Hot favourites the United States won Olympic men's basketball gold by outgunning Spain 118-107 in a final of hard fouls and flying elbows on Sunday.
World champions Spain trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half but pulled to within two on a Rudy Fernandez three-pointer with 8:13 left in the gold medal showdown.
Jolted into action, Kobe Bryant scored two huge three-pointers,
putting his finger to his lips after the second which put the U.S. back
up by eight with 3:10 left.
Dwyane Wade led the way with 27 points, sealing the game on another long bomb which he celebrated with a gunslinger's pose and a snarl of defiance to the crowd of 18,000. Bryant, who turned 30 the day before the final, contributed 20 points.
The Americans, relegated to bronze in Athens four years ago, have now won 13 Olympic men's basketball titles.
