Coach K looked really embarrassed after the game

[32MJ32]

In this format, points for and against can be used to separate teams with the same win-loss record. In the unlikely event the US loses one or both of their final 2 games, it could become a factor in where they are seeded going into the knockout stage.

As such, what the US did was 100% within the rules and ENCOURAGED by the format. If anything, they should have gone even harder. And FWIW, I'm Australian

Congrats to Nigeria for winning the royal rumble pre-Olympic qualifying tournament but it's apparent they're out of their depth. If anyone is concerned at the way a score like this looks, they should be concerned about Nigeria's part in it, not the US's.

[swi7ch]

pulled their best players most of the second half, played zone defense, jacked up low percentage shots....what else could they have done? honestly

Well they were raising their hands on defense to contest shots and were some were even fighting for rebounds! Enough is enough Team USA!

[bmd]

The backward-ass logic is pretty funny here. Sportsmanship somehow involves not letting the lead get too big and not making so many shots? K bro.

A shitty experience for the Nigerians, no doubt...but that's too bad.

I think it's a slap in the face to the Nigerians to purposely play bad.

If I was on Nigeria, I'd want you to keep playing. Don't press, take the starters out, waste some time, but keep playing basketball.

[bmd]

my high school hockey team won a section qtr final game 27-0.

i think after the 1st period it was 9-0 and it was obvious the other team wasnt oging to win...we ended up playing the 3rd and 4th line and making it so everyone on the team had to pass before a shot. i think 3 4th liners had hat tricks

We played the girl's basketball team in middle school and we won 126-0.

We pressed the whole game. They made it past half court 3 times, and only shot the ball once, and it was partially blocked.

No mercy.

And I'm actually serious. We destroyed them.

[RazorBaLade]

We played the girl's basketball team in middle school and we won 126-0.

We pressed the whole game. They made it past half court 3 times, and only shot the ball once, and it was partially blocked.

No mercy.

And I'm actually serious. We destroyed them.

and none of them would ever have sex with anoyne on that team

[upside24]

I think it's a slap in the face to the Nigerians to purposely play bad.

If I was on Nigeria, I'd want you to keep playing. Don't press, take the starters out, waste some time, but keep playing basketball.

I agree with this completely. When a superior team starts taking it easy on a team out of pity imo that is more of an insult than continuing to play ball.

The only sport IMO that running up the score is unsportsmanlike is in football when you are already well ahead of your opposition and on the final drive of the game you are throwing deep to try and tack on 7 more points. That is unsportsmanlike.

[Da KO King]

I doubt he was embarrassed by the effort but more about the fact that he had to be there. It's tough as hell for as coach to look another coach in the eye when your team just destroyed his like that. There are no words of encouragement that can soften the blow and no matter what people will think you could have done more to stop the beating.

[Droid101]

We played the girl's basketball team in middle school and we won 126-0.

We pressed the whole game. They made it past half court 3 times, and only shot the ball once, and it was partially blocked.

No mercy.

And I'm actually serious. We destroyed them.

You're doing it wrong.

[Living Being]

As painful to watch, or as hard as it might be to completely destroy your opponent, the Olympics is not the place for holding back.
USA should be beating teams 200-30 if that's how it turns out while playing at their best. If they are able to have fastbreaks and alley-oops the whole time, then so be it. This isn't the NBA, where it's just about a win. Olympics are about performing at the peak of human ability.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Well at least the players had fun and did not violate Olympics rules.

[colorz]

Handing Nigeria the ball or letting the clock run out would be disrespectful. If you don't want to be embarassed, than play harder and make adjustments. They just kept letting team USA run up and shoot 3's. You could even tell that USA was trying not to score but you can't let the clock run out, so they shot the 3 and unfortunately for Nigeria, Team USA kept making them.

[Cherry Picker]

If I was playing for USA I would have been statpadding like a prime Andray Blatche. Get myself in the olympic record books.

[FireDavidKahn]

and none of them would ever have sex with anoyne on that team

Oh no!!!

The horror

[TheBigVeto]

It's Nigeria's fault they didn't flagrant foul anybody.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

We played the girl's basketball team in middle school and we won 126-0.

We pressed the whole game. They made it past half court 3 times, and only shot the ball once, and it was partially blocked.

No mercy.

And I'm actually serious. We destroyed them.

Ada boy. Repped.