RIO DE JANEIRO _ It wasn't pretty, but Team USA is advancing to Sunday's gold medal game.
The U.S. defeated Spain with a grinding 82-76 victory on Friday and now awaits Australia or Serbia, playing in the second semifinal.
In the first half, the U.S. grabbed 13 offensive rebounds that helped pace it to a 45-39 halftime edge. Klay Thompson, who finished with 22 points, had 17 in the first half.
But the U.S. could never quite put Spain away. The U.S. had trouble containing Pau Gasol, who scored 23 points.
