By Sean Connolly
For 19 minutes and 59 seconds in the first half, Australia’s game plan was perfect. Nearly everything went like it was drawn up. But a demoralizing buzzer beater from Deron Williams ended that perfect gameplan and launched the US to a 116-85 win.
The plan was simple for Australia. Defend the paint, make open shots, hope that the US shoot poorly from the line and from behind the arc. Australia stayed back, defended the paint well, allowed the US to shoot and it seemed like it was working. They made a couple of big threes and nailed open shots. The US shot horribly from the line in the first half, and the threes just didn’t seem to be falling. Things looked positive for the Australian side that were rumored to be capable of upsetting the dominant US. So, with all this going Australia’s way, how did they lose?
How did Australia lose, or better yet how did the US win? Offensive rebounding. In the first half the US had more offensive rebounds,13, than Australia had for a total,12. When playing a team that includes Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Carmello Anthony, the last thing you want to do is give them second chances. Kobe and company cleaned up the boards, picking up second and even third chances that kept them ahead in the first half.
In a game like this, Australia just wanted to keep their head above water. And, towards the end of the 2nd quarter it seemed like the Aussies were doing so. They were until Deron Williams pushed their heads underneath the water with a buzzer beating 3 pointer at the end of the 1st half. With the US holding on to a 9 point lead, a lead that they didn’t deserve with the way they were shooting from the line, Williams put all that Australia upset talk to rest. Williams broke free with the clock running out and tossed up a three with the clock running out. He drained it and drained whatever hopes Australia had in beating the USA.
The buzzer beater by Williams catapulted the US to a 17-0 run in which they scored 14 straight to start the 3rd quarter. What at one point was a managable 9 point deficit with seconds left in the first half had turned into a 26 point deficit before the Aussies could get warmed up for the second half.
This win puts the US one step closer to the top level of the podium, which now seems inevitable. Redemption is imminent for this US squad and their no nonsense aproach instilled by coach Mike Krzyzewski is the main reason.
