Despite pushing Brazil to the end, Great Britain suffered a heartbreaking 67-62 loss at the Olympic games on Tuesday afternoon.
Back to back clutch threes from Luol Deng put GB in front by one, 57-56, with 4 minutes to play, but Brazil’s Marcelinho Huertas controlled the game down the stretch being involved with 8 of Brazil’s last 10 points (2 points and 3 assists in last 4 minutes), as GB failed to execute.
The game has now been added to the growing and increasingly frustrating list of ‘almost-wins’ for GB. After the game a dejected Freeland found it hard to find the positives:
“We were a lot more solid on defence in the half court but still there is mistakes in there that need to be corrected and we need to do that quickly. There is only 3 more games, we’ve waited 6 years to be in this position and we’ve got to pull these out.”
Nate Reinking and Pops Mensah-Bonsu led GB with 13 points each, with Mensah-Bonsu also adding 12 rebounds. Luol Deng added 12 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, meeting Chris Finch’s request for him to be more of a facilitor after GB’s opening loss to Russia. Tiago Splitter had 21 points on 9/11 shooting to lead Brazil.
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Game 1
Russia beat China 73-54
Andrei Kirilenko has 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals, Aleksey Shved 14 and 6 assists for Russia. Jianlian Yi has 16 to lead China as the only player in double figures.
Box score.
Game 2
Spain beat Australia 82-70.
Pau Gasol had 20 to lead Spain, Ingles & Newley with 12 each for Australia.
Box score.
Game 3
Lithuania beat Nigeria 72-53.
Box score
Game 5
France beat Argentina 71-64.
Box score.
Game 6
USA beat Tunisia 110-63
Box score.
Notes
- Belinda Snell made her case for play of the Olympics yesterday with a crazy half court buzzer beater to send the game vs France into overtime.
- Russia’s Aleksey Shved is one of the biggest highlight reel players here, despite not being one of the high flyers. Always looking to make the flashy play.
- Serge Ibaka had a nasty alley oop followed by a poster a couple of possessions later against Australia. Gutted not to be filming this tournament!
- Mike Lenzly left the game after tweaking the same calf injury that made him a question mark for the games. It remains unclear how severe it is, but it is increasingly looking like Finch’s gamble isn’t paying off.
- Freeland, Reinking and Finch were all visibly frustrated talking to press after the games. There are no moral victories!
- Finch didn’t want to get into talking about referees in the press conference, but it was pretty evident he is not happy with the refereeing so far in the tournament.
- Tunisia showed they weren’t intimidated by the USA in their match up as overwhelming underdogs. It was actually USA’s second unit that got them going – how nice it must be to have a bench stronger than everyone else’s starting 5!
- USA brought a number of huge highlights against the Tunisians, including a big Iguodala putback, a LeBron James cock-back on the break and Anthony Davis catching lobs on everyone!
- As the days go on, it is becoming increasingly evident that the women’s games have bigger crowds than the men’s.
- Talking of crowds, it is also becoming increasingly evident that the crowd is made up of a majority of people who have never been to a basketball game in their life. As much as it pains me to watch videos explaining the rules and what a ‘slam dunk’ is, perhaps it is necessary for a crowd who would otherwise have no clue what is going on?
Let us know your thoughts on the games in the comments!
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
How can you watch the GB games live :s
BBC Sport website if you can’t find the BBC Olympic channel.
Here-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/live-video/p00w2y1s
BBC Iplayer
Come on Team GB! You can still do this.
Aleksey Shved has definitely got some bounce too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ae5EjVwE8
So he has!
real shame we couldn’t pull it off last night – a GB victory would have been significant for GB’s chances to go through to the quarters.
cant help but feel that the gamble on Lenzley was one too far … we need a point who can create opportunities and DVO could have made a contribution on that front.
The two Australian commentators on the BBC are adisgrace….
Firstly they kept referring Kevin Love as last years NBA’s leading rebounder – this is not accurate, it was Dwight Howard….
And secondly and far more seriously, they referred to the way the USA play as “Jungle Ball” in the sense that there is no structure and lots of athletes just jumping around… this is terribly offensive and these two should not be on out televisions!
They’re Australian, they say stuff like that! ala The Fast Show “Can I say that? ‘Course i can, i’m Australian!”
You’re right though, no place for that sort of comment.
I like the Aussie commentators, I didn’t hear what they said about jungle ball but I doubt if it was racial?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jungle%20ball
Sam – Is there still many empty seats for the men’s games? I know loads of guys that can’t get tickets but would love to go!
‘As the days go on, it is becoming increasingly evident that the women’s games have bigger crowds than the men’s.’
Well, all the men’s games have sold out. So what this clearly shows is that more corporate/Olympic family tickets have been given out to rich bastards for the men’s games, who then have the audacity to not turn up. Emptyseatgate strikes again…
Could we have won if any plays had been set up for L.D, PMB, or even JF in the last few minutes?
Hello yes jungle basketball wtf is that and what does it mean these 2 beer drinking waste of space commentators should not be on tv can you imagine if these was said at a football match what would FIFA or the FA have to make of it. I clearly don’t understand what the hell is jungle basketball If any of you know out there please leave me a cooment am very interested in its meaning. Am logging a compliant with the bbfc. Who says that and gets away with it am clearly not impressed. And as for sold out tickets what a load of rubbish I was at the USA game clearly the back rows were full but a load of empty seats up front.
