In 2014 the World Cup was held in Spain, where the United States showed in the final from the first quarter against Serbia that they were at another level. With an intense defensive rhythm and leaving with fast transitions in attack, the USA broke the final (129-92) and the gold was for them with total authority. Although the match distributed happiness equally because also for the Serbs was a great day, 12 years later they returned to win a world medal
In the semifinals the United States easily beat Lithuania by 96-68 and on the other hand Serbia in a very disputed match won a France that came from beating Spain by 85-90. In the fight for bronze repeated the final of the last European and again with the same result, France beating the Lithuanians, 93-95. The bronze was fought until the end, opting for the French side. All the equality that there was in the fight for third place did not exist in the grand final.
Despite Serbia’s great start (7-15), the United States managed a 28-4 partial to end the history of the final before the break. By then the Americans had riddled Serbia with three pointers (11/16), with James Harden (23 points) and Kyrie Irving (26) as protagonists
No one can handle America! The American team overtook Serbia (129-92) and revalidated their World Cup championship status, showing in the final the same superiority they showed throughout the tournament.
In the absence of the pretended finalist by all, the World Cup disguised a classic final in «Modern Times». Charles Chaplin’s working class was never better represented than in Serbia. Yes, with a star like Milos Teodosic, but also with many players who have raised their level in this tournament thanks to the ability of his coach, Aleksandr Djordjevic, to instill in them the passion and determination that he always offered on track.
The last time the two teams met in a major tournament fighting for medals was in 2002, the turning point for the two basketball powers. Then, the American host gave in to the last great Yugoslavia in the quarterfinals. Djordjevic was not on track, but Dejan Bodiroga and Dejan Tomasevic, two of the main responsible in the offices of the current Serbian federation.
For its part, the United States also lived then as host their particular failure. It was the first after the Dream Team and meant that half measures were no longer worth. It was no longer enough to bring NBAs, you had to compete with the best if you wanted to win in the FIBA world. Two years later it became apparent at the Athens Olympics, but since then a defeat in 2006 (they took away the bronze) is the only tachón in a history that wrote a new page this Sunday.
Under these antecedents, the final started as a struggle between the undisputed physical and technical superiority of the Americans, and the unwavering Serbian faith. The leader of that emotional dogma was undoubtedly Milos Theodosic who although he had much more attention of the rival managed to invent an assistance for mate of Nikola Kalinic and sneak in to add his first tray. Without fear of the rival Serbia began sending in the match.
Harden and Irving silence the Serbian start
The United States searched in three of its first four attacks on its two towers but only once did Keneth Faried find the hoop. It was not good news but worse was to see how in two minutes Anthony Davis was charged with two faults and the American hoop was opened wide for two penetrations of Nemanja Bjelica. Contrary to what everyone would have bet, the first to double on the scoreboard to his rival was Serbia (5-10).
Incredible as it appeared when Mike Krzyzewski asked for the first time out, after the first three minutes the United States had not added either a rebound or an assistance. It took almost five minutes to do so and that was bad news to dominate the game as I would have liked, but to the rescue had gone James Harden, the only one with lucidity and quality to break the Serbian defense with two penetrations and a triple.
Harden added nine of the first 13 points and the defensive hardness that printed DeMarcus Cousins managed to leave in nothing the excellent exit of his adversary. It cost, but four minutes from the end of the first four United States and was put ahead. 17-15. Now yes, the hoop was opened for the Americans and after Harden, it was Kyrie Irving who found the way of the rival hoop to put a 15-0 partial that forced Djordjevic to stop the match.
Between Irving and Harden added 18 of the 22 points of the North American team and the Serbian strategy of closing the painting was annulled by the verticality of the exterior of the United States. Once the rebound problem was unstuck (he ended up winning the fourth 10 to 6), the Americans were able to launch their first counterattacks and dominate a Serb who with the rotation lost bellows and succumbed to a brutal partial of 28-4.
From the illusion created with the initial 7 to 15 was passed to a 35 to 19 seconds before the end of the first quarter. From dreaming of a level final to fearing a match without history.
United States kills the game from the triple
Serbia had a serious problem in the game because they had to open their defense to stop Irving and that left room for Faried to begin his usual recital of rebounds in attack and mates. With quality whips of Milos Teodosic and Bogdan Bogdanovic the encounter endured what it could, but a mate in counterattack of Faried evidenced that the history of the party threatened to be closed even before what the public had bet assistant (45-26).
Stephen Curry’s jokes and celebrations showed that the final was already a party in which Derrick Rose entered to unleash fantasy passes and raise the first exclamations of admiration of the American assistants, neutrals, but also Serbs. The passion of some colors could not deny the reality of great American superiority.
In the United States, everyone was laughing but one. The third foul of Anthony Davis forced him to go through the bench adding just three minutes of play before the break. This but was the least of the problems since the income had stabilized above 15 points and that other interiors such as Rudy Gay also intervened in attack.
