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US men stunned by Puerto Rico, 92-73
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-08-16 06:58
In an upset as historic as it was inevitable, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and
the rest of the U.S. basketball team lost 92-73 to Puerto Rico on Sunday, only
the third Olympic loss ever for America and its first since adding pros.
Allen Iverson
(left), and Tim Duncan of the United States watch their team lose
during men's basketball tournament preliminary match against Puerto Rico
in Hellinikon Sunday, Aug. 15, 2004, during 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens. U.S. basketball team lost 92-73 to Puerto Rico. [AP
Photo] |
"I'm humiliated, not for the loss — I can always deal with wins and losses —
but I'm disappointed because I had a job to do as a coach, to get us to
understand how we're supposed to play as a team and act as a team, and I don't
think we did that," Larry Brown said.
Puerto Rico, which had lost to the Americans five times in the past 13
months, led for more than 33 minutes of the 40-minute game. They were ahead by
22 at halftime and gamely held off a fourth-quarter comeback for one of the
biggest sports achievements in the territory's history.
"We're a small island with a big heart," guard Elias Ayuso said.
Puerto Rico's
Carlos Arroyo (R) dribbles past Dwyane Wade of the US during preliminary
Olympic Games Men's Basketball at Helliniko Indoor Arena in Athens.
[AP] |
The loss was a blow to the Americans' confidence, but it did little to hurt
their gold medal chances. They need only to finish in the top four of their
six-team group to reach the quarterfinals.
Still, the defeat will go a long way toward giving the competition hope that
it's someone else's turn to move to the top of a sport that's been dominated by
one country for nearly three-quarters of a century.
As Carlos Arroyo left the court with just over a minute left, he defiantly
pulled at the words "Puerto Rico" on his jersey. He led his team with 24 points.
"That was him telling his island of 4 million people he was very proud to
beat the big colossal from the north," Puerto Rico coach Julio Toro said.
Anyone in America who didn't see this coming hadn't been paying attention to
the way international basketball has been changing. The U.S. team nearly lost in
the semifinals at Sydney on a last-second miss by Lithuania, then dropped three
games on its home turf at the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis — the
first losses ever by a U.S. team of NBA professionals.
This year's team, weakened by the defections and rejections of 12 top
players, opened its pre-Olympic tour of Europe with a 17-point loss to Italy and
a last-second victory over Germany — a pair of games in which their
vulnerability to a tight zone defense was clearly exposed.
Puerto Rico used that defensive strategy, too, and the Americans could do
next to nothing against it.
After Lamar Odom made a 3-pointer for the U.S. team's first points, the
Americans missed 16 straight from behind the arc. They tried to get the ball
inside, but Puerto Rico collapsed several defenders into the paint and took the
U.S. team's best player, Duncan, out of the offensive equation.
American teams had been 24-0 since the professional Olympic era began with
the 1992 Dream Team, but now there is a blemish on their record to go with two
losses to the Soviet Union in the 1972 gold medal game and the 1988 semifinals.
"I think Puerto Rico right now is celebrating big because of this," Arroyo
said. "By far it's the happiest victory of my career."
The U.S team handled the loss with grace, congratulating their opponents and
joining them in a huddle at center court before both teams exited to a standing
ovation.
The U.S Olympic team's record now stands at 109-3.
"Anybody watching that game who enjoys basketball should get a thrill out of
it," Brown said. "From our perspective, all we can do is figure out what we're
made of. I'm anxious to see if we'll be able to do that."
The Americans shot only 35 percent, finished 3-for-24 from 3-point range and
had nearly as many turnovers (22) as field goals (26).
"We couldn't hit anything. I shot two off the side of the backboard. Never in
my life have I done that," Richard Jefferson said. "This was a worst-case
scenario."
Puerto Rico was 8-for-16 from long range and 31-55 (56 percent) overall to
help negate the Americans' 46-27 edge in rebounding.
After Odom's 3, Puerto Rico backed off and dared the Americans to hit from
long range. They didn't, missing eight 3s over the rest of the quarter to trail
21-20.
When Duncan and Iverson sat down in the second quarter, Puerto Rico simply
outclassed the Americans' young reserves. Arroyo drove past two defenders for a
layup that made it 35-22, and the Americans were suddenly on their heels.
"International basketball is so different from the NBA," Jose Ortiz said.
"They probably didn't know because of how young they are. I saw them a little
panicked, but they were down 20 points, what can you do?"
Whistles and jeers greeted the Americans as they emerged from the locker room
after halftime, but the crowd gave them some support when they tried to get back
in the game in the third quarter. But each time the Americans tried to make a
run, Puerto Rico had an answer.
"They play the game the way it's supposed to be played," Iverson said. "It's
not about athletics. That's the game the way Karl Malone and John Stockton play
it. It's good for kids to see how the game is supposed to be played."
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