Olympic Basketball 2016: Scores, Highlights and Reaction for Wednesday's Results
The men's and women's basketball tournaments continued Wednesday at the 2016 Rio Games, with both United States teams highlighting the action.
Below, we'll break down the day's scores and recap all of the action from another full slate of games.
Results
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| Women | China | 68-89 | Spain |
| Men | Serbia | 76-75 | France |
| Women | United States | 110-84 | Serbia |
| Women | Senegal | 58-68 | Canada |
| Men | Australia | 98-88 | United States |
| Men | Venezuela | 72-68 | China |
Recap
United States Beats Australia, 98-88
The United States men survived their stiffest test to date in Rio, surviving a very good Australian side, 98-88.
Carmelo Anthony was superb for the Americans, scoring 31 points while pulling down eight rebounds. Kyrie Irving played the Robin to his Anthony's Batman, notching 19 points and five assists.
"He's a great player...the leader on this team," Irving said of Anthony after the game, per the NBCSN broadcast. "When you have a leader like that, who's going to leave it out there no matter what during the game, he's our rock."
Indeed, it was a reminder of just how vital Anthony is for Team USA, and a knock against the notion that teams can't win with him as a centerpiece, as Peter Bukowski of SI.com noted:
It wasn't the Americans' prettiest game, as they shot just 39.1 percent from the field. Kevin Durant highlighted those struggles, as the superstar finished 4-of-15 from the field, though he did finish with 14 points.
"I don't think we played our best game, but we buckled down when we needed to and came up with big shots," Anthony noted.
The gritty American win spoiled Patty Mills' huge 30-point game for Australia, as the United States had trouble stifling the quick guard. Andrew Bogut added 15 points for the Aussies, while Matthew Dellavedova notched a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists.
The Aussies had a five-point lead at the half, but a 21-13 third quarter gave the United States the lead. From there, the United States held off the scrappy Australians, led by Anthony's 14 points in the quarter.
Up next for the United States will be another tough contest against a talented Serbian side, while Australia will face China.
Canada Beats Senegal, 68-58
Canada remained undefeated in Rio, holding off Senegal on Wednesday, 68-58.
Kia Nurse (14 points) and Tamara Tatham (13 points, 10 rebounds, three steals) led the way for the Canadiens, who shot just 37.8 percent from the field in a defensive struggle between both teams.
Aya Traore was excellent for Senegal, scoring 24 points while adding six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Senegal's other starters combined for just 17 points, however.
Canada led throughout, outscoring Senegal in every quarter except the fourth. With a 14-point lead heading into the final frame, however, the Canadiens saw out the quarter without too much anxiety.
The real test in Group B awaits Canada on Friday, however, when the team will face the red-hot Americans. Senegal will face Spain on that same day, seeking its first win.
United States Beats Serbia, 110-84
The United States women continued to dominate, taking apart Serbia, 110-84. It's the first time in history the team has scored 100 or more points in three straight Olympic games, according to SportsCenter.
Diana Taurasi led the way on Wednesday, scoring 25 points while adding six rebounds and three assists. She also broke the United States Olympic record for most three-pointers in a game, hitting six, per
In total, five U.S. players scored double-digit points, including Breanna Stewart (17 points, five rebounds), Tina Charles (15 points, eight rebounds, four assists), Angel McCoughtry (13 points, four rebounds) and Maya Moore (10 points, six rebounds, four assists).
Danielle Page, Sonja Petrovic and Jelena Milovanovic scored 15 points apiece for the Serbians.
But the United States continued to be clinical on both ends of the floor. The Americans shot 54.3 percent from the field, hit all 26 of their free throws and dominated on the boards, out-rebounding Serbia, 46-27. The one concern for the United States was their 20 turnovers, though at this point, trying to find faults with this team is splitting hairs.
The win moved the United States back atop Group B, while Serbia is in fifth place and will need to break its three-game losing streak if it hopes to advance past the group stage. The team will get China on Friday next, while the United States will face Canada that same day.
France Beats Serbia, 76-75
Tony Parker's jumper with 31 seconds remaining gave France a 76-75 win over Serbia on Wednesday afternoon, temporarily lifting the French to the top spot in Group A.
Parker was the hero, but Nando De Colo was the star, leading France with 22 points. Nicolas Batum (11 points, three assists, two steals) and Boris Diaw (11 points, nine rebounds, nine assists) were also excellent for the French.
Miroslav Raduljica led the way for Serbia with 16 points, while Milos Teodosic notched 10 points and nine rebounds.
Parker only managed six points on the afternoon, but his two in the waning moments were huge for the French. A De Colo steal on Serbia's next possession offered France the chance to put the game away, though Batum missed a layup with just four seconds remaining. Bogdan Bogdanovic rebounded the ball and attempted a long three-point shot for the win, but his attempt missed.
It was a breathless finish, as Kevin Pelton of ESPN noted:
While Serbia will still be expected to advance to the knockout phase, losses against the French and Australians—and an upcoming game against the United States—means Serbia has little margin for error in Group A.
France, meanwhile, also has a matchup against the United States pending, but barring a meltdown against Venezuela, the French have all but secured their place in the next round.
Spain Beats China, 89-68
Spain took a major step toward advancing to the quarterfinals Wednesday, blowing out China, 89-68.
Alba Torrens and Astou Ndour were superb for the Spaniards, combining to score 53 points. Torrens was the star, posting a ridiculous stat line of 32 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Ndour chipped in 21 points to go along with five rebounds and a block.
Leticia Romero chipped in 16 points off the bench.
Shao Ting (14 points) and Chen Xiaojia (11 points, six assists) led the way for China.
The game was tight throughout the first three quarters, with China holding an 18-14 lead after one. Spain took a three-point lead into halftime and had a five-point lead going into the fourth before the rout was on. The Spanish took over from there, going on a 25-9 run to end the game.
The Spanish played solid team basketball, registering 23 assists and just 11 turnovers on the day. They also shot an impressive 58.3 percent from the field and made 13 of their 16 free-throw attempts in an incredibly efficient, convincing win.
The win temporarily moves Spain atop Group B, though the United States and Canada would move above the Spanish with wins Wednesday. The loss bumps China to fourth place, meanwhile.
Spain next plays Senegal on Friday, while China will take on Serbia.
Venezuela Beats China, 72-68
China nearly mounted a late comeback against Venezuela on Wednesday night, but the South American side managed to hold steady and secure a 72-68 win.
The victory represented Venezuela's first in Rio. China, meanwhile, is still searching for its first 2016 Olympic triumph after falling to the United States and France in its first two Group A showdowns.
Nestor Colmenares led Venezuela with 16 points (8-of-11 shooting), five rebounds and four assists, while Gregory Vargas poured in 13 points (8-of-8 from free-throw line) and dropped five dimes in 24 minutes.
Jose Vargas added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting and was the only other Venezuelan player to finish in double-figures.
Yi Jianlian led the way for China with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Guo Ailun added 17 points (5-of-9 shooting) and 2016 second-round pick Zhou Qi dropped 11 points while posting a solid plus/minus rating of plus-three in just under 26 minutes off the pine.
By virtue of its loss, China now sits alone in the cellar of Group A with three points. Venezuela and Serbia are knotted with four points apiece, although Serbia does sit one spot higher thanks to its superior point differential.
Next up for China on Friday is a showdown against a stout Australian squad, while Venezuela is slated to battle France on the penultimate day of group play.
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