OS Beijing 2008 Paralympics Olympics Pekin

Spanish team stood tall in the 1^st half of the game, keeping the Dream team far from flying with the scores. Spaniards’ defensive strategy was starting to cause trouble for the States when it switched from Zone defense into court pressure putting the Americans into a state of tension, especially with the last 2 minutes of the 2^nd quarter. Europeans are fighting the Americans with their own weapon: pressure defense.

The Spanish NBA star Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers) is leading Spain under the basket, and had earlier announced while being spotted on sport news and on TV that this is his last game with the National team because of pressured NBA schedule that’s not keeping him anytime to relax.

Calderon, injured during an earlier game, was pushed into the field for emotional purposes, not to mention that he scored a 3 pointer while bringing back his team into the game.

Both teams enduring from few annoying whistles blown by the referee, who was clearly trying to ease the tension; an excuse maybe for easy shrills?

As the 2^nd quarter came to an end, Spain’s players were decreasing the US lead that circled around the 15 points into only 6 with mad expressions on the faces of Lebron James and friends.

Navaro led the flamingos in the 3^rd quarter that was all about fighting over every single ball. His penetrations under the basket were hard to contain with Spain bringing the best of the game, as the lead came to a single basket of difference.

The last shift of the game wasn’t different at all. The States kept on heading the numbers but the toreros’ bid on wiping American smiles paid off! The game was so intense and close that none of the players had the occasion to show teeth before the last minute.

Spanish basketball players are worth respect: Rudy Fernandez’s slam over Dwight Howard was a spark for the crowds who were on feet as the arena trembled with cheering the 2 points difference in score. Spain and its NBA stars were a thin line away from creating the blow and seizing control over the game that appeared to be a confrontation between 2 NBA teams, but Kobe Bryant’s MVP title was put into action to show what he is really made off! Despite the group motion of the Europeans, USA’s skills out-put the European school and took back the gold into America… a moment that’s been much awaited since Sydney’s 2000; USA basketball Jerseys are the Olympic champions, a bet that’s been set, further more anticipated since the beginning of the Beijing games and just got cashed in gold.

What started like a simple bidding was turned into a matter of reputation and dignity for the NBA basketball that just showed who’s the MAN!!!

Lithuanians have Reached 4 Olympic semi-finals in a row and that’s definitely an achievement to admire! Spain and its stars faced a really tough opponent in the semi-final, while missing on the lead several times; it was a very close game while injured Jose Manuel Calderon (NBA Toronto raptors) was just supporting from the bench seats.

Despite the presence of NBA star Pau Gasol (NBA Los Angeles Lakers), Lithuanians managed to keep up with the level and the score of the game. The leaders of Group A in preliminaries were really hard to overcome and Spaniards were having a real test, in addition to the threat of being brought down!

17 year-old Ricky Rubio absolutely fascinated the crowds, and some of the challenger’s players; TV viewers will be thrilled to see him grow up in Basketball jerseys.

During the game, Spain was aware of the need to cover the long range lane and showed a great balance between defense and offense. At the end, they were better and deserved to win in this intense battle (91-86)

Lithuania made 6 of 13(46%) from long range in the 2^nd quarter, taking the lead on the break.

Spanish coach Aito Garcia saluted the magnificent efforts of Lithuania who clearly evolved since the 2 teams were put face to face in what seemed like a massacre for Lithuanian Basketball early in the summer (91-66).

Finalist Spain’s bid on facing a sturdy and unbending Lithuania in this semi-final of Beijing was a wisely put bet but they allocated all their resources towards leaving the Olympics with a respectful image that suits the world champions: they are in the final game, in a rematch of their match with the USA’s Dream team.

What will Spain be betting on this time?

World cup winners Spain had to win this game against Croatia, to preserve their image and to move on into the semi-finals. What was bid on to be an intense and close basketball game, turned into a complete dominance for the Spaniards (12-1 run in 1^st quarter), leading in the 4 quarters and winning at the end 72-59.

Spain’s players just bought the 1^st basketball ticket into the semi-final game of the tournament here in Beijing’s Olympics, led by Pau Gasol’s 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Rebounding was in favor of the world champions (36-29), clearly jumping higher on defensive and offensive recoveries, allowing them to score many points under the basket, not to mention the 3 pointers; Juan Calderon made 2 out of 2 before being substituted, a growing injury that compelled the coach to replace him. Despite the Spanish worries of their team mate’s spoil, they kept on focusing on their game, taking advantage of the pre-built score difference.

Croatia’s betting on 3 points shots aimed to dislocate the Spanish defense under the basket, but with their razor-sharp shooter Marko Popovic on the injury list, every long range shot was twisting away

Croatia made 26% (5 of 19 shots) from long range,

And a field goals average of 38%

At the final shrill, Spain’s basketball jerseys celebrated jumping into the semi finals, to play against Lithuania.

In a TV interview ahead of this basketball game, Pau was asked about the match with the Dream team, where Spain was fiercely destroyed, giving the sports news a delight story to talk about. The NBA star Gasol said that he is over it now, and that his team wasn’t up to their usual level, assuring all the Spanish fans that if a 2^nd game against the USA was to be played, it will definitely have a different scenario. A bidding that looks a little bit provocative from the Spanish star, maybe a message to the Dream team from a side, and to the fans of betting to think twice before picking a side on the betting panels or on sports betting sites.

Yao Ming and friends fail again, but this time it was against the Greeks of Spanioulis. Greece was in lead since the early seconds of the match, setting an advantage that reached the 24 points. China upcoming from the lockers was extremely dissimilar, mainly for the dragons’ giant Yao who scored 16 points, helping his team in closing the gap with Greece’s basketball jerseys.

The deficit was around 10 points, in the peak of the Asian come back into the game’s score after the half time, but Vasilis Spanioulis’ performance of the match, with 19 points (13 in the 2^nd quarter) drew a border line to China’s finishing who were late by couple of dozens points before the 3^rd shift..

At the end it was 91-77! Greece will face Argentineans; the blue and white striped, will definitely be betting on their defensive strategies. Both capable of scoring for short and long range, sport news are already setting the public mood for a spectacular game: it’s a must win for all the qualifiers now; we are on the quarter finals of men basketball tournament. Either in China or abroad, this is a game that shouldn’t be missed, especially with sports betting sites working “overtime”.

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.