Brazilian national team limited by technical issues, wins only one quarter and bids farewell on a gala night for Booker, Embiid, and LeBron James
PARIS – Before the game started at the Bercy Arena in Paris, the members of the Brazilian men’s basketball team spoke with confidence, dispelling fears and acknowledging the challenge of facing the star-studded United States team filled with NBA players. What was seen on the court was exactly what was expected: the Americans showed no mercy to the Brazilians, winning 122 to 87 and qualifying for the semifinals of the Olympic Games.
Had they faced a team with greater quality and precision in shooting, the United States would certainly have had more difficulties. The strategy set by the Brazilian team to value ball possession and try to control the American momentum while staying close on the scoreboard collapsed due to Brazil’s lack of quality in offensive plays. Defensively, there wasn’t much the team could do to contain Devin Booker, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid. Bruno Caboclo was the standout for the Brazilian team, finishing as the game’s top scorer with 30 points.
The Brazilian team bids farewell to the Olympic Games with only one victory, achieved against Japan in the group stage, and three defeats to powerful teams: the new “Dream Team” from the United States, the reigning world champion Germans, and the current Olympic silver medalists and hosts, France.
For the Brazilian team’s reality, despite the elimination, there is reason to celebrate having done something that no one expected before arriving in France. It was not expected that Brazil would reach the Olympics but secured a spot by surprising Latvia. Reaching the quarter-finals is much more than was believed just over a month ago. Obviously, there is much room for improvement, mainly through athlete development in search of a generation as talented as that of Oscar Schmidt.
The United States will face Serbia in the semifinals. The match is scheduled for Thursday. On the same day, the other finalist will be decided in a rematch between France and Germany, with the Germans winning in the first round.
Brazil is dominated by the USA from the first quarter
The only moment Brazil was ahead on the scoreboard was at the start of the game; after that, the United States took command. The selection was able to find good plays in attack, but repeatedly faltered in their shots, making things easier for the Americans. By the halfway point of the first quarter, the NBA star team already had a 10-point lead over the Brazilians.
The first quarter ended with the United States leading the scoreboard: 33 to 21. The Brazilian team made only eight of the 22 shots it attempted. The only highlight for Brazil was Bruno Caboclo. On the American side, the standouts were Devin Booker and Joel Embiid, who was booed every time he touched the ball. The criticism from the French stems from a controversial decision by the player, who could have chosen to play for France after gaining citizenship but preferred to play for the USA, with whom, he says, he would have a better chance of winning gold.
From the halfway point of the second quarter, the Brazilian team attempted a comeback. The crowd massively supported Brazil in Paris. The point gap narrowed to eight points, led by Lucas Dias and Marcelinho Huertas, who bids farewell to the national team. However, the national team hit the foul limit and watched as the Americans regained a comfortable lead. The first half ended with the United States leading 63 to 36. The second quarter score was 30 to 15 in favor of the Americans.
It is interesting to watch how, on the sidelines, the USA players celebrated each brilliant play by their teammates, who are usually seen as rivals in the NBA. In the second half, with the scoreboard completely unfavorable, there was not much the Brazilian team could do. Nevertheless, the national team fought valiantly and managed to win the third quarter 35 to 31, bringing the total score to 94 to 71 in favor of the USA. In the final quarter, the Americans confirmed their victory with a score of 28 to 16.