US Men’s Basketball Dominates Iran


SAITAMA, Japan — The US men’s basketball team beat Iran 120-66 in a morale-boosting victory Wednesday.

Convincing victories like these have been expected from the USA men’s team since the first Dream Team was formed in 1992. Only one Olympic team failed to win gold at that time, and the bronze medal won by the 2004 team was considered a disaster.

There was a lot of unrest after this year’s men’s team lost their show. to Nigeria and Australia, then its Olympic opener, 83-76, France.

But despite each of these US rivals having at least some NBA and NBA-quality players, Iran simply prevailed on Wednesday. A glance at their roster reveals that their top players are employed by Iranian teams like China’s Sichuan Blue Whales and Chemidor Qom.

The USA was leading 16 points after the first quarter and 30 points in the half. The Americans’ speed and gun rotation helped them get more than their fair share of open shots, especially 3-pointers, and their defensive intensities prevented Iran from gaining any real momentum on the offensive.

Damian Lillard led the USA with 21 threes, six of which were in the first half. At one point in the second quarter, after Lillard knocked down a perfect 3, defender Hamed Haddadi, who was Iran’s best player, raised his hands and said, “What are you going to do?

“Today we came out with more freedom as individuals and took the shots we normally like to do, and they came in tonight,” said Kevin Durant of the USA. “And we were cautious, so it was a good step.”

“We play against the superstars of the world and we enjoy it,” said Iranian Saeid Davarpanah.

The USA will finish the game of pool against the Czech Republic, which beat Iran by just 6 points on Saturday night. The top two teams in each of the three groups will advance to the quarterfinals along with the top two third-placed teams, so a U.S. berth in the knockout phase was never in doubt. And the team still has undeniably the most successful roster in the Games.

But matches against some serious teams led by NBA stars – maybe Spain with Ricky Rubio and the Gasol brothers, or Slovenia with Luka Doncic – it will still come. And the USA has to win three elimination games in a row to get the gold medal everyone has been waiting for.

The USA team must continue to evolve as it integrates the three players who played in the NBA finals and didn’t join the team until Sunday – Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday.

But in an Olympic He’s already had his share of sorrows, no one is yet to book a definitive gold medal for the USA.



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