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Dream Team Stunned by Puerto Rico 92-73
My Way News ^ | 8/15/04 | CHRIS SHERIDAN/AP

Posted on 08/15/2004 12:50:40 PM PDT by wagglebee

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - 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 defeat ever for the Americans.

It was also the most lopsided loss in the games for the U.S. team, alarming not only for its significance but also for its decisiveness.

Puerto Rico, which had lost to the Americans five times in the past 13 months, took control in the first half, led by 22 at halftime and gamely held off a fourth-quarter comeback for one of the biggest sports achievements in the island territory's history.

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 the bold idea 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.

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. 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 their first 3-pointer, the Americans missed 16 straight. 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 their two losses to the Soviet Union in the 1972 gold medal game and the 1988 semifinals.

They handled the loss to Puerto Rico 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.


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To: JPJones

Yep. Get used to the court in its entirety and you'll have more three pointers.


81 posted on 08/15/2004 10:32:11 PM PDT by gortklattu (check out thotline dot com)
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To: Delta Dawn
Who knows about the shooting though. Why USA Basketball did not bring a balanced team to this games is a real mystery. Most of the guys on the team are post up players who play with their back to the basket. Why there are not 3 or 4 shooters on this team who can hit the outside jump shot is beside me. One would probably have to look at the endorsement contracts to figure that one out.

It's a good analysis. I'm surprised that after the 88 loss, it wasn't completely obvious to USA BB that 3 pointers are the key to this international game...they've made the same mistake, twice. Shame on them.

82 posted on 08/15/2004 11:33:33 PM PDT by JPJones
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To: JPJones

They should've brought Steve Kerr out of retirement.


83 posted on 08/15/2004 11:57:23 PM PDT by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: Jewels1091
It is outrageous but I blame it on a lot of high paid superstars not willing to play for their country. With this inexcusable loss, I will not watch even one NBA game this coming season. Will be hard to keep that promise to myself but I will do it. Any NBA player, who is eligible to play for the U.S.A. and was invited to play on the team, doesn't deserve to be supported. So, I am going to boycott the entire NBA season.
84 posted on 08/16/2004 12:03:45 AM PDT by jerry639
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Comment #85 Removed by Moderator

To: wagglebee
That being said, will somebody please tell me why they have their own Olympic team.

My thoughts exactly. Perhaps the IOC allows PR to man a team to be cuturally sensative.

86 posted on 08/16/2004 6:13:18 AM PDT by ClintonBeGone (Take the first step in the war on terror - defeat John Kerry)
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Comment #87 Removed by Moderator

To: Jewels1091

when Duncan is your best "shooter" you know you're screwed.
further proof the NBA has become just a rap video clip
of dunks and short on fundamentals.


88 posted on 08/16/2004 4:00:59 PM PDT by Rakkasan1 (Justice of the Piece:Kerry/Edwards...so full of crap they need two Johns.)
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To: Rakkasan1

Well let's be fair, they are also good at fathering children out of marriage, making big scary faces when they succeed to make a dunk and have shown this Olympics that their desire to prepare for success is zilch.


89 posted on 08/16/2004 4:03:13 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: gortklattu
You missed a key point, many players did not want on the team. Key players.

How does:

It's not only the 3 pointers, our players are on an international court.

We need to change our courts in the US if we want to seriously compete in international basketball.


Equal key players did not want to be on the team? I could have put together a better team than what Stern put together with players who wanted to go. But to save time, I will let Bill Simmons do it for me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/040804
90 posted on 08/16/2004 6:12:03 PM PDT by jf55510
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To: SamAdams76
I think we should really reconsider having professional athletes represent us in the Olympic games. I think we should be represented by our young athletes as before

Thank you! Thank you!

I have never liked having pros playing in the Olympic games. And you're right about the Miracle on Ice Team. The reason they were so amazing, and the victory so amazing, was because the Soviet team was a "pro" team. They were a bunch of army officers who were stationed together and did nothing but hockey. For a bunch of young kids from various states and schools to be able to get together and beat these guys was amazing. And, THAT is why we still talk about it.

I cannot think of anything more boring than watching a bunch of overpaid pro players beat the tar out of some small country that has no chance at all.

My other gripe is that I feel that the pros are taking away a wonderful experience from some college player. What do these guys need with a gold medal. They can toss it in with the rest of the "awards" they have been given. But a college player, who is a good player, may not have what it takes to get into the NBA. The Olympics may be his shot at something special and for a bunch of multi-millionaires to take that away is, to me, disgusting.

I was happy that Puerto Rico beat these guys. And Italy,too, if I'm not mistaken.

91 posted on 08/16/2004 6:21:44 PM PDT by LibertarianLiz
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To: jf55510

Related facts are not the result of a syllogism.


92 posted on 08/16/2004 11:50:45 PM PDT by gortklattu (check out thotline dot com)
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To: ken5050

FYI..little known factoid..the US men's BB team silver medals, from the rigged loss to the USSR, have never been claimed..they sit in a vault in the IOC HQ in Switzerland..
\\\\\

Don't get me started on that. I still get pi$$ed off when I think back on that game!


93 posted on 08/19/2004 8:16:47 AM PDT by TexanAmerican
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To: wagglebee
That being said, will somebody please tell me why they have their own Olympic team.

For the same reason that French Polynesia or Bermuda or Guam or American Samoa or the Pitcairn Islands have their own teams.
94 posted on 08/22/2004 1:24:13 AM PDT by Cronos (W2K4)
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To: gortklattu
We need to change our courts in the US if we want to seriously compete in international basketball.

come on -- the NBA should now become the IBA -- we have so many International players --> and the eastern Europeans and the Italians and the central Americans are getting really very good -- the Chinese too.
95 posted on 08/22/2004 1:25:54 AM PDT by Cronos (W2K4)
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To: dmc8576
Why is Puerto Rico represented in the Olympics? Last time I checked, they were a territory of the US. They don't have to pay many taxes but they still get tons of benefits. I say cut 'em loose. They want to be independent, let them. Can someone tell me the benefits of having PR be in the US?

So, I suppose we do the same for Guam, American Samoa etc?
96 posted on 08/22/2004 1:32:44 AM PDT by Cronos (W2K4)
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To: handy
Then again, Bird, Magic etc. knew how to play team ball, even if they were not use to playing with each other

good point!
97 posted on 08/22/2004 1:33:38 AM PDT by Cronos (W2K4)
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I wonder if the $1,299 signed lebron james olympic jersey on home shopping is worth it...


98 posted on 08/22/2004 1:36:29 AM PDT by KneelBeforeZod (Deus Lo Volt!)
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To: Cronos

I couldn't tell if you were being sarcastic or asking a serious question. But I don't know the answer. All I was asking was what were the benefits of having them in the US. But yes, if Guam, American Samoa, and all the other territories wanted to be independent, I'd say let them be. I don't know the upside of maintaining control over them.


99 posted on 08/22/2004 1:30:04 PM PDT by dmc8576 (High School Students for Bush - 325 members ....Students for Kerry - 20 members. ENOUGH SAID!!!)
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