OS Beijing 2008 Paralympics Olympics Pekin

As expected, and as formulated bets were expected to be, the dream team took the advantage since the very first quarter, dominating the basketball court and crowds to achieve the 2^nd successive win in Beijing, against Angola by a significant advantage of 21 points.

Lebron James’ dominance was clearly perceived, backed by the 19 points of Dwyane Wade, and Dwight Howard’s 14 dots, despite falling short from the 3 points line.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski and his players took a long look at the Greeks’s warm up and game, and declared, along with many players’ statements, that Greece is next to fall. The results and supremacy of the leading squad in the world wide ranking in basketball are regarded as a fierce warning, to all the rivals wearing basketball jerseys in the Olympics: beware our magic! We’re here to win, and we are 2^nd to none.

The basketball world champions were facing China in this group B preliminary, in a mixture of basketball schools coming with a number of NBA players, playing on both sides. China led the game, under the eyes of a huge crowd within the stadium: basketball tickets were out of order!

Putting the Spaniards, the world champions, under a spectacular amount of pressure, Yao Ming, Wang Shipeng and comrades almost made the impossible come true, making their multi-billion populace believe that they can challenge, go along, and beat the world champions; a bet that seemed too good to be true.

Spain joined its forces back together, in the last quarter, using the players’ experience to play under pressure, knowledge in the ways of turning a game into their own style, and the huge potential of 6 NBA players, to achieve a fabulous comeback into the game, as Marc Gasol balanced the scores to 72 each, in the final 19 seconds.

The over time played in favor of the Spanish formula, and was totally controlled by the bi-Gasol combination, as Yao was fouled out at the end of the last quarter, giving Pau Gasol (29 points), all the freedom to score 9 points in the overtime.

China accepted their defeat, being a source of experience and motivation for them, as some Spanish accredited that they weren’t taking the game very seriously, and that luck was on their side.

Tens of million spectators, thousands of waving flags, and all eyes fixed on the tv sets, were not enough for Yao ming and friends, to compete against the American dream team, whose players announced earlier that a win in china’s Olympic is crucial and decisive.

The game started real close on scores, with a very excited Chinese team, showing a huge enthusiasm all over the basketball court and definitely counting on the leadership of their NBA’s giant Yao (Houston rockets), scoring 13 points under the well-built defensive strategies of the USA team, as other team mates weren’t so lucky in finding the net from the 3 points line, knowing that the downtown shots are a lethal weapon of the Chinese dragon.

In the 2^nd period, the game started to get loose from the Asian hosts, as Uncle Sam cruised on with the score difference, leaving a hopeless China way behind, with a gap that almost reached the 40 points, during the game, which later on, turned out to look like a training for the Yankees, and a Showtime blast for the 16000 Chinese fans cheering for their locals, and for their NBA idols such as the MVP ( most valuable player) Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Dwaine wade, whose show kept the crowd on their feet, despite the massive defeat: 101-70

During a pre-match interview, coach mikes Krzyzewski declared that he’s counting on the talent, strength and nerves of steel, as a way to beat China. Kobe Bryant made it clear that the US has to bring gold back home. Other wise he’d rather change his family name and disguise into an Italian and stay abroad and away from the states.

Was it a joke?

The Americans were never as determined to bring back the gold and the glory to their home nation, (accompanied by their current and former presidents: Bush, and Bush senior), after earning only a bronze medal in Athens 2004 and a dramatic semi final loss in 2006’s world championship against the Greeks.

Betting reports, reported and gossiped that a large portion of the bets is in favor of the Spanish team, but came clean that the dream team is leading by a considerable integer. As bet sites and panes deal with results, I bet that there will be no vacant seats in the stadium, and definitely no left over when it comes to the basketball tickets sold in Beijing, for this particular game, that’s expected to fulfill all the corners and passageways of the stadium.

The next group B preliminary game will put the American persistence, in face of the world champions, the Spaniards, led by their NBA star, Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers). This is definitely not a basketball game to be missed, especially that’s considered to be an early final! We expect to benefit from the basketball hoops, as it embraces the 2 poles of the game on the 16^th of august.