The Olympics: Basketball Fans Gave Team USA Its Second L Of The Day After It Got Beat By France At The Olympics

The United States men’s basketball team lost its first Olympic game since 2004 on Sunday morning. Despite taking an eight-point lead into the locker room at the half, the U.S. was ice cold out of the break, opening a door for the French to pick up an 83-76 win that will invariably bring up questions about whether the Americans will be able to pull off a four-peat.

Read more at: Basketball Fans Gave Team USA Its Second L Of The Day After It Got Beat By France At The Olympics

Basketball: Miami Heat rout Indiana Pacers, 117-92, return to NBA Finals

The Miami Heat embarrassed the Indiana Pacers. But worse, the Pacers embarrassed themselves.

The Pacers came back to Miami for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals and were outplayed and overmatched in a contest that was decided before the first half ended.

The Heat hammered the Pacers 117-92 and advanced to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive time, becoming just the third franchise in NBA history to do that and the first team to accomplish that feat since the 1984-87 Boston Celtics, teams for which Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird played.

Read more: Miami Heat rout Indiana Pacers, return to NBA Finals

Basketball: Team USA beats Turkey for FIBA hoops gold

A young Team USA has won the country’s first FIBA world basketball championship in 16 years.
Kevin Durant scored 28 points – including seven 3-pointers – as the United States beat the tournament’s host, Turkey, 81-64 in the gold medal game in Istanbul on Sunday. The game capped off a perfect tournament for Team USA, which won all five of its group games before going 4-0 in the knockout stage.

For more: Team USA beats Turkey for FIBA hoops gold – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

Basketball:USA will meet host Turkey in final

Both teams were unbeaten going into the semi, but Lithuania could find no way back after trailing 42-27 at half-time.   In the final, US will play hosts Turkey, who edged out Serbia 83-82 in the other semi-final.

For more: BBC Sport - Basketball - USA will meet hosts Turkey in World Championship final

Basketball Will Shaq Land in Europe?

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Diesel" believes he could ink one last $10 million contract if he take his services to the Euroleague.

In the NBA, the highest speculated offer would come from the Cleveland Cavaliers, his team last season, who would most likely offer a single-year deal worth between $5 million and $7 million.
O'Neal had been in talks with 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics, but negotiations halted when the C's cap space shrunk to an amount much smaller than the figure Shaq and his management team are asking.

For more: Will Shaq Land in Europe? | Bleacher Report

LA Times: Olympics - Basketball - U.S. brings pain to Spain and soars past them, 119-82, in Olympic men's basketball game - by Mark Heisler

For the complete report from the Los Angeles Times click on this link

Basketball - U.S. brings pain to Spain and soars past them, 119-82, in Olympic men's basketball game - by Mark Heisler

After buttering up undefeated Spain for two days, or convincing themselves the Spaniards were a threat, the U.S. routed them, 119-82, Saturday night in the Wukesong Arena. The U.S. is 4-0, leading Pool B. The only other undefeated team is Lithuania, which is 4-0 in Pool A. Despite the skepticism that comes with seven losses in the last three world competitions, it's becoming ever clearer this is an old-fashioned, dominant U.S. team. "When you commit to something, the hard work that you put in, you want the prize at the end, and they've identified the prize," said Jay Triano, the Toronto Raptors assistant who coached the U.S. select team against the big team in practices in Las Vegas.Posting up NBA-style, Gasol was like a human bull's-eye. The U.S. players have spent weeks adjusting to the international drive-and-kick game with its premium on three-point shooting. Post basketball is something they already know from the NBA. So the U.S. players double-teamed Spain's Gasol as if he were Shaquille O'Neal in his prime. Just for good measure, they ran the offense through Gasol's man, usually Dwight Howard, at the other end.