Statistics play a very important role

Statistics play a very important role

14.01.2020 14:14

RIO DE JANEIRO -- It had the sound, from an omen perspective, of the flat-out wrong address. A booking gone bad.Housing all those famous faces from the NBA on a luxury cruise liner called The Silver Cloud?At the Olympics?You were moved to question the wisdom of that choice once or twice in the early stages Sunday, when stubborn Serbia managed to hang with mighty Team USA for a quarter at Carioca Arena 1. You couldnt help but think: Imagine the storms and ridicule that would greet the Americans if they only managed to bring silver home from these Rio Games.And then Kevin Durant, turning ruthless in the last game well see him play before he starts his new under-the-microscope life with the increasingly villainous Golden State Warriors, staged a hostile international takeover to make you laugh at yourself for wasting any brain cells on the idea.There would be no storms, or lasting fears of silver, on this afternoon. The Americans ultimately rolled in a 96-66 rout, with Durant erupting for 24 of his 30 points by halftime -- 15 of them in the second quarter -- to turn an edgy 19-15 game after a period into a 23-point laugher at the break.Five mostly d-e-e-p 3s from Durant in the first half, with a couple of memorable dunks thrown in, put KD on a path to match his 30 points from the gold-medal game in London 2012, essentially clinched a record third gold medal for teammate Carmelo Anthony before the second half and ensured that Mike Krzyzewski would bid farewell to the international game with a 76-game winning streak to take back to Duke.Best of all, Durant made the Americans final hours on Brazilian soil their most comfortable of the whole trip.What followed after the break was a predictable in-game party for the Americans, with Durant eventually serving as head cheerleader at the end thanks to a lead that stretched as high as 41 points, all of which banished the memories of those nervy three single-digit victories in their first seven games here.We were pissed going into the locker room, Durant said the other day, reflecting on Serbias near upset of the tournaments overwhelming favorites in group play on Aug. 12. Not because we wanted to blow every team out. Just because we didnt play well at all.But now Im just like, Hey, man, if we lose this game, we lose it. If we win it, then great, we move on. That helps me. It may not help other players, but it helps me. Ive just embraced who I am as a basketball player.He truly couldnt have looked more comfortable in his last act on the Rio stage. A summer that began with U.S. players loathing the Molten brown-and-white ball used in international play and struggling to adjust to the slightly shorter 3-point line came to a close with Durant routinely squaring up from far beyond NBA range and hitting triple after triple.This one changed completely once Krzyzewski put reserves Paul George, Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler and DeMarcus Cousins around Durant. The Serbs couldnt cope with their length and athleticism and pressure on the ball, then watched helplessly as Durant sailed in for a slam and a 45-25 cushion when multiple defenders rushed out to try to crowd him on the perimeter.Making 3s was the Serbs only realistic shot of hanging in?, but they were hounded into fatal 4-for-24 shooting from deep. Any remaining hope was snuffed out by Team USAs crushing 54-33 edge on the boards.As Durant said after the Yanks semifinal win over Spain: Weve got two lineups -- guys who can just score and we got energy lineups -- and we mix them together pretty well.Team Energy doomed the runners-up this time, with Cousins (11 of his 13 points in the first half) causing plenty of trouble himself while his Serbian boss -- Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac -- watched helplessly himself from the stands.Anthony was scoreless in the first half and managed just seven points in the finale, but it never mattered. The rout was on and allowed Team USA to fly home Sunday night with a passable average victory margin of 22.5 for the tournament after its struggles in pool play.We never said we was gonna run through everybody, Anthony told ESPN earlier in the tournament. We never said that we was gonna win every game by 30 or 40. The games that we do, we do. The games that we dont, we dont.Serbia, truth be told, was surely fearful that it would fall in the do category of routs, since many international teams quietly subscribe to the theory that, in tournaments such as these, youre only going to get one real shot to beat the Americans. No matter who they bring.Its why there were certifiable murmurs that Australia, after such a great start in Group A, was legitimately weighing the prospect of playing its NBAers limited minutes in the second half of its Aug. 10 encounter with Team USA, believing that it might be better to save its supposed best for a potential rematch in the medal round.Turns out that the Aussies never got that second chance after getting unexpectedly smoked by Serbia in the semis, while the Serbs went on to validate the one-shot-only theory by steadily fading away once Durant got hot, turning this into a virtual rerun of the 2014 FIBA World Cup final in Spain that Team USA won by 37.How will this incarnation of the U.S. national team be remembered? Too soon to say.Yet it was clear on the U.S. bench at the end, amid a hearty round of hugs for Anthony once the expected medal shade of gold began to sink in, that Krzyzewski was as fond of this group as any of the squads that preceded it.Its been the ultimate honor of my life in coaching, Coach K said this week, and Ive coached for 41 years. Montravius Adams Super Bowl Jersey . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. Geronimo Allison Super Bowl Jersey . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. http://www.shoptheofficialpackers.com/Elite-Kyler-Fackrell-Packers-Jersey/ . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Dean Lowry Super Bowl Jersey . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Rashan Gary Super Bowl Jersey . