JOIN USA nasty, bad-tempered joust with Argentina’s basketball team woke up the sleeping giants from the US on Monday, spurring them to a 126-97 victory that earned a top-seeded berth in the quarterfinals.
Players from both sides were knocked down in a closely-fought first half and they often glowered at each other as the contest turned into a rout for the Americans who had narrowly beaten Lithuania in their previous game.
The muscular LeBron James threw an arm out at one point to sweep experienced Argentine Manu Ginobili off his feet. After going to intermission locked in a 60-59 struggle, Argentina were buried under a flurry of three-pointers from Kevin Durant.
Durant, who made 8-of-10 three-pointers in the game, nailed four from beyond the arc in a third-quarter stretch that took the US lead from 12 points to 24. The quarter ended with more physical combat as Carmelo Anthony hit the floor doubled up in pain after making a three-pointer to send the Americans into the fourth session with a 102-76 advantage.
Americans now face Australia (3-2) in Wednesday's quarterfinals. Argentina (3-2) next meet arch-rivals Brazil (4-1) while Group B winners Russia (4-1) play Lithuania (2-3) and France (4-1) take on Spain (3-2).
US reach final
Reigning Olympic champions the United States beat Canada 4-3 when Alex Morgan headed the winner in added time at the end of extra time to clinch a place in the women's soccer final after an extraordinary match on Monday.
With the players on both sides exhausted, penalties looming and the referee looking at her watch, Morgan powered home a header to put the US in front for the first time after Canada had led three times in a pulsating game at Old Trafford. The winning goal came with 122 minutes and 25 seconds on the clock. Sixty seconds later, the game was over.
The US will meet Japan, who overcame France 2-1, in Thursday's gold medal decider.
Torokhtiy triumphs
Ukraine's Oleksiy Torokhtiy capitalised on the absence of leading rivals to win Olympic gold in the 105kg weightlifting division on Monday, beating off the challenge of Iran's Navab Nasirshelal.
Torokhtiy took the top spot with a total of 412kg, consisting of a 185kg snatch lift and a 227kg clean and jerk, that put him just 1kg ahead of silver medallist Nasirshelal. The bronze medal went to Bartlomiej Bonk of Poland.
Rijsselberghe wins
Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberghe became the Olympic men’s RS:X windsurfing champion on Tuesday, the final time the event will be held at the Games.
Britain's Nick Dempsey took silver while Poland’s veteran Przemyslaw Miarczynski won the bronze.