RIO DE JANEIRO -- Theres one team that has lived up to high expectations -- even surpassed them -- at the Rio Games in mens basketball.Its the one with a roster loaded with skilled and experienced NBA players, an overall No. 1 draft pick, a backcourt featuring two guards with championship rings and a strong belief it can capture gold in Brazil.The favored U.S. team, to this point unbeaten but shockingly underwhelming, had better be careful.Australia just might win it all.Bonded by a deep commitment to the national team and each other, the Aussies have been the most impressive team in this tournament, which many expected to be dominated by Team USAs super-squad trying to win a third straight title. However, Australia, seeking its first Olympic medal with a program aided by players developing their games on college teams in the U.S., is focused on ending Americas run.No disrespect to the U.S., but we dont want to go into an Olympics aiming for second or fourth, center Andrew Bogut said after the Aussies put a fright into the Americans in group play before losing 98-88. We have a goal of being first.In some hoop circles, Australias performance has been a surprise. Not to the Americans.They play aggressive, said U.S. forward DeMar DeRozan. They execute extremely well, and thats a team thats been playing together for a while.International basketball observers have seen this Australian ascension coming.With Bogut, the 7-footer selected first by Milwaukee in the 2005 draft and four other players currently on NBA rosters, the Aussies, as fans in the U.S. have learned, play with a street-tough tenacity. Add in that guards Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova, and big man Aron Baynes have won league titles, and its no wonder the team from Down Under is on the way up.Its been rising for a while, said Australian assistant coach Luc Longley, who played on three Olympic teams and won three championships with the Chicago Bulls. I dont think this is a flash in the pan.It shouldnt be. Australia, which has finished fourth three times and will play Lithuania in Wednesdays first quarterfinal, has depth. Missing from the 2016 Rio team are forward Ben Simmons, the former LSU star picked first in this years draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, and Thon Maker, selected No. 10 by the Bucks. Also, Utahs Dante Exum was unable to play while recovering from a torn ACL suffered with the national team last summer.Three-time Olympian Joe Ingles, who has spent the past two seasons with the Jazz, sees bright days ahead for Australia.Were not all 18 years old anymore, but weve been together a long time and obviously with Ben and Thon and Dante and all these kids coming through. Dellys still young, weve still got a pretty young group -- apart from David, the forward said, referring to 36-year-old center David Andersen. But the rest of us are all 28 and under. I think we can sustain it for a little while, and the junior development of what we have in Australia is really good and we can continue to produce good players.Theres something else about the Boomers, as theyre known back home. They are a close-knit group, which grew tighter last year when Mills organized a team trip to Uluru, the iconic rock formation in central Australia considered sacred by the indigenous Aboriginals.The experience was life-changing for Mills, who has Aboriginal roots. He said the time spent together helped the Aussies better appreciate what it means to play for their homeland.Just to get to know everyone on the team and the meaning behind doing that was to find that deeper meaning of why we play for Australia and why we represent our country, said Mills, who has been with the San Antonio Spurs since 2011. I think everyone found that individually and as a team as well.As a reminder, the Australian team has a banner from its trip to Uluru hanging in the athletes village in Rio.To five-time Australian Olympic guard Andrew Gaze, the possibility of the Aussies stepping up onto the medal podium in the next few days, isnt all that surprising. Gaze has been impressed with this Australian groups resolve and its ability to crystallize in a short period.The flag bearer for his country at the 2000 Games, Gaze, who remains the second-leading scorer in Olympic history, was a win from a bronze in 1988 but ran into a U.S. team smarting from a loss to the Soviet Union.The Aussies came up short again eight years later in Atlanta, losing to Lithuania, which beat them again at Sydney.Weve been knocking on the door for a long, long time, Gaze said.If the green-and-gold can get to the gold-medal game, the U.S. could be waiting.Were not intimidated, Ingles said following the teams matchup in the preliminary round. Were not scared of anyone. We hope we can get another crack at them. Joseph Noteboom Jersey . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. Joseph Noteboom Rams Jersey . 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Five years ago, Kimmy Fasani became the first female snowboarder in history to land a double backflip in both the park and the powder -- a slick move if ever there was one. When slopestyle debuted as a sport for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, Fasani hoped to be there -- but a scary crash broke her pelvis and blew out her knee, ending her Olympic hopes.Today, Fasani is still doing awesome tricks, and she now runs an annual event in Mammoth Lakes, California, that gives aspiring female pros an education in backcountry snowboarding and skiing safety. She also owns an organic bakery with her husband -- pro skier Chris Benchetler -- and is a huge proponent of healthy eating. She shared this quick and simple chocolate recovery shake recipe:Day and time: After a long day in the mountainsPlace: At home in Mammoth Lakes, CaliforniaWhat Im eating: A chocolate cinnamon recovery smoothieWhose recipe: MineWhy Im eating it: As an athlete, I am always looking for new and tasty ways to get a healthy protein-filled snack after being out all day. One of my favorite quick treats is this smoothie.This unique recipe calls for chia seeds, which are high in nutrients and minerals, including Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein and minerals. The hint of cinnamon adds other health benefits, such as the possibility of reducing inflammation, fighting bacteria and lowering blood ssugar.ddddddddddddThe recipe: Serves two 1 pack or serving size scoop of Clif Bar Shot Protein Recovery Drink Mix (my favorite flavor is chocolate, but there also is an orange mango option) 1 fresh or frozen organic banana 1 teaspoon organic cinnamon 1 tablespoon organic chia seeds 1 tablespoon organic nut butter (I prefer peanut butter) 1 cup organic almond milk or other preferred milk option 2 cups water (vary amount, based on your desired consistency)If you want to make your own almond milk instead of using a store-bought product, heres how:Soak 1 cup of organic almonds in a bowl of water overnight or up to two days. Drain and rinse the almonds in cool water. Combine the almonds and 2 cups of cold water in a blender. Blend the mixture at a high speed for two minutes or until the almonds are broken down into a fine almond meal in the water. Strain the almond milk using a cheese cloth, and squeeze out remaining liquid into a large measuring cup to capture the liquid. Take almond meal from cheese cloth and place it in a bowl. Serve your almond milk cold and keep it stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. Note: The leftover almond meal can be used to make cookies or added to oatmeal, smoothies and muffins as it is. Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap NFL T-shirts Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys White Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo Wholesale Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Hoodies Camo China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo NFL Jerseys China ' ' '