The United States men’s national basketball team handed Spain a 95-81 whooping

Don’t say I told you so, because I didn’t.

I was just sizing up the fate of the United States men’s basketball team before it again faced familiar foe Spain in Tuesday’s quarterfinals of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics played at Saitama Super Arena.

I was looking at this match-up the second time in these Olympics and wondered if the Spaniards would finally turn back the red, white and blue after going 0-for-4 at this point. After all, Spain, like about every other team in this tournament, has a number of National Basketball Association players and is ranked No. 2 behind the USA in the world rankings.

Still, I wasn’t buying the fact that this team in stars and stripes hasn’t looked the part of a nation that has won every gold medal and hoisted the championship trophy for ages. To this I say, no way Jose whether you are on Spain’s roster or not.

So let’s get to the chase. Forget the two exhibition game losses, toss away the first round setback against France, it was all USA as it pieced everything together a resounding 95-81 dismissal of NBA point guard Ricky Rubio and company.

Next comes Australia in the Thursday semifinals after the Aussies rolled over Argentina, 97-59. in the other quarters, and is, believe it, ranked third in the planet. It was one of two countries (Nigeria was the other) that stunned the Americans in the exhibition round.

Sorry Matilda, but once was enough. That was head coach Gregg Popovich’s team without a full roster, three of his players were in the NBA finals and didn’t fly into Japan until Saturday, an shortly after, Popovich held an introduction practice.

He shrugged off the two surprises and said his team was ready to play, and now the Matildas will find out whether true or false. I back Poppy handily because his team has a much better roster. With the 12 members, he has experience, depth, speed and the 6-foot-10 Kevin Durant, a tall and talented bundle of versatility.

Against Spain, Duran tossed in his team-high 29 points, came down with seven rebounds, handed out three assists, and added three blocks. And he had his teammates following the road Duran has put them on as he goes for his third Olympic title.

“We’ve just got to finish what we came here for,” he said, “and that is to win gold again. We’re supposed to be here and it’s all about the gold.”

Rubio, who was traded from the Minnesota Timber Wolves to the Cleveland Cavaliers prior to the United States game, was a dazzling sharpshooter with the game-high 38 points, seven of which were from beyond the 3-point arch. If not for the 6-4 Rubio, who first played in the Olympics at the age of 17, scored his final points on a driving layup with 50 seconds left on the clock.

Spain began with a well-played first quarter and led 21-19. At halftime, though, the USA had trimmed a 10-point gap to 43-43 after a run-and-gun 13-2 run. Then came the second half and the Americans began with a 13-4 run behind Durant, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and Zach LaVine.

From there, it was all United States. Rubio kept tossing up shots, but the Americans had much too much talent to overcome. Durant handled the point guard role like the pro that he is, Booker of the Phoenix Suns, who scored 18, was bringing down rebounds and led the team with nine, and swiped the ball four times.

Tatum of the Boston Celtics hit for back-to-back outside shots, made his presence felt inside, and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers got a hot hand from outside and the Spanish had no answers. Tatum finished with a dozen points, Lillard added 11 and LaVine tallied 10. Jrue Holiday of the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, dished out five assists and played his usual tight defense.

Spain had been effective until now from the 3, but only Rubio could find the range and his team made only nine while the Americans accounted for 21 on 21-for-32 shooting from beyond the three.

In the other semis, it’s surprising 12th-ranked Slovenia and a cast of NBA players taking on 8th-ranked France, which has the same, but the US is taking it one game at a time and now has all the confidence to reel in another championship.

For this aging Spain squad that has played together in the last three Olympics, this was probably its swan song. Rubio is only 30, but it has five players over 34 and four over 33, and that includes the Gasol brothers, 41-year-old Marc and 38-year-old Pau.

In other NBA trades, the Nets, Durant’s team, have picked up outside shooter Patty Mills, who the USA will see versus Australia. The Los Angeles Lakers have added Carmelo Anthony to its roster, as well as former Net Spencer Dolittle.

One more thing, the longest family name in men’s Olympics hoops belongs to Ireland’s Bahnam Yakhchailidehkorbi. Count them.