U.S. basketball Redeem Team beats Greece

August 14, 12:57 PMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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It took two years of bad ink in all print media, a pledge by Jerry Colangelo and the hard work of Olympic men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski,  but our basketball team avenged its 2006 bitter loss to the Greek national team. They are the reason our basketball team was called the Redeem Team in the first place.

Much was made about the makeup of our team and the type of players it would take to play well under international rules and against experienced men who have played together as a national team for long periods of time. The bad feelings engendered by our inability to get past Greece and Spain in the 2006 world championships was the impetus for the shake up of U.S. national team organization.

Nonetheless, criticism and skepticism were everywhere prior to Beijing, even during the practice matches played here and then in Asia. The team members all have a lot of pride and of course NBA credentials up the whazoo. But what did that have to do with the price of food in China? Well nothing of course.

Despite the first two Oympic matches in which our team looked good but not dominant, the Greek team was faced down today and was put away with force; it was a statement game for the U.S.

The final score was 92-69. The game was won in the final half of the second quarter when our defense and fast break points overwhelmed the Greeks. After that Kobe Bryant found his jump shot, we made more three pointers than usual, although still not as many as we want, and again, Dwayne Wade made his presence known.

So far Wade is the clear MVP on the U.S.team and while the score started to get lopsided, the redemption game required no let up, no hestitation and no mental lapses. The team played hard, harder and hardest without giving Greece a chance to recover. It was a beat down when the U.S. team needed it.

There is no time for much celebration since the Spanish team, whose record is the same as ours, 3-0 is up next. They are the class of the bunch but may have been weakened and somewhat distracted by the bad publicity emanating from the photo uproar.

If Pau Gasol was unnerved by the Celtics in the NBA Finals, what do you think his own league mates will do to him after that bad taste photo? Jason Kidd is on fire about it and as TO likes to say, get the popcorn ready.

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