The second foul in attack of Miroslav Raduljica and the following triple of the forward of Sacramento Kings put for the first time in the encounter the most 20 for the United States. The triple was already a scandal. United States, the team called to crash from afar accumulated in that instant an incredible 9/13… by only 1/7 of Serbia. It was not a metamorphosis of players, but the difference of throwing with a normal pressure or with the constant burden that the Americans subject their rivals (56-30).
With the excitement gone, Irving and Harden (18 and 17 points at half-time) continued to take turns throwing with incredible effectiveness (they finished with 11/16 at half-time) and reach the 30 point barrier just at the threshold of half-time (67-36).
The American dribble was such that even Harden fell in excess in the last play. First shamelessly looking for the body to body with his defender and then throwing a meaningless triple. And as excesses, even when committed by the Americans, are paid, Kalinic scored a triple on the horn to close the first part (67-41).
Placid final point to an impeccable championship
Given that the Americans were about to spoil the night to Raduljica (always focus their attention on those who play in their league) had to be others like Bjelica (despite its premature elimination was the best of the Serbs with 18 points and four rebounds) and Kalinic (surprising final with 18 points) who assumed the score in the painting.
Of course, that does not like any player and an unsportsmanlike and a technique in two defenses followed by the center showed the malaise of Raduljica for the game in general and his in particular.
The match in the zone was of DeMarcus Cousins, a pivot always seen with a magnifying glass by his bad head, who was about to stay in the previous cuts, but was growing in the tournament as the first internal rotation and, already in the final, was the best with 11 points and nine rebounds. His departure in the third quarter by Davis was the third opportunity for the star of the Pelicans to make himself felt in a final that continued traveling in the 30 of difference (81-50).
The zone with which so much was elucubró the hours before the encounter appeared finally in the party. Although the alluvium triplista was incontestable, this is always a solution to close the rebound and cut the pace of the rival. But neither with those, its staging was answered by the first basket in game of Davis and two triples Irving.
For the unfortunate Anthony Davis, how much less was the honor of scoring the point 100 a minute before the end of the third quarter. It was through an alley oop and was the graphic embodiment of a superiority that should never have in a final.
The 105 to 67 with which started the last period does a disservice to the competition and by extension to basketball. Certainly the two best teams of the tournament arrived, but questions the need to bring the best NBA… The same goes back to 2002 and restart the history of the World Cup.
The last minutes of the final were spent with the will of the Americans to continue liking each other and to extend the advantage before the animated Serbian fans who encouraged theirs as heroes. The result did not detract from the value of the tournament and the quality of the silver achieved.
The fall of the minutes brought the rotation of both teams that enjoyed less time of the championship. Mason Plumlee and Andre Drumond had their moment of glory in the final and the departure of the Serbian players became the last tribute to the brilliant runners-up of the world.
There was no time for more, well, to celebrate the end of the brilliant world champion’s party. The captain of the team, James Harden, had already confessed this hours earlier. «We’ve played great games so far, but we want the best to be in the final,» he said… Sunday showed it, he himself with 23 points and all of the United States, the unquestionable best team in the world.
Given that the Americans were about to spoil the night to Raduljica (always focus their attention on those who play in their league) had to be others like Bjelica (despite its premature elimination was the best of the Serbs with 18 points and four rebounds) and Kalinic (surprising final with 18 points) who assumed the score in the painting.
Of course, that does not like any player and an unsportsmanlike and a technique in two defenses followed by the center showed the malaise of Raduljica for the game in general and his in particular.
The match in the zone was of DeMarcus Cousins, a pivot always seen with a magnifying glass by his bad head, who was about to stay in the previous cuts, but was growing in the tournament as the first internal rotation and, already in the final, was the best with 11 points and nine rebounds. His departure in the third quarter by Davis was the third opportunity for the star of the Pelicans to make himself felt in a final that continued traveling in the 30 of difference (81-50).
The zone with which so much was elucubró the hours before the encounter appeared finally in the party. Although the alluvium triplista was incontestable, this is always a solution to close the rebound and cut the pace of the rival. But neither with those, its staging was answered by the first basket in game of Davis and two triples Irving.
For the unfortunate Anthony Davis, how much less was the honor of scoring the point 100 a minute before the end of the third quarter. It was through an alley oop and was the graphic embodiment of a superiority that should never have in a final.
The 105 to 67 with which started the last period does a disservice to the competition and by extension to basketball. Certainly the two best teams of the tournament arrived, but questions the need to bring the best NBA… The same goes back to 2002 and restart the history of the World Cup.
The last minutes of the final were spent with the will of the Americans to continue liking each other and to extend the advantage before the animated Serbian fans who encouraged theirs as heroes. The result did not detract from the value of the tournament and the quality of the silver achieved.
The fall of the minutes brought the rotation of both teams that enjoyed less time of the championship. Mason Plumlee and Andre Drumond had their moment of glory in the final and the departure of the Serbian players became the last tribute to the brilliant runners-up of the world.
There was no time for more, well, to celebrate the end of the brilliant world champion’s party. The captain of the team, James Harden, had already confessed this hours earlier. «We’ve played great games so far, but we want the best to be in the final,» he said… Sunday showed it, he himself with 23 points and all of the United States, the unquestionable best team in the world.
