Team USA Basketball Point Proven

Photo Credit: AP

Well the world has been so caught up in comparing the current Team USA basketball team to the '92 Dream Team that they haven't really paid attention to their play until this game.  If Team USA was trying to prove a point to the world, it was proven against Nigeria today.  The United States team beat Nigeria by more points than the Nigeria team even scored in the entire game.  Team USA broke the record for the most points scored in an Olympic contest, which was formerly held by the 1988 Brazil team with 138 points, scoring 156 points.  Not only did the team break a record, Carmelo Anthony broke a Team USA individual record for most points scored by a player in an Olympic game with 37 points in only 14 minutes.

To say that Team USA went off on Nigeria is an understatement.  Carmelo and company beat Nigeria by 83 points with the final score being 156-73.  The team went on a shooting rampage from the tip off of the game going a 13-0 run in the first three minutes of the game and scoring 49 points, which included 11 3-pointers, in the first quarter alone.  The team ended of the game shooting 71.1% from the floor and shooting 63% from 3 point range making 29 of 46 3 pointers.  Doc Rivers stated after the game that it this game may have been the best shooting performance in history.  Lebron James only had 6 points in the entire game and Kobe Bryant scored only 16 points in only 11 minutes of play.  Russell Westbrook had an exciting game as well exploding to add 21 points.  Sad thing is though is without Camelo's 37 points and Westbrook's 21 points the United States still would have beat Nigeria by 25 points.

I don't know what point Team USA Basketball was trying to make but point proven and the world heard you loud and clear.