Another loss for USA men's basketball(zt)

Happy365 · Aug 21st, 2004, 22:22

Another loss for USA men's basketball

Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - After never losing at the Olympics with NBA players, the United States men's basketball team now has suffered two defeats at the same Summer Games.

On Saturday night, it was Lithuania that pulled off a 94-90 triumph. Richard Jefferson had 20 points and Tim Duncan added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the United States, but it wasn't enough as the Americans blew a 10-point lead.

Last Sunday night, Team USA was shocked, losing by 19 points to Puerto Rico, but Larry Brown's squad then defeated Greece by six points before rallying to upend Australia by 10 on Thursday. Now the Americans have fallen to 2-2 and are in the middle of the pack in Group B, behind Lithuania and Puerto Rico. The Americans can still qualify for the quarterfinals with a victory over winless Angola on Monday.

"It's a disappointing loss to say the least, but we are getting better," said U.S. head coach Larry Brown. "We realize now that we shouldn't let calls affect our game. Lithuania connected on shots when we didn't and handled the ball much better in the second half. We missed 11 free throws, some of them in crucial stages of the fourth quarter, and gave up over 90 points, too much to beat a great team."

On Saturday it was another case of poor perimeter defense, as Lithuania shot 13-of-27 from beyond the arc. Sarunas Jasikevicius had 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 7-of-12 from behind the arc, to lead Lithuania (4-0), which clinched the top spot in Group B.

"It's not easy to guard them. All the players from all the positions can shoot the ball really well and they showed it tonight on the court," said the USA's Carmelo Anthony.

Coming into Saturday night's game the Americans were 10-for-62 from three-point range. They improved on that with an 8-for-21 performance. Even though they had 13 steals, there were lapses in Brown's defense and a noted failure to hold a lead late in the contest.

"We controlled ninety-eight percent of the game," Jefferson said. "Then down the stretch we made some turnovers and let some calls we didn't get bother us. Lithuania also did a good job knocking down three-pointers."

Jefferson's three-pointer with 3:24 left had the U.S. in front 84-79, but then Jasikevicius took over. He had a steal and a banged in a three-pointer, while being fouled by Lamar Odom. Jasikevicius made the free throw to send Lithuania to an 85-84 advantage with 2:47 left.

Another three by Jasikevicius, this one with 2:20 left, extended Lithuania to a four-point lead. Another Jefferson three brought the U.S. within 88-87, but Jasikevicius drilled another long distance shot and then Stephon Marbury had his shot blocked in the lane.

Two free throws by Jasikevicius with just under a minute left brought the score to 93-87 and Jefferson got the U.S. within three again with another bomb from beyond the arc. A turnover by Lithuania gave the U.S. a shot to tie, but Jefferson missed a three-pointer from the top of the circle. Ramunas Siskauskas made one free throw with 5.1 seconds left to seal Lithuania's victory.

It was vindication for the Lithuanians, as four years ago they nearly beat the U.S. in the semifinals at the 2000 Olympics, but Jasikevicius missed a three- pointer at the buzzer.

"I felt very well in the last possessions and the first three-pointer I hit by getting fouled, gave me big confidence," said Jasikevicius. "That's why I took these consecutive threes. This is not a revenge about my lost three-pointer at the buzzer in Sydney against the Americans. I wasn't concerned because that shot was very difficult and too long. This kind of speculation, it's only for the media."

The Americans led by three after the first quarter and then scored the first seven of the second, capped by a three-point play from Carlos Boozer. However, a seven-point run by Lithuania later in the period brought the score to 39-36 and the Americans were ahead 49-44 at the half.

The U.S. led by as many as nine in the third quarter, but by the end of the period it was a scant 69-67 edge for the U.S.

All told, it was a terrible night for Marbury, who was 2-of-14 from the floor. Odom and Allen Iverson each had 11 points, while Boozer finished with 10.

Saulius Stombergas had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Siskauskas scored 14 and Eurelijus Zukauskas 11 for Lithuania, which made 52 percent of its shots.

