Team USA defeated long-time rival Spain on the basketball court Friday, 82-76, to reach the Olympic men's basketball final. On the offensive end, guard Klay Thompson led Team USA with 22 points and 3 assists, but it was center DeAndre Jordan's stalwart defense that powered the U.S. to victory. For Spain, veteran forward Pau Gasol netted 23 points to lead all scorers.
The U.S. and Spain met in the gold-medal games in the last two Olympics, with the U.S. winning both bouts, but this time the two teams clashed only for the right to contend for gold. The American men have had some surprising struggles in Rio, narrowly edging France and Serbia in preliminary-round match-ups before blowing out Argentina in the quarterfinals.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.