None of the Boomers should hang their heads over the outcome of their quest for a basketball medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic games. Serbia got the better of them in the semifinal by the score of 87 – 61, even though the Boomers had beaten the Serbs in the preliminary round 95 – 80, proving that there is no such thing as a prohibitive or predictable outcome in basketball.
The 26-point loss might have left them deflated, seemingly at least, because in the game for the bronze medal against Spain, they produced an inspiring effort, on in which they had a one-point lead with under 10 seconds left on the clock on the back of an Aron Baynes basket.
A two-shot foul on Spain’s Sergio Rodriguez forced the Boomers to stand by helplessly as Rodriguez calmly sank two free throws to secure the bronze medal for Spain.
The result continued an almost comical run of Olympic bronze medal frustration for the Boomers, having now lost for the fourth time in the bronze medal game. The bad string began in Seoul in 1988, continued in 1996 in Atlanta and culminated in Sydney in 2000.
This go, they were considered legitimate gold medal contenders, having gone through the group stages with a record second only to the undefeated U.S. squad.
