RIO DE JANEIRO -- It didnt feel like a 12-alarm fire when word got out that Sue Bird wasnt going to play. The U.S. Olympic womens basketball team is too dominant for that. It was more like the basketball equivalent of having a rock in your shoe, or having a painting thats hung crooked on the wall. Something just didnt feel right Thursday night in their semifinal game against France. Something was just ... off.Bird always says shes not the fastest or highest-flying talent in womens basketball. But when youve been the point guard for the U.S. national team dating back 16 years, running the show at every major international competition since 2002, and the team has not lost an Olympic game in all that time, its not surprising that the sight of Bird on Thursday would be disorienting for the U.S. The sight of Bird walking out in her navy team warm-up suit unable to play in the American teams semifinal against France because of a sprained right knee capsule might have even felt like an unprecedented opportunity for France, which had five or six players and coaches standing and watching the U.S. layup line before the game as if they couldnt believe their luck.I didnt know she wasnt going to play, said French forward Sandrine Gruda. Even at halftime we were saying, Believe. Believe. Believe.Asked the last time she missed an Olympic contest, Birds eyes opened wide and she laughed and said, Never.Until Thursday, the 35-year-old had played 28 of the last 30 Olympic games for the U.S. team stretching back to 2004. She did not play in the semifinal and gold-medal games in Athens in 2004.While the Americans looked discombobulated early on without her -- France trailed only 40-34 at the half -- they eventually overcame Birds absence like theyve overcome everything else in this tournament, relying on their experience and depth of talent to run away to a gratifying 86-67 win, their smallest margin of victory in the tournament. A 25-8 run in the third quarter put France away to stay.The American team now goes into its sixth-straight Olympic final Saturday, this time opposite Spain, a team it beat by 40 points in pool play earlier in these Games.Whether Bird plays or not, it would be an epic upset if the U.S. loses this gold medal or its 48-game Olympic winning streak now. Bird said her plan is to try to practice Friday, and see how she feels. Head coach Geno Auriemma says it will be her call whether to play or sit.To be honest, yesterday I didnt feel amazing, but I woke up today feeling better, and Im just hoping for the best tomorrow, said Bird, who has had five previous surgeries on her left knee but no issues with her right knee until now. Im not going to be stupid about this. Its your body. You dont want to put it in danger. But if I can play, Im definitely playing.Lindsay Whalen, a 32-year-old veteran, is the only other true point guard on the U.S. roster. But Auriemma said the upside of having already played one game without Bird is the U.S. wont have to spend a half working the kinks out of their offense in the gold-medal game like they did on this night. Auriemma filled Birds spot in the starting lineup by moving Seimone Augustus into the backcourt opposite Diana?Taurasi, and asking Taurasi to be a bit more of a ball handler and passer even though, Thats really not her role.Taurasi is used to filling in. Even if she prefers to have Bird on the court.When Sues out, you forget how much she does for this team, she said. We have so many scorers, and she finds a way to get everyone in their spots, to get everyone touches, and she sacrifices her own offense for that ... I think we figured it out in the second half. But it was still hard.Taurasi still led the U.S. with 18 points. And Bird was predictably uneasy having to endure watching the game. During pregame warm-ups, she made a few passes to teammates in the layup line, and the other U.S. players said she was vocal in the locker room at halftime, too, reminding them of little details, telling them not to worry that their four-point margin was so slim. Stay calm. When the U.S. went back on the court and the five players who were going to start the second half huddled by the U.S. bench for one last quick talk, all of a sudden a sixth -- Bird -- stuck her head in and started giving instructions, sending them out with a pep talk.What was watching like? Now? Not so hard. During the game, very hard, Bird laughed. We were a little out of sorts, and I feel I can help in that department. But honestly, they did a great job. Its not easy. A semifinal game -- I dont care who youre playing against -- its the hardest game because you lose that and you get nothing. Or, I mean, you can only maybe get bronze. So its really difficult. And Im really proud of them.It was yet another measure of the top-to-bottom skill of the U.S. team. But Auriemma said he doesnt want to hear remarks like, What time is the gold medal ceremony? as if Saturdays win is a given.Its not like that, he insisted.But no one believes him. Bird is one of the winningest players in basketball history. With her or without her, the U.S. women just keep rolling on. ... Godwin Jersey . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. O. J. Howard Youth Jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. ... Godwin Buccaneers Jersey . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record.Andy Murrays decision to take the whole of February off wont unduly affect his ranking, says Barry Cowan. The world No 2 is missing the ATP events in Rotterdam and Dubai this month as he awaits the birth of his first child with wife Kim.Murray was on the receiving end of a fourth Australian Open final defeat to world No 1 Novak Djokovic last month before announcing his intention of taking time out of the sport. Its very difficult to plan when your first child is going to be but its probably the best planning for Andy because he has always struggled after the Australian Open, and understandably so, the Sky Sports tennis expert told Sky Sports News HQ. Murray suffered his fourth Australian Open final defeat at the hands of Djokovic Its not just three or four weeks down in Australia - its also the five or six weeks before hand to prepare physically and mentally.Unfortunately, it hasnt gone his way in the decisive match - in the final - so youre bound to feel a little bit short emotionally and physically.dddddddddddd Its very difficult to plan when your first child is going to be but its probably the best planning for Andy because he has always struggled after the Australian Open. Barry Cowan on Andy Murray Hes been forced to miss Rotterdam where he hasnt always played his best tennis. We wish him well and we wish Kim well.Andys next couple of matches will be the Davis Cup [for Great Britain at home to Japan]. But because hes been able to get so many points, its not going to affect his ranking by not playing in February.Watch the ATP ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam all this week on Sky Sports 3 HD - your home of tennis. 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