The USA Olympic Basketball team defeated Australia 116-85 to advance into the Semi-Finals where they’ll face Argentina for a chance at the Gold Medal. On the other side of the Quarter Finals, Lithuania defeated China 94-68 and they’ll face Spain in the Semis. Both Semi-Final matches take place on Friday August 22. The losers of the Semi-Finals will have a chance to save face in the bronze medal match. Stay tuned to BetUS.com for all your Olympic Men’s Basketball Betting Odds. USA defeats Australia 116-85
Kobe Bryant was the top scorer on the day with 25 points and five rebounds while LeBron James had 16 points and nine rebounds. Carmelo Anthony netted 15 points, and Deron Williams and Chris Bosh had 10 apiece. "We set in a little bit more defensively. Once we made that adjustment, we played much better," said Bryant. "Our strength comes in waves in the second, third and fourth quarters." It looked like it was going to be another close match between these two, but a 14-0 run by USA quickly set the Aussies in their place.
Argentina defeats Greece 80-78
Manu Ginobili was Argentina’s top scorer with 24 points while Carlos Francisco Delfino was close behind with 23 points. This match has been the most exciting so far as they were neck and neck throughout until Argentina edged out Greece in the final minutes. Greece led 40-39 at halftime and the fourth quarter began with Argentina up 56-55. But back-to-back 3-pointers from Delfino quickly gave Argentina a slight cushion.
Spain defeats Croatia 72-59
LA Lakers star Pau Gasol was the hero for world champions Spain, scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds in his 100th appearance for his national team. Felipe Reyes added 13 points, while Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon added 10. Spain took the lead early on in the match with a 12-1 run.
Lithuania defeats China 94-68
Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 23 points to lead Lithuania to a win over China, eliminating the Olympic hosts from the men's basketball competition. China was supposed to make the final with big man Yao Ming, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. Houston Rockets center Yao Ming had 19 points, 11 of which were from the free throw line. "I'm really happy, but also a little sad about our result," said Yao, "We were determined to fight, but were limited by our capabilities." The score remained close into the third quarter, but Lithuanian began draining 3-pointers to blow the game open. By that stage Yao appeared exhausted.
Men’s Semi-Final Spain vs Lithuania
When: Fri, August 22, 2008 2:00 AM ET
Men’s Semi-Final USA vs Argentina
When: Fri, August 22, 2008 4:15 AM ET
