RIO DE JANEIRO — Diana Taurasi and the US women’s basketball brushed aside yet another opponent at the Rio Games after being challenged for the first time in the Olympics, albeit for just one half.
While Japan played the Americans tough in the first half, the end result was another blowout victory for the US, although the 110-64 dismantling of the Japanese team may have come at a cost.
Point guard Sue Bird didn’t play the second half after injuring her right knee in the second quarter.
US coach Geno Auriemma said that they would evaluate the injury.
“I really don’t know. I said we’ll know” Wednesday, Auriemma said.
While this game provided the first real test for the Americans, their road to a sixth consecutive gold medal got a little bit easier when Australia lost to Serbia 73-71 early Tuesday. The Aussies had been the only team to hold a halftime lead over the US at the Olympics in the past 16 years when they led by four in the semifinal game in the 2012 London Games. The US won that game by 13. US takes on France in the semis.
Serbia plays Spain in Thursday’s other semifinal. Anna Cruz hit a last gasp buzzer-beater to lift Spain over Turkey 64-62.
France, ranked fourth in the world, closed out the quarterfinal action stopping Canada 68-63 but also left it late.
Clinging to a one point lead with just under two minutes to play, France nudged in front 66-61 then held off the attacking Canadians over the closing seconds to clinch a final four spot.
Coming into the quarterfinals, every US game was virtually over at the half. Not this one.
Japan, sticking to its up-tempo style of basketball, shooting 3-pointers and pushing the pace, trailed just 56-46 at halftime. But the Americans, which won its five group games by an average of 40.8 points, had just too much offensive firepower and eclipsed the 100-point mark for the fifth time in six games, outscoring Japan 54-18 in the second half.
The Japanese players posed for a team picture with the US after the blowout — the second straight opponent to get a post-game memento with the Americans. China took a photo after their game against the Americans in pool play. It’s reminiscent of how opponents reacted to the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
