BASELINE-TO-BASELINE with Alex Petakas

BASELINE-TO-BASELINE with Alex Petakas

UNITED STATES 99 , LITHUANIA 94 (Group Play)

Petakas’ Take: That was fun, no? Certainly more enjoyable than watching an 83-point blowout. For the first time in these games, the USA was challenged, and heading into a game against Argentia on Monday, it’s nice knowing the Americans still remember how to play when the score is close.

In some way, this near monumental upset felt like a typical Miami Heat game. Team USA, the far more talented team, was somehow letting the Lithuanians hang around for the entire contest. There were the Heat-like stretches without a field goal, like early in the third quarter when the lineup full of scorers (starters minus Tyson Chandler, with Carmelo Anthony in his stead) missed basket after basket.

There were dead-eye three-point shooters who missed a ton of triples (USA clanked 17 of its first 19 3-pt attempts).

And finally, there was LeBron James. I said after the dismantling of Nigeria that this team would win gold without LeBron James, and I still believe that, but the fact is they needed him Saturday.

With the game close late, the reigning NBA Finals MVP took over, scoring nine points in the final period by doing what we saw him do for the first time in a Heat uniform this past NBA post-season: attack the rim when the game is in the balance.

There was a point in the game, a one possession battle in the fourth quarter, in which Kobe Bryant had the ball on the left wing. He eyed the basket, then passed the ball back to LeBron at the top of the key. Kobe then pointed at LeBron and his teammates cleared out to allow him to go isolation.

Much like the NBA All-Star game, this was Kobe’s way of insisting that LeBron shoot, only this time it was out of respect and recognition that LeBron is the best in the world instead of a challenge to exhibit the “killer instinct”.

It seemed like a small moment, easy to miss, but it was Kobe Bryant, so often thought of as selfish, the guy you want shooting in the closing minutes, recognizing that the best possible thing for Team USA would be for LeBron to have the ball.

And, unlike in the All-Star game, LeBron took it. And ran with it. And helped the Americans overcome a 58% shooting night from Lithuania and avoid the upset.

Stars: LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony is one of the more interesting one-on-one matchups in the NBA.

LeBron James (9-14) and Carmelo Anthony (7-13) is one of the more lethal offensive duos anywhere. Each scored 20 points and each did so efficiently. I liked the decision to go with LeBron at center at times in the game, and Carmelo at the four. In the international game, an undersized lineup will rarely hurt you. There aren’t many big men in the Olympics, or many big men at all, that can stop LeBron and Melo.

Linas Kleiza gets honorable mention, with a 10-20 shooting night, dropping 25 points, leading all scorers.

Earning his “stripes”: Chris Paul had a modest seven points, but his contributions were still huge. Due to the Lithuanians attempting to play defense, Team USA had to attempt to play real offense. As we know, any good offense needs a facilitator. Paul was just that, tallying six assists to go along with strong defense that saw him rack up four steals and seven rebounds.

LeBron in London: “It was like LeBron said, ‘I got this, I’m doing this’,” Coach K said after the game.

After the Heat’s championship run, it’s no secret that LeBron is a closer., but it’s still nice to see that the guy just gets it. He’s accepted that even when on the floor with Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and other elite offensive talents, he still has to be “the guy” when it matters most.

LeBron is, finally, everything America wanted him to be. This time around, even Heat haters can enjoy LeBron because rather than bringing a ring to the evil South Beach empire, he’s helping bring gold to his country.

Independence Play: With just over two minutes left in the game, LeBron sat at the top of the key in an iso situation. After a second or two, LeBron began to attack, and spun around his defender, going up and under for a lay-in and a 97-88 lead.

Up Next: USA vs. Argentina, Monday, August 6th, 5:15 p.m.

Alex Petakas will be analyzing the USA Men's Basketball team and their quest for gold at the London Games for ESPN 760. Petakas is an update anchor, the host of the Saturday Sports Page (Sat. 10a-noon) and High School Hysteria (Fri. 6p-7p), and serves as the studio host for Florida Atlantic University football.

BASELINE-TO-BASELINE with Alex Petakas

UNITED STATES 156, NIGERIA 73 (Group Play)

Petakas’ Take: A record-breaking performance from Team USA on Thursday evening left very little in question. No team in Olympic history had ever scored that many points in a single game.

The slow starts in the previous two games were due to the U.S. settling for three's. This game saw plenty of three's, only settling isn’t necessarily the proper term to use when 63% of them fell through the net. It was an avalanche of three-pointer's, an absolute scoring assault, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a basket that wasn’t made from either behind the arc, or finished at the rim with a dunk.

Six Americans scored in double-digits, but one of them scored 37, a single game record for an American Olympian. Based on the competition, I’m not quite sure it’s something to really brag about.

