Revived Kobe Leads U.S. Into Semifinals

Revived Kobe Leads U.S. Into Semifinals, Bryant scores 20 second half points to turn a tight game with Australia into a rout. Kobe Bryant scores 20 second-half points as U.S. holds off Australia to reach Olympic semifinals, These Olympics have not been Kobe Bryant’s finest work. At 33, he is Team USA’s oldest player by four years, and he’s looked like it for long stretches of the tournament. He missed all but one of his seven shots in Team USA’s too-close victory over Lithuania last week, and Wednesday’s quarterfinal game against Australia didn’t start much better. After stepping out of bounds for one turnover, he dribbled his way into another.

Perhaps Bryant had just been waiting for these London Games to give him some drama. After the Aussies scored 11 straight points to open the second half – giving the fans at North Greenwich Arena a few fleeting thoughts of witnessing a monumental upset – the ball inevitably found its way into Bryant’s hands. Bryant, as he often has in such tense moments, delivered.

Bryant buried a 3-pointer over Australia’s defense, came up with a steal then quickly pulled up to drill another 3-pointer. The rout was on, and Team USA was well on its way to a 119-86 victory over Australia that lifted them into Friday’s semifinals against Argentina. After opening the game by missing his first four shots, Bryant scored all 20 of his points in the second half. If the U.S. beats Argentina, it will face the winner of Spain-Russia in Sunday’s gold-medal game.

“I was just kind of searching for something to get me going,” Bryant said. “Something to kind of activate the Black Mamba, as coach likes to say.”

Bryant should credit a couple of teammates for helping him settle into a rhythm. LeBron James played the role of distributor and had 11 points, 12 assists and 14 rebounds what USA Basketball was the first triple-double by a U.S. player in Olympic history. More than a few of James’ passes found the waiting hands of Bryant.

“LeBron was magnificent,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “But he’s been magnificent the whole time.”

Bryant, meanwhile, has enjoyed himself at these Olympics. He’s watched Roger Federer at Wimbledon, Destinee Hooker and the U.S. women’s volleyball team at Earls Court and British cycling star Chris Hoy at the Velodrome. He’s “speed-walked,” as he calls it, through Olympic Park, stopping sometimes to talk with other athletes and discuss their own training methods.