RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The proud man looked over the heads of the gathered reporters and then wistfully at the exit. He spoke slowly.
Pau Gasol sounded tired. You would, too, after pushing a rock up the hill four times and then helplessly watching it roll back down to the bottom. This time, which marked the end of Spain's dream of Olympic gold at the hands of Team USA yet again, the semifinal ended by a not-as-close-as-it-sounds 82-76.
"Our hearts are bleeding," said Sergio Scariolo, who coaches Spain but whose penchant for drama marks him as indelibly Italian.