Associated Press
Associated Press
The U.S. men’s basketball team was pushed — and then some.
Two days after running and gunning to a record-shattering 83-point win, the United States needed a strong finish from LeBron James to eke out a 99-94 victory over Lithuania.
The Americans trailed 84-82 with 5:50 to play, but James scored nine of his 20 points in the final four minutes to help the U.S. remain unbeaten.
“You want to get tested. The best teams want to be tested. We love the competition,” James said. “I think we’ve got some of the greatest competitors in our league, in this world, so you want to have a game where you feel like you were tested, and we had that today.”
The U.S. trailed by two points with under six minutes left before using a 15-4 run to put away Lithuania (1-3), which was seeking to duplicate its stunning win over the Americans in 2004 win at Athens, when the U.S. program dropped to its low point after decades of dominance.
However, James, who was an Olympic rookie eight years ago, refused to allow it.
Carmelo Anthony also had 20 points for the U.S. (4-0), which looked nearly invincible in thrashing Nigeria 156-73 on Thursday night and breaking several records.
Linas Kleiza scored 25 for Lithuania, which shot 58 percent and outrebounded the U.S. 42-37.
Athletics
How to describe the action in track and field? The Blade Runner and Britannia.
Jamaica also got a big victory when Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce raced to another gold in the women’s 100 meters, keeping the cherished sprinting title in the Caribbean country.
Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee who runs on carbon-fiber blades, finished second in his 400-meter heat to earn a berth in the semifinals today.. He posted a season-best time of 45.44 seconds.
“I’ve worked for six years … to get my chance,” said the South African, who became the first amputee to compete on the track at an Olympics. “I found myself smiling in the starting block. Which is very rare in the 400 meters.”
Team GB sent a charge through the capacity crowd with a quick series of victories, producing repeated roars that could be heard throughout Olympic Park.
The victors: Jessica Ennis in heptathlon; Greg Rutherford in men’s long jump; and Mo Farah in the men’s 10,000 meters. Three gold medals in about one hour for the host country — and the capper to a big British surge.
Britain’s banner day stretched out of Olympic Stadium: The hosts pulled in two more golds on the final day of the Olympic regatta at Dorney ake, and another in women’s pursuit at the London Velodrome.
Tennis
Serena Williams, who blew away the field at Wimbledon.
The American star became only the second woman to achieve a Golden Slam, routing Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 in the most lopsided women’s final in Olympic history.
The victory completed a remarkable run of domination by the No. 4-seeded Williams, who lost only 17 games in six matches en route to her first singles gold medal. She went 13-0 this summer at the All England Club, where she won her fifth Wimbledon title a month ago.
“I was so focused here,” she said. “I remember I was serving and I was thinking: ‘Serena, this is your best chance to win a gold medal. You’re at Wimbledon, you’re on grass, you play great on grass, pull it together, just win this.’ And that’s what I thought about.”
Top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan also won Olympic gold for the U.S., beating Michael Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the men’s doubles final.
Roger Federer faces Andy Murray of Britain in the men’s final today.
Volleyball
The U.S. men’s team blew a two-set lead and lost to Russia in five, snapping an 11-match winning streak in Olympic play.
Maxim Mikhaylov scored 27 points for No. 2 Russia in the 27-29, 19-25, 26-24, 25-16, 15-8 victory. Sergey Tetyukhin spiked for match point.
Beach volleyball
Two-time gold medalists Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor beat the Netherlands in straight sets to advance to the tournament quarterfinals.
The Americans topped Marleen van Iersel and Sanne Keizer 21-13, 21-12.
Shooting
American Jamie Lynn Gray won the gold medal in women’s 50-meter three-position rifle shooting, setting two Olympic records along the way.
Gray clinched gold on her final shot with a 10.8 — just 0.1 off a perfect score