In other Group B action on Saturday, Puerto Rico (3-1) got 20 points from Daniel Santiago in an 87-82 triumph over Australia. Elias Ayuso added 18 points and Carlos Arroyo scored 16 for Puerto Rico, which qualified for the quarterfinals. Matthew Nielsen scored 20 and Andrew Bogut had 15 point and 11 boards for Australia (1-3).

Greece (2-2) destroyed Angola (0-4), 88-56. Dimosthenis Ntikoudis led six Greek players in double figures with 15 points, while Walter Costa scored 12 for Angola.

Spain (4-0) clinched first place in Group A with an intense 76-68 win over Serbia and Montenegro (1-3), putting the reigning world champions on the brink of elimination. Jose Manuel Calderon had 15 points for Spain, while Dejan Bodiroga had 14 for the losers.

Argentina (3-1) joined the quarterfinals following its tight 98-94 win over New Zealand (1-3). Luis Alberto Scola had 25 points for the winners, while Phillip Jones scored 25 for New Zealand.

In the other Group A contest, Italy (2-2) moved into the quarterfinals with a dominating 89-52 triumph over China (1-3). Giacomo Galanda had 22 points for the Italians, who held Chinese center Yao Ming to nine points and six rebounds on 3-of-12 shooting.

08/21 17

04 ET

Happy365 · Aug 21st, 2004, 22:25

Sports

Posted on Sat, Aug. 21, 2004

Olympic upset long in the making for basketball team

By DAN LEBATARD

Miami Herald

MIAMI - The U.S. men's basketball team losing at the Olympics is not a surprise. It is many things - disappointing, embarrassing and a Greek sports tragedy - but not a surprise.

We've literally seen this coming for years. Lithuania, which defeated the U.S. Olympic team, 94-90, on Saturday, came within a basket of beating Team USA at the last Olympics. Our Dream Team finished not first, not second, not third, not fourth, not fifth but sixth - sixth! - at the World Championships in 2002.

That team was as good as this one - Baron Davis, Ben Wallace, Jermaine O'Neal and Paul Pierce were on it - but still managed to lose to Argentina, Yugoslavia and Spain. Spain, it ought to be noted, finished ninth at the 2000 Olympics.

The world has caught up, in other words. So Puerto Rico beat America by 19 with a center who played the entire game with gel in his perfect hair. Team USA's blueprint is flawed for international competition, with no size, no point guard, no defense and no shooters. It is a team built to market, not to win.

WARNING SIGNS

How can you watch Team USA lose to Italy by 17 in an exhibition a few weeks ago and be surprised by this? Italy didn't have a single player on the roster worthy of the NBA draft and nonetheless blew out Team USA. Italy and Puerto Rico aren't among the best teams in this tournament, but Puerto Rico had an NBA point guard in Carlos Arroyo - had something the U.S. didn't have, in other words - so the commonwealth of 4 million people wire-to-wire smoked the Americans.

If Larry Brown, Gregg Popovich and Roy Williams can't make these guys play like a team, no one can. Even Brown himself said that losing to Puerto Rico wasn't a surprise. He said they were better, and played more like a team.

The idea that this is still our sport, and only our sport, is about as mildewed and old as Greg Cote's best suit.

We're a long way from the days when the Dream Team of Michael, Magic and Larry beat opponents by an average of more than 40 points a game. That team was perfect in every way, the best basketball squad ever assembled, with an inside-outside game that crushed opponents with size in the paint and Bird, Chris Mullin and John Stockton opening the lane up for, ho hum,
Magic, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Karl Malone and that Michael guy.

TEAM OF `COLLEGE' KIDS

It is a pretty substantive drop from that to Shawn Marion, Stephon Marbury and Richard Jefferson. We sent our pros because we didn't like the way our college kids were beaten, but what we've sent are college kids. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Emeka Okafor and Amare Stoudemire would have college eligibility right now if they hadn't gone pro early. And Dwyane Wade would have just graduated, too.

