appearances (two starts), the right-hander is 30-23 with 34 saves, a 3.94 ERA (164 ER/374.1 IP), and 500 strikeouts. His 360 relief outings rank fourth in Red Sox history behind only Bob Stanley (552), Mike Timlin (394), and Jonathan Papelbon (393), while his 362 total appearances rank eighth.

Since the start of the 2016 season, Barnes leads American League relief pitchers in appearances (325), strikeouts (453), and wins (27), and ranks second in innings (322.1). He was the only American League pitcher to make at least 60 appearances and throw at least 60.0 innings in each season from 2016-19, tied for the most such seasons in Red Sox history. Since the start of 2018, Barnes has struck out 37.8 percent of batters faced and averaged 14.47 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, the third-highest marks among pitchers who have thrown at least 150.0 innings in that time.

In addition to earning his first career All-Star Game selection this season via the Player Ballot, Barnes was named the American League’s Relief Pitcher of the Month for April. In 37 appearances this year, he has recorded 19 saves with a 2.68 ERA (11 ER/37.0 IP), 0.86 WHIP, .171 opponent batting average, 62 strikeouts, and 10 walks. Barnes is currently posting career bests in ERA, WHIP, opponent batting average, walks per 9.0 innings (2.43), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.20). According to FanGraphs, he ranks fourth among relievers in wins above replacement (1.7).

In 11 career Postseason outings, Barnes is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA (1 ER/10.1 IP) and a .167 opponent batting average (6-for-36). He helped lead the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series title, earning wins in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros and in Game 1 of the Fall Classic against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Barnes led Boston with 10 appearances during the Postseason, nine of which were scoreless.

Larry Brown Honored by NBA Coaches

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PHOENIX – Larry Brown, widely and highly regarded as one of the game’s premier teachers, and the only coach in history to have won both an NBA and NCAA Championship, was named recipient of the 2021 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

“Larry Brown has achieved coaching success at the highest levels of basketball in a career that began in 1965 as an assistant to Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina,” said Indiana Pacers Head Coach and National Basketball Coaches Association President Rick Carlisle. “Not only is he a Hall of Famer and the only coach to have won an NBA and NCAA Championship, he has won multiple Olympic medals and numerous Coach of the Year Awards. Larry’s ‘Coaching Tree’ is ridiculously wide-ranging and includes close to fifty current or former Head Coaches. Congratulations to Larry on this well-deserved and prestigious recognition.”

“I am honored to receive the Chuck Daly Lifetime Award for multiple reasons,” said Brown. “Chuck Daly was a great coach and a great person whose work and legacy are appropriately celebrated with this award. To be mentioned in the same conversation with the previous recipients is truly humbling. I want to thank all of the Coaches with whom I coached and those I coached against, so many of whom are great competitors and friends. And thanks to the players I had the good fortune to coach. I am very proud of what my teams accomplished. Lastly, I want to thank the NBA Coaches Association and the Selection Committee for this honor.”

Sox Continue Winning Streak at Oakland

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OAKLAND – Kiké Hernández took a swing at a 3-1 sinker ball and popped it up to lead-off the Boston Red Sox game against the Oakland Athletics Friday night. Miraculously, the ball did not leave the sold-out ballpark, as a crowd of 32,304 fans looked on. Hernández had hit a leadoff home runs in three of Boston’s five prior games (Sunday, Monday, Thursday) and was the only Red Sox player ever with three or more leadoff homers in a five-game span.

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Hernández went on to other heroics in the game as he drove in the go-ahead run with a broken-bat single in the 10th inning and then made a tremendous defensive play to throw out Oakland’s Seth Brown at home plate from center field in the bottom of the 10th inning, resulting in a 3-2 Red Sox victory.

The Boston win came after the usually dependable closer Matt Barnes allowed an Elvis Andrus home run in the bottom of the ninth. Barnes blew his fourth save and the Red Sox had to rely on reliever Adam Ottavino to pitch the extra inning, complete with Brown posted on second base to start off the inning.

The win was credited to Barnes (4-2) and Ottavino earned his sixth save of the season.

The Sox have won their last eight games, the AL’s longest active win streak and the club’s second-longest of the season behind the nine games they won from April 5-14th. Boston is a season-high 21 games over the .500 mark.