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Diasabra 7 augustus 2021

For the gold: It's the US and France, again, for Tokyo title

Olympic men’s basketball have been (the) favorite for focused on what we do as a
medal. the last couple games. But I team.”
hope when we play against
The summer for the Ameri- them we sustain our fire, we This game marks only the
cans started with two exhi- sustain our energy, even if we second time that the U.S.
bition losses, then the loss know they are favored.” will have gotten a rematch in
to France in the Olympic the same Olympics against a
opener, and the U.S. had to That doesn’t seem like it’ll be team that defeated the Amer-
pull off double-digit come- a problem for the French. Af- icans earlier in the tourna-
backs — 10 against Spain, 15 ter France survived the semi- ment. The other instance
against Australia — in each of finals against Slovenia with a came in 2004, when the U.S.
their last two games just to 90-89 win — secured when lost to Lithuania in group
make the final. Batum blocked a layup try play before winning the re-
with 2.4 seconds remaining match in the bronze-medal
Yet the Americans have clear- — Timothe Luwawu-Cabar- game.
ly gotten better. The French, rot was asked his thoughts on
(AP) — For USA Basket- medal,” U.S. guard Damian who have Rudy Gobert and playing the U.S. for gold. That was the tournament
ball, some eras will end Lillard said. “And now we’re Evan Fournier among others where the Americans realized
Saturday. It will be Jerry in a position to do it.” with lengthy NBA experi- “I think it will represent everything had to change.
Colangelo’s last game as ence on their roster, agree. something pretty special,” Colangelo was brought in to
managing director of the It would be a fourth consec- Luwawu-Cabarrot said, “be- rebuild the program, Mike
men’s national team. It’ll utive gold for the U.S., and “This is not the same team cause it’s the first one we’re Krzyzewski was hired to
mark the end of Gregg if secured that would mark we played two weeks ago,” going to win.” coach what became the first
Popovich’s commitment the longest run of Ameri- said France’s Nicolas Batum, three Olympic runs and
as the team’s coach. Some can dominance at an Olym- another of the NBA players That isn’t a level of confi- then the baton was passed to
players will likely be wear- pics since the program won on that roster. dence often heard before Popovich.
ing the U.S. jersey for the golds in each of the first sev- teams play the U.S., at least
final time. en tournaments from 1936 The only national team that not in this era of sending Colangelo has talked many
through 1968. Kevin Durant has defeated the U.S. men NBA players to the Olym- times about how he’d like
Change is coming. can join Carmelo Anthony as three consecutive times at pics. But the French have nothing more than to end his
the only men in U.S. history the top level of international reason for that swagger right tenure with another gold.
The Americans just don’t with three gold medals, and competition — the Olym- now, given the win in Chi-
want it to be atop the medal Popovich — who served his pics or what is now called na then rallying to beat the France is assured of, at worst,
stand. country at the United States the World Cup, formerly the Americans in the group-play matching its best Olympic
Air Force Academy and tried world championships — was opener. They believe they performance; it got silvers af-
France — the new official to play for his country at the the Soviet Union. They gar- can win, despite being listed ter losing gold-medal games
nemesis of USA Basketball 1972 Olympics but wasn’t se- nered the still-debated gold- as double-digit underdogs. to the U.S. in 1948 and 2000.
— awaits the Americans in lected — can only add to his medal win at the 1972 Olym-
the gold-medal game on Sat- lengthy list of accomplish- pics and then topped the “We all knew from the begin- The Americans — look-
urday. France has won the last ments by winning gold. Americans at worlds in 1974 ning what they were capable ing for a 16th gold medal in
two meetings between the and 1978. of and we know how they’ve 19 Olympic appearances —
programs, denying the U.S. “It’s been a tough run for us, stepped up every time during don’t have that luxury. For
a chance to play for a medal and for us to be back is excit- France is one win from the tournament,” France’s them, only one outcome will
at the 2019 Basketball World ing,” Durant said. matching that feat. Nando de Colo said. “We did be good enough.
Cup and then winning again a good game the first time,
in both teams’ opener at the Later Saturday, Luka Don- “I think, I hope, that we will and we’ve got a lot of re- “We’re here for the gold
Tokyo Olympics. cic and Slovenia will meet be ready Saturday,” France spect for their team. But we medal,” U.S. center Bam
Patty Mills and Australia for coach Vincent Collet said. will play this final with a lot Adebayo said. “We’re not
“We came here with one the bronze, the winning side “We know Team USA is the of confidence, and the most here to be second.”
goal and that’s to win a gold assured of claiming its first favorite of this final. They important thing is to stay

Bills armed for future: Allen agrees on 6-year extension

(AP) — Josh Allen overcame so not to serve as a distraction. best leader I can be for this team and the pocket. Though he still remains a
questions about his accuracy and this organization,” Allen said. “My threat to run, Allen has been groomed
small-school pedigree to establish The sides were in no rush. Allen was focus is completely on the field.” to be more patient in the pocket.
himself as the franchise quarter- under contract through the 2022 sea-
back the Buffalo Bills have been son after the Bills in May picked up Kelly was fine with Allen breaking Allen has also enjoyed stability at the
searching for since Hall of Famer the player’s fifth-year option, worth several of his single-season records, coaching level in having spent his
Jim Kelly retired 25 years ago. nearly $23 million. and could only imagine how many tenure in Buffalo working exclusive-
more might fall in the future. ly under head coach Sean McDer-
The Bills on Friday announced Al- Allen is coming off a breakthrough mott and offensive coordinator Brian
len agreed to a six-year contract ex- season in which he set numerous Allen’s production last year contin- Daboll.
tension that locks up the fourth-year franchise passing and scoring records ued a trend of him making signifi-
starter through the 2028 season. The in leading Buffalo to its first AFC cant jumps in progress since the Bills
value of the contract has not been East title since 1995 and deepest play- traded up five spots in the draft order
released, but it is expected to be the off run in 27 years. Buffalo’s season to select the quarterback with the sev-
most lucrative signed by the team, ended with a loss to Kansas City in enth pick in the 2018 draft. Allen was
and eclipsing the $100 million deal the AFC championship game. the third of five quarterbacks drafted
defensive end Mario Williams signed in the first round in 2018, and was
in March 2012. Allen opened training camp by say- knocked for accuracy issues during
ing he’s not concerned about contract his three seasons at Wyoming.
The agreement with Allen comes a talks.
few days after general manager Bran- Allen has matured from a raw,
don Beane said he wanted to get a deal “Whether it happens or it doesn’t strong-armed quarterback who had
done with the quarterback before the happen, it’s not going to change my technique issues, and someone who
season or put talks off until next year approach to be the best teammate, the relied too much on scrambling out of