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Before Keshav Maharaj had turned three, Kiran More looked at his palms and predicted: This child will be a cricketer.More was not angling for a career as a clairvoyant, but as a former gloveman and with the knowledge that Keshavs father, Athmanand, was also a wicketkeeper, he must have seen something. As it turned out, it was not the palms that held Keshavs future, but his fingers. Two decades later, Keshav has made a career as a left-arm spinner to fulfill Mores prophecy and his fathers dream.Athmanand played for Natal B during the bad old days when sport was segregated. He knew someone of his skin colour would not be able to challenge for higher honours but immersed himself in the sport anyway.It was difficult for us, but despite the challenges we faced, we managed to produce some outstanding players. We enjoyed the game and we played it hard, Athmanand told ESPNcricinfo. It was a big part of our lives.So big that it consumed Athmanands young son. When Keshav wasnt receiving throwdowns, he was rubbing shoulders with the whos who of the cricket world when South Africa were being welcomed back to the international community. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin and Pravin Amre.In 1992, when India travelled to South Africa for the Friendship tour, Athmanand was among the many friends the players made. Back then, it was commonplace for members of the Indian community to host the visiting team for meals, and the Maharaj home was one that the players visited.More became a family friend and remains in touch. He was the first person to give Athmanand the confidence to believe that a cricket career was possible, albeit not for him.With his playing days behind him, Athmanand worked in education, enjoyed a stint as deputy director general of sport in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province and completed cricket coaching courses, all the while giving his son lessons in the game. Keshav played in the backyard, in the Bakers Mini-Cricket progamme (a developmental sports programme for primary school kids), and at school. He was a left-arm seamer and a decent batsman.One day in the nets, Keshav was mad about something and decided to bowl spin. He told the Sunday Independent that nobody stopped him from making the switch and the new bowling style simply stuck. No one was happier than Athmanand .From my experience as a wicketkeeper, I had learned a lot about spin, so I tried to mould him that way.Keshavs twirling earned him places in a team two age groups above his level and made him a star at Northwood School, the alma mater of Shaun Pollock. By the time he was 18, he had become a regular in the school XI.His father remained his most loyal supporter. I followed him everywhere and kept a scorebook with his performances. I still have it at home, Athmanand said.In 2008, despite making it to the provincial Under-19 side, Keshav was not picked in South Africas U-19 World Cup squad. He confessed to City Press that he was probably a little on the large side, which may have counted against him.Still, he progressed. He was chosen for the South African academy, given a rookie contract at the Dolphins and was on the fringes of the franchise side. Athmanand allowed his son all the time he needed to see if he could carve a career in cricket because he saw in Keshav someone with a good head on his shoulders, who is very focused and very determined in everything he does. He knows exactly what he wants and I told him I would ssupport him in that.ddddddddddddBut he also advised Keshav to have a plan B. Keshav took up a marketing degree part-time but he honed his plan A. He went to play in the Sussex Premier League in 2013, an adventure that took him away from home comforts and his mothers kitchen.I turned my life around. I lost weight and worked on my fitness, Keshav said.When Keshav returned, Dolphins team-mate Imraan Khan remembers that he looked like a completely different person, with a more diligent attitude towards eating. Cooking became a passion for him. He started a food blog and has been part of cooking shows on the local radio station East Coast Radio .Hes a pretty good cook, Athmanand said. The leaner Keshav enjoyed vastly improved results. In the 2014-15 season, he was sixth on the first-class wicket charts with 36 at 29.38. Last season he was seventh with the same number of wickets at 32.Even though there was a slew of spinners on the South African radar - Imran Tahir, Robin Peterson, Dane Piedt, Simon Harmer and Aaron Phangiso - Athmanand felt Keshav was doing too well to be ignored.There were times when we thought he would get a shot, but with team balance and that kind of thing, we always said that if it came, that would be good and if not, he would just keep doing his thing, because eventually he would get there. Statistics play a very important role.In the first match of this summers first-class season, Athmanand was proved right. Sort of. Keshav got a career-best haul of 13 for 157 to bowl Dolphins to an innings victory over Warriors in East London. But his place in the Test squad had been decided after he took his first wicket in the game.After the second days play, with Warriors on 104 for 1 in reply to Dolphins 478, in which Keshav had contributed a 71-ball 72, he got a phone call.It was Linda Zondi [the convener of the national selection panel], and he just told Keshav, Well batted, and then said that he needs his passport, Ahtmanand said. I told him it might mean he was selected but that he mustnt jump to any conclusions.Over the next two days, Keshav ran through the Warriors line-up, taking six more wickets in the first innings and six more in the follow-on. Then he found out he was going to Australia.He was surprised, but it is also a very well-deserved call-up, said Imraan. Over the last few seasons what he has really worked on is consistency in length and thats what he is so good at. When we have needed a spinner to stop the game, he has done exactly that, but at the same time he has remained an attacking bowler and has always picked up wickets.South Africa are searching for exactly that kind of spinner, especially in a series where they expect the quicks to dominate. Whether that will give Keshav the edge over Tabraiz Shamsi, a left-arm chinaman and the only other spinner in the squad, remains to be seen.Keshavs family members are unlikely to travel to Australia to watch the series because of the time it will take to get their visas and Athmanand is busy getting Keshavs new flat ready for occupation. But regardless of whether he gets the opportunity to watch his son walk out in South Africa colours, Athmanand is ecstatic.It will be fantastic if he gets his first cap, but even if he doesnt on this tour, he has made us all very proud. We know his journey begins now. ' ' '


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