Game Thread: USA v. Spain World Championship Game, Sun. ESPN2 & WatchESPN, 2:00 p.m.

[OneTrickPony]

I got the feeling that Spain were a little nervous, at least at the beginning.

They got some good looks but were a little tight I think and shot poorly.

They missed a lot of shots they have been making...definitely tight at the beginning...then just tired...

 

[Zorro]

I can't watch them...counteracts the beneficial effects of my BP medication...

Then for God's sake don't watch the Patriots!

 

[j66kicker]

Then for God's sake don't watch the Patriots!

Pats beating undefeated Bengals 14-0 early. Brady just got his 50,000th passing yard and seems on a mission

 

[Beemer]

If I hadn't heard about what a great game Alba Torrens had in the semi-final I wouldn't have believed it based on her play yesterday. She was ice cold, couldn't make a bucket if her life depended on it. Perhaps she was just exhausted.

 

[j66kicker]

If I hadn't heard about what a great game Alba Torrens had in the semi-final I wouldn't have believed it based on her play yesterday. She was ice cold, couldn't make a bucket if her life depended on it. Perhaps she was just exhausted.

Taurasi said in post-game interview that it was her assignment to shut Torrens down, and she just concentrated on that. When the interviewer commented that she did a good job of it, DT admitted that she did get the assignment the night before, so she had a chance to prepare for it. Plus she knows Alba, will be playing in Russia with her, etc.

MP3 link: http://archive.usab.com/misc/14_wwc_gold_taurasi.mp3

 

[OneTrickPony]

Taurasi said in post-game interview that it was her assignment to shut Torrens down, and she just concentrated on that. When the interviewer commented that she did a good job of it, DT admitted that she did get the assignment the night before, so she had a chance to prepare for it. Plus she knows Alba, will be playing in Russia with her, etc.

MP3 link: http://archive.usab.com/misc/14_wwc_gold_taurasi.mp3

That's the problem with these videos, you miss so much of the off-the-ball action where most of the shutdown defense occurs. I suspect Alba was so surprised when she had some space that she was rushing early and then exhausted.

 

[RadyLady]

That's the problem with these videos, you miss so much of the off-the-ball action where most of the shutdown defense occurs. I suspect Alba was so surprised when she had some space that she was rushing early and then exhausted.

Very true. I have not yet seen the game, but I usually watch them twice if I have time, first to see the obvious, and then to look for the less obvious such as off ball work

 

[OneTrickPony]

Very true. I have not yet seen the game, but I usually watch them twice if I have time, first to see the obvious, and then to look for the less obvious such as off ball work

Glad I'm not the only one...

 

[phil sampieri]

I thought Nicholls and Lyttle both played really well in the game. I thought the double technical was the correct result of the play between Nicholls and Griner - yes Nicholls ran in front of her, but then Griner reached around and dragged Nicholls down and they both squared off.
DT was spectacular in this game not with her shooting, but with her assists.
Whalen was spectacular
Maya was unconscious to start the game and set the tone for the whole game in the first five minutes. She seemed to take on the role of making the initial offensive plays with both assists and sharp shooting.

If you re-watch and see that Nicholls actually got in front and then leaned backwards to her left as to impede Griner, let me know if you were able to stop it at that point

 

[Beemer]

Watch it again an you will see Nichols run in front of Griner, cut her off and then Nichols gets into Griner's face. Nichols initiated the entire exchange.

Plus she didn't back down when Griner got after her. Makes me wonder if Nichols is really really brave or really really stupid. Maybe both?

 

[boontonbomber]

If you re-watch and see that Nicholls actually got in front and then leaned backwards to her left as to impede Griner, let me know if you were able to stop it at that point

I stopped it at that point, and it looked like Nicholls actually bit Griner on her kneecap, and then gave her a wedgy.

 

[RadyLady]

LOL!!!

 

[boontonbomber]

Plus she didn't back down when Griner got after her. Makes me wonder if Nichols is really really brave or really really stupid. Maybe both?

in the first place, would a player who supposedly cut in front of a hard running 6'8" on purpose be really brave or really stupid? I wonder why Nicholls was upset at all, since if she cut Griner off, she had to expect that she would get trampled. Which makes me wonder again if Nicholls really did it on purpose.

 

[easttexastrash]

in the first place, would a player who supposedly cut in front of a hard running 6'8" on purpose be really brave or really stupid? I wonder why Nicholls was upset at all, since if she cut Griner off, she had to expect that she would get trampled. Which makes me wonder again if Nicholls really did it on purpose.

