U.S. Men's Basketball Off to a Good Start

In one of the most anticipated events of these Olympics, the United States took on China in their first game of the tournament. Both teams got off to a sloppy start, turning the ball over time and time again. It stayed close through most of the second quarter with the U.S. players using their strength to dunk over their opponents while the Chinese knocked down shots from beyond the 3-point arc. The fast pace of the game created a fastbreak offense for both teams rather than plays in a halfcourt set. The score was tied at 29 halfway through the 2nd, but the U.S. capped off the quarter with a big run, taking a 12-point lead with them to the locker room. They never looked back. Despite Yao Ming's solid efforts around the basket, the U.S. lead grew to 26 by the end of 3 in large part due to the quick ball movement and Michael Redd taking over the 3-point game. President Bush left midway through the 4th, confident that his country's team could hold their huge lead for the remaining minutes. Yao took a seat in the 4th quarter to a huge round of applause but stood up and cheered for his teammates until the buzzer sounded. Although the final score was 101-70, the U.S. is going to have to pull it together a lot earlier than the end of the first half to take the gold. Next up: Angola.

picture source: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/basketball/men/recap?gameId=765&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines