Olympics: 3 Key Battles In USA vs. Spain Basketball Semifinal
The Three-Point Battle
In case you haven’t noticed, Team USA loves to shoot the three-ball.
The U.S. shot 64-for-168 in its first six games, an average of 10.4 makes per game while shooting at a 38.1 percent clip. USA leads all teams in Rio in three-point field goal percentage. The only team who made more three-point attempts was Argentina, who hit 68 threes in six games.
Spain is not far behind, however, shooting 60-for-159 from long distance, or 37.8 percent — almost identical to the U.S.
If the trend continues, expect both teams to use long-distance shooting in their arsenals on Friday and each side has some phenomenal outside shooters.
For Team USA, most of the damage from beyond the arc comes courtesy of Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Klay Thompson.
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Valley of the Suns
Durant shot 18-for-27 in six games, a ridiculous 66.7 percent, including his most recent outburst against Argentina, in which the Warriors forward went 7-for-9 from deep. He leads all players in Rio in three-pointers made and three-point field goal percentage.
Melo is right behind him, shooting 16-for 37, or 43.2 percent. Thompson is shooting 10-for-35, an uncharacteristically low 28.8 percent, but showed his explosiveness in USA’s win over France, when he scored 30 points and made 7-of-13 three-point attempts.
Paul George is also a threat from outside, shooting 7-for-21 from long distance, and Irving made 8-of-19 attempts in the first six games of the tournament.
However, Spain is going to provide a formidable challenge with its own set of sharpshooters. The guard duo of Rodriguez and Llull has combined for 14-of-40 from three-point range in the tournament.
But its forwards have been deadly from beyond the arc.
Small forward Rudy Fernandez shot 12-for-31 in his first six games from deep, including a 23-point outburst against Argentina in which he went 4-for-5 from deep.
Nikola Mirotic has been one of the most impressive shooters in Rio, making 13-of-31 attempts. He dominated France in the quarterfinals, scoring 23 points and shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Even Spanish center Pau Gasol, who has made the three-ball a part of his arsenal in recent years, is not to be left alone on the perimeter. Gasol is 9-for-16 from outside, shooting 56.3 percent (second-highest in Rio).
This game could be a dream come true for fans who love the art of outside shooting.
Next: The Battle Of The Bigs