LONDON — As the shot fell through the net, Kobe Bryant held up three fingers on each hand. It was his third consecutive three-pointer in the fourth quarter, enough for the U.S. men’s Olympic team to finally put away stubborn Australia.
Yes, all’s fine with Bryant, and the Americans’ gold medal hopes, as well.
Bryant silenced his critics and broke open a tight game with six three-pointers in the second half Wednesday night as the U.S. advanced to the semifinals of the London Games with a 119-86 victory over Australia.
“Somebody made him mad. I could see it in his eyes,” American Kevin Durant said. “I wanted him to kind of turn it on and that’s what he did.”
On a night when LeBron James had 11 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, the story was Bryant’s awakening from his Olympic slumber. The five-time NBA champion has even said this team could have beaten the Dream Team, and on the 20th anniversary of that squad’s gold medal win, he put on the kind of show that makes his claim hard to dismiss.
Bryant scored all of his 20 points after halftime, finally delivering the kind of game expected of him in London.
He had insisted his time would come, and none of his teammates ever doubted it.
“I kind of knew what button to push with him. I was talking to him at halftime and in the third quarter and I guess I pushed the button. He woke up and to see that, I’ve been on the other side of the ball and had that situation before,” teammate Carmelo Anthony said.
Bryant, a top-five scorer in NBA history, brushed away Anthony’s attempts to take credit as easily as the questions he’s been hearing in London.
“He was just saying, ‘Let’s see what we see during the season.’ But by that point, I was already revved up,” Bryant said.
Deron Williams added 18 points, Anthony had 17 and Durant 14.
VOLLEYBALL
U.S. men fall in quarters
The U.S. men’s volleyball team got off to a strong start at the London Olympics, but it’s headed home without a medal.
The defending Olympic champions lost 28-26, 25-20, 25-20 to Italy in the quarterfinals.
U.S. setter Donald Suxho bent over with his hands on his knees and shook his head as Italy celebrated the win at Earls Court. And after shaking hands with the Italians, the Americans turned to applaud the many U.S. fans in the crowd.
Dragan Travica and captain Cristian Savani each had four aces for Italy, which will face Brazil in Friday’s semifinals. Savani finished with 19 points.
Russia takes on Bulgaria in the other semi.
SAILING
No medals for U.S.
The U.S. was shut out of Olympic sailing medals for the first time since 1936 when women’s match racing skipper Anna Tunnicliffe was beaten in the quarterfinals by Finland.
Tunnicliffe, who was born in England and moved to the United States when she was 12, was the only remaining American with a chance for a medal.
BOXING
Shields advances
Middleweight Claressa Shields dominated Kazakhstan’s Marina Volnova in the semifinals of the first Olympic women’s tournament, earning a spot in the title bout against Russia’s Nadezda Torlopova.
After pounding away at the slower Volnova for most of the 29-15 fight, the 17-year-old Shields pounded her taped right fist against her own left shoulder and screamed with joy.
Shields is the last American boxer left in London after flyweight Marlen Esparza lost 10-8 to Chinese world champion Ren Cancan an hour earlier. Ren will fight Britain’s Nicola Adams for the flyweight title.
WATER POLO
U.S. men eliminated
The U.S. men’s team suffered an 8-2 quarterfinal loss to unbeaten Croatia.
The Croats jumped to a 5-0 lead by halftime with ferocious defense on one end of the pool and efficient shooting on the other. The Americans clawed back to 5-2 halfway through the third quarter, but Miho Boskovic responded for Croatia with his second goal before Sandro Sukno added another with four seconds left in the period.
Sports, Pages 17 on 08/09/2012