The way they lost to Puerto Rico - getting blown out, trailing all game, unable to make a basket even from a closer three-point line - might be surprising.

But losing?

That's not surprising at all.

Happy365 · Aug 29th, 2004, 13:24

美国媒体狂贬“梦六”：他们早该走人了
http://www.creaders.net 万维读者网 2004年08月29日 08:56 AM

【万维读者网】美国“梦六”队在本届奥运会的男篮半决赛中，以81比89负于阿根廷队后立刻在美国国内引起一片哗然，愤怒的美国媒体，一致把矛头指向了发挥欠佳的“梦六”队。

《美联社》：自从1988年以来，奥运会男篮冠军还从来没有逃出过美国人的掌心。可这次，“梦六”队的球员们让历史改写。阿根廷取胜的方式和两年前世锦赛上战胜美国队的手段如出一辙―――他们的传球精确，防守稳固、投篮精准。再看看我们的NBA球星吧，无论组织进攻还是协防，都是一团糟，我们有理由说他们是一群华而不实的家伙。现在看来，上一场战胜西班牙并不是猛醒了，而是回光返照。

《每日映像》：阿根廷队让美国的篮球王朝就此垮台，他们也终结了美国的“梦系列”。不可否认，尽管实力和最初的“梦一”队相去甚远，但美国队队员的个人能力比起对手还是高出一些。谁都知道，篮球是集体运动，可身经百战的“梦六”队成员们偏偏不知道。球员们一直在各自为战。美国队败在情理之中，他们惟一可以抱怨的，就是他们自己。

