Knights noted their midfield also boasted Jack, Dan

RIO DE JANEIRO -- There was a calm, relaxed atmosphere at the final practice for the United States womens basketball team.Maybe its because injured guard Sue Bird was able to participate. Or maybe because many of the players have been in this position before -- a win away from another Olympic title.I understand its a gold-medal game; weve approached it like any other game, said Bird, who has helped the U.S. win the past three golds at the Olympics. At the start of this entire month, every single practice and game we approached it like it was a gold-medal game. Todays no different.The Americans will play Spain on Saturday in search of a sixth consecutive gold. Spain is already guaranteed its first Olympic medal in womens basketball.It looks like the U.S. will have Bird back for the title game. She missed the semifinal win over France while she was recovering from a sprained right knee capsule. She said she felt much better Friday and it showed. After taking part in practice, Bird went through a hard workout to test the right knee.She stopped short of saying she definitely would play Saturday.I cant give you an answer for tomorrow, Bird said, smiling. I can be happy with the way things have been going. Long term is great, short term is getting better.Bird said the pain is down to about a one or two out of 10. But she isnt going to push it if she doesnt feel comfortable and has the utmost confidence in her teammates if she cant play.Im not going to be dumb about it. Our team isnt built around one person, its built around 12, she said. As they showed yesterday, it doesnt matter whos out there; we have a really good team. Im not going to do anything stupid.Coach Geno Auriemma, who has worked with Bird for four years at UConn and now eight with USA Basketball, said the decision is up to Bird whether she plays.Shell wake up tomorrow morning and tell us how she feels and well go with that, he said.The U.S. dominated Spain in the preliminary round, winning by 40 points. The Americans also beat Spain in the 2014 world championship title game. Still, the U.S. isnt taking anything for granted.They are really, really good, Diana Taurasi said. Its going to be a hard-fought battle and they have been playing really well since we beat them.The test for Spain will be to do what no team has been able to do in Rio: put together a full game against the U.S. France trailed by four at the half on Thursday and still lost by 19.The Americans have won 48 consecutive games, a streak that started in 1996. Theyve won the seven games in Rio by an average of nearly 40 points and are putting up 102.3 points a contest -- just a hair behind the record set by the 96 squad.Saturdays contest will be the last Olympic game for Tamika Catchings, who is retiring at the end of the WNBA season next month. Bird and Diana Taurasi have also hinted this will probably be their Olympic finale as well.Thats the elephant in the room that no one is talking about, Taurasi said. Were really focused on the game at hand and not what lies ahead after that. Cheap Black Yeezy Boost 350 . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Yeezy 350 V2 Outlet . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. http://www.cheapyeezy350sale.com/yeezy-350-v2.html . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Cheap Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Static . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. Yeezy Boost 350 Outlet . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. The star Geelong billing known as Dangerwood now has a strong support cast.Its what the Cats have added around captain Joel Selwood and star recruit Patrick Dangerfield that makes their midfield a much tougher proposition for the Swans in Friday nights AFL preliminary final.The last time they played, the Swans celebrated Kieren Jacks 200th game with a 38-point win over Geelong in round 16 at Simonds Stadium.Geelongs season had reached a tipping point, given they had come off the bye and an upset round-14 loss to St Kilda.Dangerfield said they were nothing more than a mediocre side.The Cats have been anything but mediocre since, winning eight-straight matches.A fortnight after the Swans loss, journeyman onballer Sam Menegola finally made his AFL debut.After taking months to recover from an ankle injury, Selwoods younger brother Scott also played his first game for Geelong in round 20.Its two great stories, coming from different angles, Geelong midfield coach Matthew Knights said of the pair.Cam Guthrie, who starred in the second half of the qualifying-final win over Hawthorn, and Josh Caddy are also in strong form.Were fairly comfortable that our other five or six guys who filter through there (along with Dangerfield and Joel Selwood) have had strong years and are really strong in their own right, Knights said.Its going to be a really big game of a collective versus a collective - theyre a very strong unit and we pride ourselves on being prettty deep ourselves in the midfield.ddddddddddddIt quite crucial that we do get a good performance out of all players because the reality is 14 or 15 good players just doesnt cut it in a final.Josh Kennedy starred in the midfield for Sydney last week with 42 possessions, but Knights noted their midfield also boasted Jack, Dan Hannebery, Luke Parker and Tom Mitchell.Scott Selwood is a run-with specialist and he is the obvious choice to take Kennedy.The two Selwoods push and shove with Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell was one of the highlights of their qualifying final.I reckon the two Selwoods might have done that in the backyard when they were younger, with the four brothers, Knights said.That was just great to see, it was amazing to see, with the two Selwoods, (Luke) Hodge and Mitchell, guys going at it.It was quite exhilarating.But Knights added that given the depth and quality of the two midfields, a one-on-one duel for the whole match was unlikely.We endeavoured to do that with Mitchell but, in the end, those players like Joey (Kennedy) and Mitchell are so good, that theyll end up on other players at stoppages and when the game moves, Knights said.Im sure at some stage on Friday night, theyll be head to head.It will be a great contest, because theyre both warriors and, whichever way it goes, it will be a huge battle. 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