In the lead-up to Rio, Australia were forthright in their belief they could win an historic first Olympic mens basketball medal - even gold. Air Jordan Retro 8 For Sale .The early signs were brilliant, with the Boomers beating France, Serbia, China and Venezuela and pushing Team USA all the way in the group stages.Confidence was high ahead of the semifinal against Serbia but the Boomers dreams were brutally crushed as they were busted open in an 87-61 thrashing.?They were never in the contest, suffering one of their most embarrassing defeats in Olympic competition.So, what went wrong for the Boomers?1. Did they choke? And if so, why?Its one thing to lose, but its another to get embarrassed on the big stage. After a spectacular campaign - including upset wins over France and Serbia as well as pushing the U.S. to the limit - the Boomers saved their worst performance for when it mattered most. A win over Serbia would have guaranteed an Olympic medal for the first time in Australian mens basketball history.But they were way off from the very start as Serbia exploded with an early 8-0 lead that the Boomers could never recover from. Theres no doubt Serbia were strong, especially on the defensive end in stifling the Boomers attack, but the Australians looked dazed and daunted in defence for the first time this tournament.The Serbians pick and roll offense was a thing of beauty that the Boomers had no answers for. They tried going over the screen at the start of the match which allowed Serbia to get inside and knock down the easy elbow jumper. ?They then switched and tried going under screens, leading to open looks from beyond the arc for Serbia.Every little run and adjustment the Boomers made was well and truly countered by Serbia.To make matters worse for the Boomers, talisman Andrew Bogut looked visibly hobbled with a knee concern.2. Why couldnt the Boomers score?The Boomers dont have a go-to player but they used that to their advantage in playing selfless team basketball in the group stages, making sure to move the ball and force the extra pass for easy baskets and open looks. However, that was non-existent against the Serbians.At halftime, Australia had just 14 points on the board and had coughed up 11 turnovers as Serbia led by 21 points to virtually put the result beyond doubt.Yes, Serbias defense was suffocating but the Boomers execution and ability to get to their sets was awful.Off the ball, Australia lacked the same cohesion and effort that posed such a threat in offence. Without that activity, the Serbians were able to focus all their pressure on the ball without having to make many difficult decisions in defence.On top of that, the Boomers dynamic backcourt Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills could never find their groove as they combined to score just 16 points (less than Mills average of 21.2 points per game) on 7-22 shooting.3. Would Ben Simmons make a difference?After one NBA general manager proclaimed if Simmons had played, Australia would have beaten Team USA, its hard not to imagine that Simmons would have made a difference against Serbia and Australia would be through to the gold medal match.This years No. 1 NBA draft pick is a dangerous threat with ball in hand and would certainly have given the Boomers many opportunities when there was seemingly little happening. His ability to drive to the basket and crash the offensive boards would give Australias three-point shooters such as Dellavedova and Mills even greater room to operate and cut to the lane.At the very least, he would have attracted extra attention and forced Serbia to adjust their defensive schemes.4. Where to from here?The Boomers Olympic campaign isnt over yet.While the result wasnt what the Boomers were hoping for, they still have a chance to make history with a bronze medal against Spain on Monday morning (12:30am AEST).The game against No. 2-ranked Spain wont be easy, but you can bet that after the game against Serbia, theyll have a point to prove.Australia is motivated to lay the platform for the next generation of superstars with Simmons, Thon Maker and Dante Exum set to feature prominently for the Boomers in years to come. Jordan Retro 5 Cheap . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Air Jordan 14 Cheap . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. http://www.jordanshoescheapsale.com/jord...1-for-sale.html . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. ALBANY, N.Y. -- An investigation launched by New Yorks inspector general after a pro fighter suffered nearly fatal injuries concluded the state boxing commission was plagued by deficient practices, limited oversight and conflicts of interest.Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott said her offices probe into the New York State Athletic Commission was prompted by the severe brain injuries and poor post-fight treatment suffered by heavyweight Magomed Abdusalamov in 2013 at Madison Square Garden.Investigators said the fighter walked outside afterward, vomited, then was taken by his handlers in a 15-minute taxi ride to Roosevelt Hospital, though there were ambulances available at the arena. He had emergency surgery for bleeding in his brain.The commissions lack of appropriate emergency medical protocols and oversight procedures, as well as clear conflicts of interest among senior staff, reflect a systemic breakdown of its most basic operations, Scott said Monday. With the commission poised to regulate mixed martial arts in addition to pro boxing, she said reforms are imperative.She recommended standard pre-fight and post-fight physical and neurological examinations, giving communications devices to all staff, having a tactical emergency plan to address medical issues aat any time and ethics training. Air Jordan 1 Retro For Sale. New Yorks Department of State, which oversees the commission, said it has taken steps to implement many of Scotts recommendations. Commission Chairman Tom Hoovers resignation was accepted, the department said.Hoover was criticized in the report for permitting friends and relatives to obtain credentials allowing them to attend pro boxing matches for free.His predecessor, Melvina Lathan, resigned as chair in 2015 in the wake of the investigation, according to the Inspector Generals Office. She and other staff were faulted by investigators for receiving improper gifts from boxing promoters, including wine and jewelry.Investigators found there was confusion about the diagnoses and recommendations from Abdusalamovs post-fight medical examinations, no complete post-fight emergency plan in place and limited interpreter services for the fighter who primarily spoke Russian.Abdusalamov, a former Russian amateur champion, was an unbeaten professional until his 10-round loss to Mike Perez that night. He remains disabled.---Online:https://ig.ny.gov/sites/default/files/pd...PORT7-25-16.pdf ' ' '
