USA Basketball came from behind to defeat Canada 84-80 in the bronze medal match of the AmeriCup on Sunday. Gary Clark emerged as Team USA’s key player on the night, scoring 18 points and helping his team to take a crucial lead with a 26-10 run in just seven minutes in the final quarter of the game.
“I’m happy for our guys,” U.S. coach Alex Jensen said. “It was an honor to be a part of it.” This marks the ninth occasion in 11 appearances at the tournament that the United States has walked away with a medal. Previously, USA basketball won seven golds and one silver, making this the first AmeriCup bronze medal in the team’s history.
What also made this victory special was that it may have been the final match of NBA veteran Jodie Meeks, who spent 10 years in the NBA. Although he scored just once during the match, Meeks’ three-pointer was a crucial one, pulling the USA level at 71-71.
In Monday’s final, Argentina defeated Brazil to win the AmeriCup gold medal. Argentina shot into a 26-14 lead in the first quarter, and while Brazil clawed their way back, outscoring their opponents 13-8 in the final quarter, it wasn’t enough as the Argentinians edged out Brazil 75-73.
