US holds off Spain 118-107, regains gold
BEIJING (AP) The United States won the gold medal in Olympic men's basketball Sunday with a 118-107 victory over Spain.
Culminating a three-year mission to end years of embarrassment, the U.S. Olympic team survived a huge challenge from the world champions.
After overwhelming everyone for seven games, the Americans led by only four points with under 2½ minutes to play, then proved they could handle the close game that seemed would never come in Beijing.

Men's Hoops Gallery
The U.S. men's basketball team, the "Redeem Team," recaptured past glory at the Beijing Olympics.

Olympic Highlights
Photos from the Beijing Olympics.

The Games Close
Ceremonies mark the closing of the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing.

Picture This
Beijing Olympic Fans Capture Special Moments.

Athletics Gallery
Top track & field photos from the Bird's Nest in Beijing.

Beijing Air Check
The AP has compiled a series of photos showing the view from a Beijing skyscraper during August last year and the same view during the Olympics this year.

Off The Wall: Olympic Places
AP reporter John Marshall has lots of great memories to take home.

One Photographer's Perspective
AP photographer David Guttenfelder gives his perspective on the 2008 Olympics after three weeks in Beijing.

View from the outside the Olympic Green
Not everyone were lucky enough to have an Olympic ticket, most has to be satisfied with a snapshot of the National Stadium.

Gymnastics Gallery
Top photos in the sport of gymnastics from Beijing.

Off The Wall: Pulling Some Strings
AP reporter John Marshall discovers a puppet show that's on a grand scale.

USA Softball Magic Ends
Losing for the first time since 2000, the U.S. softball team was denied a chance for a fourth straight gold medal, beaten 3-1 by Japan in the sport's last appearance in the Olympics for at least eight years - and maybe for good.

Off The Wall: Plenty of Pearls
AP reporter John Marshall finds a great place for pearls hidden away.

Hoops in Beijing
Nowhere else is it more apparent that basketball is taking over in China than at the famous Dongdan courts in central Beijing.

Off The Wall: Making Warriors Look Sharp
AP reporter John Marshall takes a look at some ancient warriors getting a makeover.

Off The Wall: It is a Great One
AP reporter John Marshall visits the Great Wall and finds stunning views and souvenirs.

Olympic Marathon Course
The Olympic marathon course cuts through Beijing's cultural, business and historical areas, and a wide range of neighborhoods, as it makes its way from Tiananmen Square to the National Stadium on the Olympic Green. And,from readings taken on a weekday, show the widespread nature of Beijing's pollution problem.

Off The Wall: Treat on a Stick
AP reporter John Marshall goes to the night market and gives scorpion on a stick a try.

Swimming Gallery
Top photos from the Water Cube in Beijing.

Phelps' Winning Ways
Check out a photo, an explanation and all of the stats from each of Michael Phelps' historic races in Beijing.

Michael Phelps' dramatic win in men's 100 meter butterfly
Michael Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish over Serbia's Milorad Cavic, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal by the narrowest of margins in the 100-meter butterfly. The margin? One-hundredth of a second, the time it takes lightning to strike the ground.

Off The Wall: Mao for Sale
AP reporter John Marshall goes to a flea market and finds Mao stuff of every description.

A morning stroll into Beijing's past
To the sound of a musician getting in an early morning practice

Chasing After Gold
Michael Phelps became the winningest Olympic athlete ever in Beijing and now tries to surpass Mark Spitz for the most golds in a single Games.

Off The Wall: Exploring Hutongs
AP reporter John Marshall take a stroll inside a Beijing hutong.

Off The Wall: Gallery Hopping
AP reporter John Marshall visits a collection of art galleries in a former secret military factory.

AP Olympic Calendar
The Olympic schedule takes you through every day of events, to the Closing Ceremony on Aug. 24, with a listing of sport, time and venue.

Off The Wall: Foot Massage
AP reporter John Marshall test the local foot massage to get his feet back on track in Beijing.

Off The Wall: Dining Out
AP reporter John Marshall finds eating out in Beijing is a whole lot more adventuresome than pizza.

Off The Wall: Shopping
AP reporter John Marshall finds shopping in Beijing requires a whole new set of skills.

Got Two Minutes?
Watch Friday night's Opening Ceremonies at warp speed! The multi-hour show will go by in two minutes in this time-lapse production.

The Games Open
Ceremonies mark the start of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

What Do You Have to Trade?
Since they burst on the scene in the 1984 games in Los Angeles, Olympic pins have become the currency of the games. People come from all over the world to collect the keepsakes.

Mexico City: 40 Years Later
Forty years after the Summer Games in Mexico City, peeling paint and decaying venues are all that is left as the city's residents use the once-pround facilities for a wide range of activities.

Exercise a Part of China's Morning Ritual
In parks throughout China, people gather each morning to exercise in groups or alone. It is a long-standing ritual and the scenes of stretching and chanting are part of the dawn landscape.

Lifelong Olympic Dreams
Six U.S. athletes share their feelings about being part of the Olympics and representing their country on one of sport's biggest stages.

Reducing Beijing's Pollution
The Chinese government is undertaking several different measures to reduce air pollution in the Beijing area during the Olympics including cutting down on auto traffic, stopping construction projects and shutting down factories.

Olympic Bodies: A Sampler
There is no one kind of body sported by athletes competing in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Each sport has its own demands on build and each athlete showcases what works best in their discipline. Take a tour of the Olympic bodies.

Inside an Olympian's Fridge
U.S. weightlifter Carissa Gump has a well-stocked refrigerator in her kitchen in Colorado Springs where she trains. U.S. Olympic Committee dietician Adam Korzun takes us on a tour of the fridge and tells what makes the food inside work for the athlete.

AP Gallery: China - The Week in Photos
Click through a weekly gallery taken by AP's award-winning photographers on location in China as they capture daily images reflecting the life and times of a people and a country preparing for the world's most anticipated athletic event.