Here you go:
Jungle Ball
A style of basketball where there is not a set of specific rules. Teams consist of 5 players like any typical basketball game, but unlike a regulation basketball game, players generally have a “me first” attitude, rarely passing the ball to even sometimes wide open teammates. Fouls committed against other players usually don’t matter, the game continues on as if nothing happened.
Since there are no rules to follow, the game can sometimes look erratic, and maybe even dangerous
(jungle ball is not a racial term)
taken from the Urban Dictionary mentioned above.
An apology to the “beer drinking waste of space” would put you in a much better light but I won’t hold my breath. Hope your compliant (sic) gets the hearing it deserves.
As for the empty seats down front, these were not sold to the general public first time round so wrong again, this is a sold out event. If people don’t turn up that is a pity.
So its not a racial term which you found in the urban Dictionary you say i don’t know about this Urban Dictionary only the oxford Dictionary which i use. Jungle basketball is way you describe rough play but were was the rough play in that game all i saw was pure skill which am sure Andy9 you or any of your kind have never seen so please keep your answer to yourself and crawl back under that cave you came from you racist. There no place for your comments on this site its a basketball website for your information. I have logged my complaint with the BBC and i have received a email reply saying that the comment is being looked into along with a host of other complaints. So i like to remind you again this is a basketball website so keep your comments to yourself if its not to do with the sport Andy9
I’m sorry, “lets get it cracking” but you’re being a bit ridiculous here. To suggest any racial undertones in Andy9s comment is absolutely clutching at straws, and if you’re so bothered about it being a “basketball website” you shouldn’t have began ranting about something that had nothing to do with the basketball being played, ie, the commentators.
No I didn’t say, someone else said it above your original pityful post.
Typical uneducated bullying reply by internet troll. Time this moron was modified.
OK thanks Andy9 like i said does to Aussies wont be back commenting, the BBC have removed them after their comments about the USA team and replaced them with fresh new commentators and as for calling me names Andy9 i don’t have time for Internet beef its clear that’s what your after and am sorry mate i wont even entertain it as my young friends would say ”your a waste-man” check out the meaning in your Urban Dictionary.
Well the aussie guy is commentating on the Croatia v Angola game right now so are you sure about that?
Free agent what are you talking about. When have I ever commented about you?
Or are you lets get it cracking as well?
What does “does to Aussies” mean? Honestly perplexed.
Yeah I think “Lets get it cracking” and “Free agent” is the same guy.
He was talking nonsense anyway, his “complaint” went nowhere, same commentators are doing the games and are doing a good job.
The womens games have, for me, provided great entertainment and excitement, more so, I’m afraid, than the mens games.
do britain have any plays? are they able to make any easy baskets? this complete lack of basketball iq reflects the complete misunderstanding of bball in britain, where all people do is watch nba tv highlights and think that is basketball…if deng wasnt so clutch and great britain would have lost by 40 to russia and 25 to a very ovverated brazil
brits should just give up playing basketball……..apart from some miracle shots from deng, who is an amazing player, you just cant play this sport…no i.q, no good coaching, not much talent and no traditional piublic appreciation for the game…Jesus there were empty seats!!! that would never happen in a basketball country in europe or america…as soon as deng stops showing up after 2012, its back to playing island in eurobasket division C…..brits actually thought having no plays and one nba player made them a contender///all they do is watch nba highlights and think they know basketball……
Yeah, Eurobasket 2011 was full wasn’t it? Now that’s what I call empty seats!!
People are expecting far too much from the GB team, the reality is, Brazil massively underperformed for much of the game and once they began to resemble the team they actually are, it was too much for us. Yes we competed very well, but all things in perspective, Brazil, on paper and in the flesh, have a much much better team than us. The scoreline is surely better than anyone could have expected before the game. People bemoaning GB’s “clutchness” need to look at Brazils roster and realise its full of veterans who can close out games..who on our roster has any experience closing out tight games? Well played GB, Australia and China are the 2 winnable games.
I too was very perturbed at the “jungle ball” comment….I presume it is the Aussie equivalent of “street ball”…as we would all refer to it. Mind you with the play-by-play guy calling the quarters, “turns”, wtf is that?!!!
I’m glad some of you have complained to the BBC….good…while you are at it ask the question why have we got 2 Aussies commentating on the BBC anyway?! It’s bad enough that we have sold out GB basketball to Canadians and Aussies on the staff, now let’s get overrun completely by them all shall we?!
(I am guessing that the answer will be that in fact the broadcasts are not being filmed / produced by the BBC but by the official Olympic broadcaster…whoever that is)….
There is no doubt that television sports commentary is very much a skill that has to be learned and developed.
The Australian commentators may well be very poor (jungle ball in Australia is street ball in England) but the commentary by both Mike Carlson (baseball?!!!!!) and John Ameachi is horrendous and certainly tends to spoil the game for anyone who knows anything at all about basketball.
Neither showed any degree of excitement or enthusiasm for games. The GB teams may or may not have performed well, but that is no excuse to constantly criticise the teams or players on television when the medium should surely be used to encourage viewers to take up the game.
wow, political correctness gone crazy…do english players wet the bed also when there is a bit of trash talk on the court ? such a soft country; this sport is not for you…i agree though those australians know nothing about basket either
‘close game vs Brasil in the last few minutes, we turn it over and Joel freeland enbds up giving up and and1 situation because our other 3 players are still in the other half watching instead of sprinting back to help out on D! I’m sure they’re tired at that stage of the game but it’s the 4th qtr of an Olympic game!!!
‘
I agree with Steve (on the wrong thread but the right track), that play was the game gone and inexcusable at this level. Although I never thought we would get close let alone that I would end up gutted to see us lose a close game