Stars: Carmelo Anthony’s 37 came on a ridiculous 13-16 shooting, 10-12 from beyond the arc. All the man did was shoot, so in short, it was the most Carmelo Anthony-like performance ever.

It’s almost comedic that 'Melo, so often criticized for being a selfish ball hog, would not only take almost double the amount of shots as the next closest player, but he was the only player to rack up double-digit shot attempts, and did it while only tallying one assist.

You’d think Anthony was playing for a new contract the way he continued to pile up the attempts. Look, a historic performance is great, and as a Knicks fan myself, watching him dominate is entertaining. But the guy isn’t doing anything to rid of his reputation as a shot compiler.

It the grand scheme of things, it was a game against Nigeria. Who cares what the NBA analysts have to say? But here’s to hoping that when he returns to American soil, Melo's approach with his Knicks teammates won't be the same. Unless, of course, the shots are falling and the Knicks are winning, "winning" being something the Knicks haven't done since 'Melo got there.

Earning his “stripes”: Watching Russell Westbrook play basketball is a ton of fun. Watching him play against Nigeria is even more fun.

The guy is lightning quick and watching him run out on fast breaks and try to break defenders down feels like you’re watching basketball in fast-forward.

Westbrook dropped 21 on Nigeria and did so with efficiency (7-8 shooting) and style.

LeBron in London: This team could win the gold without LeBron. I’m convinced of that. Especially after watching Spain barely escape its game against Great Britain with a one-point win.

I’ve said for a while that the Spaniards would be Team USA’s greatest competition but I’m not sure a team coming off of an 83-point victory has reason to worry about facing any opponent.

Unlike 'Melo, LeBron James chose not to pile on tonight and instead turned in a modest six point, five assist performance.

Aside from some celebratory dancing, there wasn’t much to see in the realm of LeBron.

Independence Play: On the last play of the third quarter we got a little glimpse of the Dwyane Wade, LeBron James fast break that usually ends up looking something like volleyball. Only this time, LeBron James was Kevin Love and Dwyane Wade was Russell Westbrook.

At the conclusion of the third, Deron Williams hit Russell Westbrook with an outlet pass to spark a fast break. Then, Westbrook threw it ahead to Love, who hit him back with a tip pass, teeing it up for Westbrook to throw it home one-handed. All style.

Up Next: USA vs. Lithuania, Saturday, August 4^th. 9:30 a.m. ET.

Alex Petakas will be analyzing the USA Men's Basketball team and their quest for gold at the London Games for ESPN 760. Petakas is an update anchor, the host of the Saturday Sports Page (Sat. 10a-noon) and High School Hysteria (Fri. 6p-7p), and serves as the studio host for Florida Atlantic University football.

POOLSIDE with Nikki Morley

Michael Phelps finally grabbed his first gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. After a devastating 400 IM and two silver medals in the 4x100 free relay and 200 meter butterfly, Phelps and company swam to victory with a comfortable three second advantage. Although Phelps wasn’t able to win his signature event (200 fly), he was able to tie the record for most Olympic medals won with Russian gymnast, Larysa Latinina.

Phelps had an explosive start in the 200-meter butterfly was able to swim with power until the 150-meter mark. He shortened up on his last turn, where he usually excels, and that hesitance ultimately cost him the race, along with an extended float-in finish. Phelps lost all momentum into the wall and Chad Le Clos was able to capitalize, finishing with a time of 1:52.96, beating Phelps by five one-one hundreds of a second. Phelps had not lost a major international competition in the 200 fly since the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships in Japan. Phelps seemed unaware of how close his competitor actually was and his lack of mental focus cost him the gold medal.

Phelps found redemption when he anchored the 4x200-meter freestyle relay team and won his first gold medal of the 2012 games. He easily swam the fastest of all American relay swimmers with a split of 1:44.05. That accelerated the United States to a gold medal performance with a time of 6:50.70. Although they were not able to break the current world record, they did go under the 7-minute mark, which is still remarkable. Phelps won multiple races in his career but this one must be the most special. It gave him the all-time medals mark. Despite the notion that he’s not the best teammate, Phelps appeared pleased that he was able to put himself at the top of the medals heap with his fellow American teammates Ryan Lochte, Conor Dwyer, & Ricky Berens. Phelps and Lochte made Olympic history by winning the 4x2 relay three consecutive times.

While the Phelps soap opera has received the most attention, Dana Vollmer, who’s had heart surgery since she last appeared at the ’04 Athens Games, had a jaw dropping 100-meter butterfly performance. Vollmer swam a strong first 50-meters, turned third at the wall, but propelled herself to the finish in world record fashion. Vollmer is the first woman to ever break the 56-second mark. She put on a show. The world record is even more impressive because it was set by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom in what is now considered an illegal bodysuit. Dana Vollmer, who was largely looked at as the underdog, is now a force to be reckoned with.

