USA Trounces China - Again
It lacked the pregame hype, the capacity crowd, and likely didn't have a television audience of an estimated one billion fans, but when the U.S. women met China for a basketball game on Monday, the final result was almost identical of the game played the night before between the men. Except the women were much more dominant without ever dunking, during a 108-63 victory at Wukesong Indoor Stadium.
A day after they beat China by 31 points, U.S. men's players Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Jason Kidd came to support the women and they were treated to The Tina Thompson Show. Thompson, the Houston Comets forward, made her first six shots and finished with a game-high 27 points, matching Cynthia Cooper and Katrina McClain the fourth-best scoring total for an American in Olympic competition. Thompson's former high school classmate Lisa Leslie holds the record with 35.
"We have an awesome team so at any point, anyone on our team can put up numbers," Thompson said. "The fact that our team is so unselfish and we kind of move the ball around and get the ball to the open player, it can be anyone of us at any time."
China led 11-10 after Miao Lijie hit a three-pointer, but the U.S. pulled away during a 23-0 run to close out the first period. Thompson scored 13 points during the run, hitting a three-pointer and converting a three-point play after absorbing a hard foul that sent her diving into the protective wall in front of photographers. She finished with 21 points in the first half, as the U.S. went into the locker room with a 61-27 lead.
Sylvia Fowles had 18 points and eight rebounds, Candace Parker had 12 points and Leslie had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Americans, who have won 27 consecutive Olympic games. They also avenged an 84-81 loss against China in the final of the Good Luck Beijing Tournament, when the U.S. was playing without several of its stars, including Thompson and Leslie.
"That was just a training session. We didn't have this same group," Katie Smith said. "You never want to lose but honestly it's about what we're doing right now. This is where it counts."
The U.S. is 5-0 overall against China in the Olympics, with the Americans winning the last meeting, 100-62 in Athens in 2004. They are unbeaten after thier first two games in pool play, beating the Czech Republic and China by a combined 85 points.
The atmosphere may not have been has electrifying as the night before, but Chinese fans continued to loudly cheer for their team, even as the U.S. women expanded their lead in the second half. Sometimes, the crowd reaction caught the U.S. women off guard. "They cheered so hard every now and then, we had to check the score. Like, Okay, okay, okay, we're still up by 30. I think they still appreciate good basketball," Leslie said.
The U.S. will face Mali on Wednesday. Miao led China (1-1) with 16 points.
By
Michael Lee
|
August 11, 2008; 9:02 AM ET
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Posted by: canidy | August 11, 2008 10:17 AM
I want to see more of Candice Parker on the court for the USA!!!!!
Its time to give younger players with star power their due.
Posted by: Obama-Junkie | August 11, 2008 12:15 PM
Hey Obama Junkie...younger talent IS on the court. Watch Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus. Oh, and Tina Thompson IS star power and deserves her due. She was terrific.
Posted by: WNBA fan | August 11, 2008 1:54 PM
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