London 2012, Prelim Round: July 29
Turkish Airlines Euroleague stars, past and present, are already shining at the 2012 Olympic basketball tournament. Russia, Spain and Brazil won their respective games in Group A. Spain topped China 97-81, Brazil edged Australia 75-71 on late free throws by FC Barcelona Regal playmaker Marcelinho Huertas while Russia downed Great Britain 95-75 behind 35 points on 13-of-15 two-point shooting from reigning Euroleague MVP Andrei Kirilenko. Nigeria, USA and Argentina recorded respective wins in Group B. USA thrashed France 98-71, Nigeria bested Tunisia 60-56 behind 15 points and 9 rebounds from Alade Aminu of Elan Chalon and Argentina beat Lithuania 102-79 with 32 points from former Euroleague superstar Luis Scola. Action resumes with 6 more games on Tuesday.
GROUP A
Nigeria 60-56 Tunisia
Nigeria had a strong start at the Olympic Tournament by downing Tunisia 60-56 in Group A on Sunday. Alade Aminu led the winners with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Ike Diogu added 13 points and 10 rebounds while Al-Farouq Aminu had 10 points and 9 boards for Nigeria. Amine Rzig led Tunisia with 18 points while Marouan Kechrid and Macram Ben Romdhane each added 12. Derrick Obasohan was the first player to score in the tournament and his corner three-pointer ignited an 8-0 Nigerian run. Tunisia went scoreless in the opening 3 minutes, as Tony Skinn and Diogu boosted the Nigerian lead to 18-7 after 10 minutes. Tunisia kept struggling to score, hitting just 4 of 20 shots in the opening 16 minutes. Meanwhile, Skinn and an outstanding Alade Aminu broke the game open, 29-10, enough for Nigeria to keep a 31-15 margin at the break. Back-to-back triples by Rzig gave Tunisia some hope, 33-25, right after halftime but Alade Aminu and Diogu kept their team out of trouble, 45-31, after 30 minutes. A 0-9 run that Kechrid capped with a three-pointer brought Tunisia back to life, 45 -40. Rzig struck again from downtown to make it a two-point game, 49-47, with 4 minutes left. Al-Farouq Aminu sank a critical triple but Tunisia stayed within 56-54 already in the final minute. Free throws by Obasohan and Al-Farouq Aminu sealed the outcome down the stretch.
USA 98-71 France
The United States of America confirmed its status as the top candidate to conquer the gold medal by downing France 98-71 in Group A on Sunday. Kevin Durant paced the winners with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Kevin Love added 14 while Kobe Bryant had 10 for USA. Ali Traore of Lokomotiv Kuban led France with 12 points. Tony Parker added 10 for Les Bleus. Durant helped USA to build a quick 6-2 lead, as France tried to run its offense through Parker. He found good one-on-one options and Ronny Turiaf helped him to keep Les Bleus in the game, 15-12. Carmelo Anthony stepped up for USA but a tip-in by two-time Eurocup champion Florent Pietrus of Valencia Basket kept France as close as 20-17. A wild three-pointer by Yannick Bokolo brought his team even closer, 22-21, after 10 minutes. Three-pointers by Lebron James, Bryant and Chris Paul fueled an 11-0 run that gave USA a 33-21 margin. Nicolas Batum and Pietrus stepped up for France but a three-pointer by Durant and a follow-up basket by Love forced coach Vincent Collet to call timeout at 40-28. Durant and Love stayed on fire to make it a 16-point game, 52-36, at halftime. Back-to-back triples by Durant and Bryant broke the game open, 58-38, after the break. Nothing really changed from that moment, as USA extended its margin to 79-51 after 30 minutes and cruised to a well-deserved, very convincing win.
Argentina 102-79 Lithuania
Argentina made the most out of its experience to down Lithuania 102-79 in Group A behind 32 points Scola. Former Euroleague Finals MVP Manu Ginobili added 21, Carlos Delfino had 20 while Andres Nocioni of Caja Laboral got 10 for Argentina. Former All-Euroleague forward Linas Kleiza led Lithuania with 20 points. Paulius Jankunas of Zalgiris Kaunas added 14 and Darius Songaila 11. Pablo Prigioni, Scola and Ginobili shined early to give Argentina an 8-2 lead. Jonas Maciulis of Panathinaikos Athens and reigning Eurocup Rising Star Jonas Valanciunas stepped up and a jump hook by Kleiza tied it at 14-14. Scola kept pacing Argentina, scoring 10 first-quarter points to give Argentina a 24-23 edge after 10 minutes. Scola stayed unstoppable in the paint and found some help from Delfino and Nocioni to make Lithuania call timeout at 35-27. Argentina kept using outstanding ball circulation to keep finding open shots all over the place. Delfino took over with three consecutive triples, including one that beat the halftime score to give his team a 51-39 margin at the break. Delfino followed his fifth three-pointer with a fast break layup and Ginobili soon gave Argentina a 60-43 lead. Argentina kept a 78-61 lead after 30 minutes and even when Jankunas and his Zalgiris teammate Mantas Kalnietis tried to change things in the fourth quarter but it was already too little, too late for Lithuania, as Argentina sealed the outcome minutes before the final buzzer.