United States swim captain Brendan Hansen claimed the bronze medal in the 100-meter breaststroke. He lane eight and was unable to see the heat leader but managed to out-touch Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima, who was attempting to become the first male swimmer to win the same individual event at three straight Olympics. Phelps now holds that honor.

Missy Franklin is the United States’ 17-year old young gun. She swam her way to the finals in the 200-meter freestyle and turned around 15 minutes later and claimed gold in the 100-meter backstroke, setting a new American record in the process. Missy was second after the 50-meter mark, but chased down Australian swimmer Emily Seebohm with a powerful final lap to finish with a gold medal. Franklin just missed a medal in the 200-meter freestyle, but teammate Alison Schmitt claimed first, breaking the Olympic record with a time of 1:53.61.

American tag-team Matt Grevers and Nick Thoman had a 1-2 finish in the men’s 100-meter backstroke. Grevers straight armed his way to the finish line and set a new Olympic record with a time of 52.16. His progression in the last year has been mind-blowing. Grevers was unable to make the 2011 United States World Championship team and is now the most dominant force in the 100 back. America’s depth in the backstroke is a major positive.

The United States’16 Olympic swimming at the halfway point appear to be the start of big things to come.

Nikki Morley is ESPN 760's swimming expert for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Morely swam collegiately at Division I Florida Atlantic University.

BASELINE-TO-BASELINE with Alex Petakas

UNITED STATES 110, TUNISIA 63 (Group Play)

Petakas’ Take: The starters were unimpressive in the first half and a huge part of that was their lack of interest in creating any type of offense aside from launching threes. That doesn’t exactly bode well when you miss all eight taken in a half.

So with his team leading just 46-33 at the half (a 13-point deficit is unimpressive when you’re favored by 55 points), Coach K decided to go with the bench to start the third quarter. That did the trick.

The result was something that resembled an “And 1” mix-tape, with fast break after fast break, lob pass after lob pass, emphatic dunk after emphatic dunk.

Tunisia is the only team without an NBA player on its roster and was completely overmatched. It’s hard to yawn at a 47-point victory, but this one was a worthy watch only for the highlight reel of dunks.

Stars: Knicks fans know all too well that given the green light to shoot, Carmelo Anthony will do just that. Against Tunisia, everyone had the green light. For a stint in the second half the offense turned into the Melo show, which I’m sure Mike D’Antoni enjoyed watching from the bench.

Hate him all you want, the guy is perhaps the most gifted scorer in the game, and he filled it up with ease, going 6-6 (2-2 from three) with 16 points in just 12 minutes. Playing fewer minutes than everyone except Kobe Bryant, Melo tied for the team lead in scoring, so that’s enough to earn him a star in this blowout win.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give honorable mention to Makram Ben Romdhane, a fine young talent for Tunisia (obviously), who scored a game-high 22 points and nabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Earning his “stripes”: Anthony Davis entered the game with it well in hand and turned into a stat compiler, standing in the paint and waiting for alley oops to throw home. In 14 minutes, Davis scored 12 points on 5-5 shooting. All five of those baskets were dunks.

It’s fun to see Davis, yet to make his NBA debut, making significant contributions, but at the end of the day… it’s Tunisia. Anything less would have almost been a disappointment.

LeBron in London: Many were calling the 2012 Dream Team “LeBron’s team”, and it likely will be when they face stiffer competition. Tuesday, however, LeBron wasn’t needed.

Perhaps, for the sake of comparison, this was the 2011 Finals version of LeBron, who passed the ball around and let his teammates provide the entertainment. Only in this case it wasn’t LeBron “shying away from the moment” as much as it was him being courteous.

It just wouldn’t have been fair had LeBron been going full throttle.

Independence Play: So many options, but we’ll go with an eye opener that occurred when the game was still relatively competitive.

With 6:15 to go in the 2nd quarter Kevin Durant was sprinting ahead of LeBron James on a fast break, bounced it behind his back to the reigning MVP, and LeBron deposited it, full extension, for a one-handed slam. It would have made for a gorgeous poster if, in fact, people still hang dunk posters in their rooms.

Up Next: Thursday, August 2nd, vs. Nigeria 5:15 ET.

Alex Petakas will be analyzing the USA Men's Basketball team and their quest for gold at the London Games for ESPN 760. Petakas is an update anchor, the host of the Saturday Sports Page (Sat. 10a-noon) and High School Hysteria (Fri. 6p-7p), and serves as the studio host for Florida Atlantic University football.