CBS体育网：美国队的金牌梦彻底破灭了。其实，在小组赛首轮以大比分输给波多黎各队后，“梦六”队的弱点就显现无遗了。他们在小组赛踉踉跄跄的表现，早就该走人了。

Aug 21st, 2004, 22:22	#1
Happy365 佛尘注册日期: Jul 2004 帖子: 6,023 积分:45 精华:13	Another loss for USA men's basketball(zt) Another loss for USA men's basketball Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - After never losing at the Olympics with NBA players, the United States men's basketball team now has suffered two defeats at the same Summer Games. On Saturday night, it was Lithuania that pulled off a 94-90 triumph. Richard Jefferson had 20 points and Tim Duncan added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the United States, but it wasn't enough as the Americans blew a 10-point lead. Last Sunday night, Team USA was shocked, losing by 19 points to Puerto Rico, but Larry Brown's squad then defeated Greece by six points before rallying to upend Australia by 10 on Thursday. Now the Americans have fallen to 2-2 and are in the middle of the pack in Group B, behind Lithuania and Puerto Rico. The Americans can still qualify for the quarterfinals with a victory over winless Angola on Monday. "It's a disappointing loss to say the least, but we are getting better," said U.S. head coach Larry Brown. "We realize now that we shouldn't let calls affect our game. Lithuania connected on shots when we didn't and handled the ball much better in the second half. We missed 11 free throws, some of them in crucial stages of the fourth quarter, and gave up over 90 points, too much to beat a great team." On Saturday it was another case of poor perimeter defense, as Lithuania shot 13-of-27 from beyond the arc. Sarunas Jasikevicius had 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 7-of-12 from behind the arc, to lead Lithuania (4-0), which clinched the top spot in Group B. "It's not easy to guard them. All the players from all the positions can shoot the ball really well and they showed it tonight on the court," said the USA's Carmelo Anthony. Coming into Saturday night's game the Americans were 10-for-62 from three-point range. They improved on that with an 8-for-21 performance. Even though they had 13 steals, there were lapses in Brown's defense and a noted failure to hold a lead late in the contest. "We controlled ninety-eight percent of the game," Jefferson said. "Then down the stretch we made some turnovers and let some calls we didn't get bother us. Lithuania also did a good job knocking down three-pointers." Jefferson's three-pointer with 3:24 left had the U.S. in front 84-79, but then Jasikevicius took over. He had a steal and a banged in a three-pointer, while being fouled by Lamar Odom. Jasikevicius made the free throw to send Lithuania to an 85-84 advantage with 2:47 left. Another three by Jasikevicius, this one with 2:20 left, extended Lithuania to a four-point lead. Another Jefferson three brought the U.S. within 88-87, but Jasikevicius drilled another long distance shot and then Stephon Marbury had his shot blocked in the lane. Two free throws by Jasikevicius with just under a minute left brought the score to 93-87 and Jefferson got the U.S. within three again with another bomb from beyond the arc. A turnover by Lithuania gave the U.S. a shot to tie, but Jefferson missed a three-pointer from the top of the circle. Ramunas Siskauskas made one free throw with 5.1 seconds left to seal Lithuania's victory. It was vindication for the Lithuanians, as four years ago they nearly beat the U.S. in the semifinals at the 2000 Olympics, but Jasikevicius missed a three- pointer at the buzzer. "I felt very well in the last possessions and the first three-pointer I hit by getting fouled, gave me big confidence," said Jasikevicius. "That's why I took these consecutive threes. This is not a revenge about my lost three-pointer at the buzzer in Sydney against the Americans. I wasn't concerned because that shot was very difficult and too long. This kind of speculation, it's only for the media." The Americans led by three after the first quarter and then scored the first seven of the second, capped by a three-point play from Carlos Boozer. However, a seven-point run by Lithuania later in the period brought the score to 39-36 and the Americans were ahead 49-44 at the half. The U.S. led by as many as nine in the third quarter, but by the end of the period it was a scant 69-67 edge for the U.S. All told, it was a terrible night for Marbury, who was 2-of-14 from the floor. Odom and Allen Iverson each had 11 points, while Boozer finished with 10. Saulius Stombergas had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Siskauskas scored 14 and Eurelijus Zukauskas 11 for Lithuania, which made 52 percent of its shots. In other Group B action on Saturday, Puerto Rico (3-1) got 20 points from Daniel Santiago in an 87-82 triumph over Australia. Elias Ayuso added 18 points and Carlos Arroyo scored 16 for Puerto Rico, which qualified for the quarterfinals. Matthew Nielsen scored 20 and Andrew Bogut had 15 point and 11 boards for Australia (1-3). Greece (2-2) destroyed Angola (0-4), 88-56. Dimosthenis Ntikoudis led six Greek players in double figures with 15 points, while Walter Costa scored 12 for Angola. Spain (4-0) clinched first place in Group A with an intense 76-68 win over Serbia and Montenegro (1-3), putting the reigning world champions on the brink of elimination. Jose Manuel Calderon had 15 points for Spain, while Dejan Bodiroga had 14 for the losers. Argentina (3-1) joined the quarterfinals following its tight 98-94 win over New Zealand (1-3). Luis Alberto Scola had 25 points for the winners, while Phillip Jones scored 25 for New Zealand. In the other Group A contest, Italy (2-2) moved into the quarterfinals with a dominating 89-52 triumph over China (1-3). Giacomo Galanda had 22 points for the Italians, who held Chinese center Yao Ming to nine points and six rebounds on 3-of-12 shooting. 08/21 1704 ET
Happy365 佛尘注册日期: Jul 2004 帖子: 6,023 积分:45 精华:13	Less is more. Good is miao.