GROUP B
Brazil 75-71 Australia
Brazil opened the Olympic Tournament in style by downing difficult Australia 75-71 in Group B on Sunday. Leandrinho Barbosa led the winners with 16 points. Huertas added 15 while former Euroleague champion Anderson Varejao had 12 for Brazil. Patty Mills led Australia with 20 points. Joe Ingles of FCB Regal had 15, David Andersen of Montepaschi Siena added 14 while Aron Baynes got 10 for the Boomers. Ingles got Australia going with a fast break layup and an alleyoop basket in a 0-6 opening run. Back-to-back driving layups by Mills soom forced Brazil to call timeout at 7-12. Alex Garcia stepped up for Brazil but a close basket by Lokomotiv Kuban center Aleks Maric and free throws by Matt Dellavedova kept Australia ahead, 11-16. Nene Hilario and Marcelinho Machado brought Brazil within 19-20 after 10 minutes. A floating layup by Huertas and a tip-in by Varejao gave Brazil its first lead, 24-25. Australia kept struggling to score and former All-Euroleague center Tiago Splitter allowed Brazil to boost its margin to 32-27. A four-point play by Mills and free throws by Ingles kept the Boomers within 36-35 at halftime. Barbosa, Huertas and Splitter shined after the break, leading a 12-2 run that made it a double-digit game, 48-37. Australia found a go-to guy in Andersen, who led a 0-8 run which brought the Boomers back to life, 52-47. Varejao and Huertas restored a 56-49 Brazilian lead after 30 minutes. Three-pointers by Andersen and Ingles kept Australia in the game, 67-62, with under 3 minutes to go. Ingles brought Australia within striking distance, 73-71, with 29.4 seconds left. Free throws by Huertas sealed the outcome down the stretch.
Spain 97-81 China
Spain recorded its first win in Group B by topping China 97-81 on Sunday. Pau Gasol led the winners with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Serge Ibaka added 17 points, five-time All-Euroleague first team choice Juan Carlos Navarro of FCB Regal had 14 while Jose Manuel Calderon got 12 for Spain. Yi Jianlian led China with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Shipeng Wang followed a three-pointer with a wild fallaway jumper to give China an early 3-7 edge. Spain started to run its offense through Pau Gasol, who followed a dunk-and-foul with an up-and-under layup to give his team an 11-9 edge. Jianlian singlehandedly put his team back ahead, 16-17, but a three-pointer by Calderon fixed the score at 19-17 after 10 minutes. Jianghua Chen struck from downtown to give China a 21-22 edge early in the second quarter. All-Euroleague guard Fernando San Emeterio of Caja Laboral and Navarro joined the three-point shootout to give Spain some fresh air, 33-27. Navarro got some help from Real Madrid big man Felipe Reyes and his teammate Rudy Fernandez to boost the Spanish lead to 53-41 at halftime. The Gasol brothers took after the break but Spain only managed to trade baskets now, as a dunk by Jianlian kept China within 62-52. Jianlian stayed on fire but back-to-back baskets by Victor Sada and a fallaway jumper by Navarro gave Spain a 69-60 edge after 30 minutes. Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid connected from downtown and Navarro copied him soon after that to break the game open, 81-65, with 6 minutes to go. China kept trying but Spain had already sealed the outcome.
Russia 95-75 Great Britain
Russia joined a three-way tie atop the Group A standings by beating Great Britain 95-75 behind 35 points on 13-of-15 two-point shooting from Kirilenko. Alexey Shved added 16 and 13 assists while Vitaly Fridzon of BC Khimki Moscow Region had 14 points for Russia. Luol Deng had 26 points for Great Britain, Pops Mensah-Bonsu added 21 and Joel Freeland 13. Kirilenko took over with a three-point play and a fast break layup by CSKA guard Anton Ponkrashov gave Russia a 5-2 lead. Deng and Dan Clark stepped up to give Great Britain a 7-11 edge but three-pointers by Viktor Khryapa of CSKA and Shved restored a 13-11 Russian lead. Mensah-Bonsu and Deng managed to make Great Britain regain the lead, 17-18, but Fridzon and Timofey Mozgov allowed Russia to get a 24-19 margin after 10 minutes. Khimki forward Sergey Monya and Kirilenko shined early in the second quarter for a 30-23 Russian edge. A fast break layup by Kirilenko soon made it a double-digit game, 36-25. Kirilenko followed a huge dunk with a wild three-point play to boost the Russian lead to 49-34 at halftime. Kirilenko stayed unstoppable after the break and got some help from Shved and CSKA center Sasha Kaun to keep Russia out of trouble, 62-46. Russia led 71-58 after 30 minutes and a three-pointer by an unstoppable Kirilenko soon made it a 19-point game, 81-62, enough for Russia to put the victory on ice way before the final buzzer.