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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — It was just another day at the office.
Clock in.
Out shoot.
Out score.
Out rebound
Clock out.
Collect sixth consecutive gold medal on the way out the door.
I imagine that if you wrote that script and submitted it to Hollywood production studios, they would turn it down for being too cliché or unbelievable. But USA Basketball? They don't apologize for their dominance.
If there was any doubt that the U.S. would not be able to pull out a win, they silenced the naysayers pretty quickly (insert Dikembe Mutombo finger wag). But let's be real, was there ever any doubt that Tamika Catchings, and likely Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, would end their Olympic careers without a gold medal?
Despite getting off to a slow start, the U.S. pulled it together in the second quarter going on a 10-0 run. Before they could blink, Spain found themselves down by 13 and struggling to stay afloat.
Then again, I can't say I blame them. Even if in their pregame warm up, Spain had measured the court like the iconic scene in the movie "Hoosiers," I doubt that would have helped their case. USA Basketball is just that dominant. When you have 12 of the most gifted offensive players in the world, it's hard to count on poor shooting for the entire game.
By the end of the third quarter, the U.S. was up by 32 and making it look easy. Scoring at will, playing stifling defense, they at times looked like pros going against high schoolers. The U.S doesn't necessarily need flash to win.
With Geno Auriemma at the helm of the team, (and five former UConn Huskies for that matter) flash is less important than fundamentals.
Fundamentals might not be Hollywood gold, but they really are gold medal worthy. And that is why the U.S. will leave Rio with a 101-72 win over Spain, and another gold medal to add to their collection.
Plenty of the best sports movies are underdog stories, but USA Basketball does not need underdog status. They have the talent and work ethic to win without extra drama—and this team making history? That's a story I want to watch over and over again.