Aug 21st, 2004, 22:25	只看该作者 #2
Happy365 佛尘注册日期: Jul 2004 帖子: 6,023 积分:45 精华:13 声望: 26052006	Olympic upset long in the making for basketball team(zt) Sports Posted on Sat, Aug. 21, 2004 Olympic upset long in the making for basketball team By DAN LEBATARD Miami Herald MIAMI - The U.S. men's basketball team losing at the Olympics is not a surprise. It is many things - disappointing, embarrassing and a Greek sports tragedy - but not a surprise. We've literally seen this coming for years. Lithuania, which defeated the U.S. Olympic team, 94-90, on Saturday, came within a basket of beating Team USA at the last Olympics. Our Dream Team finished not first, not second, not third, not fourth, not fifth but sixth - sixth! - at the World Championships in 2002. That team was as good as this one - Baron Davis, Ben Wallace, Jermaine O'Neal and Paul Pierce were on it - but still managed to lose to Argentina, Yugoslavia and Spain. Spain, it ought to be noted, finished ninth at the 2000 Olympics. The world has caught up, in other words. So Puerto Rico beat America by 19 with a center who played the entire game with gel in his perfect hair. Team USA's blueprint is flawed for international competition, with no size, no point guard, no defense and no shooters. It is a team built to market, not to win. WARNING SIGNS How can you watch Team USA lose to Italy by 17 in an exhibition a few weeks ago and be surprised by this? Italy didn't have a single player on the roster worthy of the NBA draft and nonetheless blew out Team USA. Italy and Puerto Rico aren't among the best teams in this tournament, but Puerto Rico had an NBA point guard in Carlos Arroyo - had something the U.S. didn't have, in other words - so the commonwealth of 4 million people wire-to-wire smoked the Americans. If Larry Brown, Gregg Popovich and Roy Williams can't make these guys play like a team, no one can. Even Brown himself said that losing to Puerto Rico wasn't a surprise. He said they were better, and played more like a team. The idea that this is still our sport, and only our sport, is about as mildewed and old as Greg Cote's best suit. We're a long way from the days when the Dream Team of Michael, Magic and Larry beat opponents by an average of more than 40 points a game. That team was perfect in every way, the best basketball squad ever assembled, with an inside-outside game that crushed opponents with size in the paint and Bird, Chris Mullin and John Stockton opening the lane up for, ho hum, Magic, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Karl Malone and that Michael guy. TEAM OF `COLLEGE' KIDS It is a pretty substantive drop from that to Shawn Marion, Stephon Marbury and Richard Jefferson. We sent our pros because we didn't like the way our college kids were beaten, but what we've sent are college kids. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Emeka Okafor and Amare Stoudemire would have college eligibility right now if they hadn't gone pro early. And Dwyane Wade would have just graduated, too. The way they lost to Puerto Rico - getting blown out, trailing all game, unable to make a basket even from a closer three-point line - might be surprising. But losing? That's not surprising at all.

Aug 29th, 2004, 13:24	只看该作者 #3
Happy365 佛尘注册日期: Jul 2004 帖子: 6,023 积分:45 精华:13 声望: 26052006	美国媒体狂贬“梦六”：他们早该走人了 ZT 美国媒体狂贬“梦六”：他们早该走人了 http://www.creaders.net 万维读者网 2004年08月29日 08:56 AM 【万维读者网】美国“梦六”队在本届奥运会的男篮半决赛中，以81比89负于阿根廷队后立刻在美国国内引起一片哗然，愤怒的美国媒体，一致把矛头指向了发挥欠佳的“梦六”队。《美联社》：自从1988年以来，奥运会男篮冠军还从来没有逃出过美国人的掌心。可这次，“梦六”队的球员们让历史改写。阿根廷取胜的方式和两年前世锦赛上战胜美国队的手段如出一辙―――他们的传球精确，防守稳固、投篮精准。再看看我们的NBA球星吧，无论组织进攻还是协防，都是一团糟，我们有理由说他们是一群华而不实的家伙。现在看来，上一场战胜西班牙并不是猛醒了，而是回光返照。《每日映像》：阿根廷队让美国的篮球王朝就此垮台，他们也终结了美国的“梦系列”。不可否认，尽管实力和最初的“梦一”队相去甚远，但美国队队员的个人能力比起对手还是高出一些。谁都知道，篮球是集体运动，可身经百战的“梦六”队成员们偏偏不知道。球员们一直在各自为战。美国队败在情理之中，他们惟一可以抱怨的，就是他们自己。 CBS体育网：美国队的金牌梦彻底破灭了。其实，在小组赛首轮以大比分输给波多黎各队后，“梦六”队的弱点就显现无遗了。他们在小组赛踉踉跄跄的表现，早就该走人了。