Watch the play before where Griner was guarding Nichols and the best that Nichols could do was throw a shot up that hit the backboard but didn't even get close to the rim. Nichols was frustrated and decided to take out her frustrations by cutting Griner off.

 

[Adesmar123]

I stopped it at that point, and it looked like Nicholls actually bit Griner on her kneecap, and then gave her a wedgy.

Its called the Nerdy Knee Tyson in Europe. Its takes years to perfect.

 

[easttexastrash]

Griner has been taking lessons from DT on how to get under someone's skin.

 

[PalPa]

Griner has been taking lessons from DT on how to get under someone's skin.

Problem with BG is she seems to let others get under her skin then makes a bad play or two. I think the other teams tried taking advantage of that trait.

 

[RadyLady]

in the first place, would a player who supposedly cut in front of a hard running 6'8" on purpose be really brave or really stupid? I wonder why Nicholls was upset at all, since if she cut Griner off, she had to expect that she would get trampled. Which makes me wonder again if Nicholls really did it on purpose.

Oh, she did. I watched and rewatched it several times, then I wound it back and checked out what happened before....Nicholls and Brit were battling hard in the paint most of the game, with Griner affecting her shots causing them to miss. Just before the incident, Nicholls got a Tina Charles elbow in the chops (Tina was called for the foul), and then Nicholls tried to go up for a hook shot and missed badly courtesy of Griner. It was right after this as USA started to bring the ball up the court that Nicholls appeared (to me) to want to send a message. I am guessing that it was mostly frustration on her part.

ankle biting? No, it looked as if she was trying to hug Brit at one point.

 

[easttexastrash]

Problem with BG is she seems to let others get under her skin then makes a bad play or two. I think the other teams tried taking advantage of that trait.

People trying to get under Griner's skin is nothing new. It's been happening her entire career. Other than the "punch" I would say she has handled it well.

The more dominant she becomes the more she will see players who are less gifted taking cheap shots at her. I would not be surprised to see Maya get some very physical treatment in the Oylmics as teams accept the fact that they have no other way of stopping her.

 

[RadyLady]

Problem with BG is she seems to let others get under her skin then makes a bad play or two. I think the other teams tried taking advantage of that trait.

Well, they will continue to try to take advantage of it, but I am thinking that Geno will get in her ear and tell her the same thing, and let her know that she needs to work on staying calm and not getting angry...If not him, then any one of the assistants will do this. She is still very young, and will continue to mature both as a player and as an adult. She will be fine.

 

[UcMiami]

I find generally international play does not involve the kind of beating up on players that you see especially in the college game in the US. There is more body contact allowed in international play, but arms and hands including the forearm in the small of the back are called pretty tightly. It may be different at the club level as you probably have less consistent referees. The 'flagrant foul' calls are also at a much lower tolerance level and that too reduces the hard fouls.

Post play is always a different beast - and I think Griner or any newby is going to get tested - and as soon as it doesn't effect her game, it will stop. But right now it does seem to get her a little rattled.

 

[easttexastrash]

I find generally international play does not involve the kind of beating up on players that you see especially in the college game in the US. There is more body contact allowed in international play, but arms and hands including the forearm in the small of the back are called pretty tightly. It may be different at the club level as you probably have less consistent referees. The 'flagrant foul' calls are also at a much lower tolerance level and that too reduces the hard fouls.

Post play is always a different beast - and I think Griner or any newby is going to get tested - and as soon as it doesn't effect her game, it will stop. But right now it does seem to get her a little rattled.

The value of experience. There was a time when Nichols would have ended up with a broken nose. I have to wonder if Tina was just a little more sly when she "accidentally" clocked Nichols in the face with her elbow.

 

[j66kicker]

The value of experience. There was a time when Nichols would have ended up with a broken nose. I have to wonder if Tina was just a little more sly when she "accidentally" clocked Nichols in the face with her elbow.

Yeah I wondered that too - actually I thought it was both elbows. Looked a little like a slick b-ball kung move.

 

[UcMiami]

The value of experience. There was a time when Nichols would have ended up with a broken nose. I have to wonder if Tina was just a little more sly when she "accidentally" clocked Nichols in the face with her elbow.

Yeah I wondered that too - actually I thought it was both elbows. Looked a little like a slick b-ball kung move.

Pretty sure it was completely unintentional - the elbow was actually very close to her body, Nicholls just happened to be leaning in hard crowding Tina.

 

[j66kicker]

Pretty sure it was completely unintentional - the elbow was actually very close to her body, Nicholls just happened to be leaning in hard crowding Tina.

Well at the very least it was self-defense, then