Posted on 09/08/2002 2:50:10 AM PDT by Jordi
Indianapolis, Sept. 7 - The shaming of United States basketball is complete.
Already stung by their presence in the fifth-place game, the Americans were further humbled with an 81-75 loss to Spain on Friday night in Conseco Fieldhouse.
"In Spain, the people are sleeping, but right now, our team is dreaming," said Javier Imbroda, Spain's head coach. "It was a historic victory for us."
For the U.S., it was a recurring nightmare.
The U.S. controlled most of the game, but fell apart down the stretch, blowing a 71-59 lead in the fourth period. Spain closed the game with a 22-4 run, with Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro providing the big baskets.
In the final 5 minutes, the U.S. did not make a field goal, and produced just two free throws.
Spain won not because it played particularly well, but because it chose to win while the U.S., repeating an ugly trend that marked its play in the tournament, devolved into a panicked, disorganized flurry of one-on-one moves and 3-point attempts when the game was on the line. Spain shot 34 percent from the field but outrebounded the bigger, stronger Americans 46-38, pulling 22 offensive rebounds that led to a 21-6 advantage in second-chance points. They also broke down the vaunted U.S. defense, getting inside a lax perimeter to draw 26 fouls that resulted in a 25-10 advantage at the free throw line.
"For a team to win a game shooting under 35 percent is a tremendous tribute to the hustle and energy of the Spanish team," said U.S. coach George Karl.
Is it not also an indictment of the lack of those same qualities in the U.S. players? Karl was asked if the team quit in the fourth quarter.
"Quit's a hard word," he said. "I think they got frustrated, felt the pressure a little bit, didn't complete some plays they'd normally complete with their (NBA) teams because of the familiarity.
"All the consolation games had a sadness and tiredness to them. Everybody wanted to be playing for another reason and another purpose."
The U.S. (6-3) finished sixth, its worst showing ever in the world championship. Spain finished fifth for the second tournament in a row.
"I think we deserved to win this game," said Spanish forward Carlos Jimenez. "I feel so good and so excited about the winning of this game, coming from a small place in Madrid, I don't even know how to express the happiness I am taking back to Spain."
Spain's biggest shots were made by the nation's two best players, Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro, who combined for 16 points in the game-closing run. Navarro finished with a game-high 26 points, and Gasol had 19 and 10 rebounds. Felipe Reyes scored 12 points and had nine rebounds, and Jorge Garbajosa pulled 12 rebounds.
The U.S. had just two players score in double figures, Raef LaFrentz (13) and Ben Wallace (12). Paul Pierce, the team's leading scorer in the tournament, did not play in the fourth quarter when the U.S. shot 3-of-16 and missed its final seven shots - five of which were 3-pointers.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 5, 2002) – The USA (5-2) watched its gold medal hopes come crashing down around it after defending world champion Yugoslavia (5-2) rallied back from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to take an 81-78 victory Thursday night in quarterfinals play in the World Basketball Championship in Indianapolis. Although the loss eliminated the USA from the medal round, it will continue play in the 5th-8th place consolation round semifinals on Friday and the U.S. will face Puerto Rico (5-2) in an 8 p.m. (CDT) game, and the final placings for 5th to 8th will be played Saturday, Sept.7.
"I think the World Championship saw a playoff NBA basketball game in September. I'm very proud of how my team responded and played. It was a tremendously played game in the middle of the summer for basketball and was a great show," said United States mentor George Karl. "I'm tremendously disappointed. I think we played hard, we just didn't make shots and Yugoslavia made some great threes in the stretch run and made their free throws when they had to. We missed our free throws and missed some of our open shots that we had."
Owning a 58-52 lead to start the fourth quarter, The USA following a Michael Finley (Dallas Mavericks) three-pointer owned a 69-59 lead. But behind back-to-back threes from Milan Gurovic, Yugoslavia fought back and scored nine straight points to trail by one, 69-68 with 3:17 left.
An Andre Miller (Los Angeles Clippers) driving layup with 2:49 to go pushed the USA advantage to 71-68, but Yugoslavia's Marko Jaric made his only shot of the game when he sank a three-pointer that evened the score at 71 with 2:27 to play. Following two missed shots by the U.S., Yugoslavia's Dejan Bodiroga made one of two free throws to give Yugoslavia a one point lead, its first lead since the 7:05 mark of the third quarter. With 1:25 to play, Sacramento Kings star Predrag Stojakovic made two free throws to increase Yugoslavia's advantage to three, 74-71.
The U.S. closed to within one following a short jumper by Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers) but again Gurovic connected on a three-pointer and Yugoslavia with 57.9 to play led 77-73. However, the U.S. would not quit and after Andre Miller countered with a three of his own with 38.1 seconds to go, Yugoslavia led by a single point, 77-76.
Forced to foul Yugoslavia, Jaric made two free throws with 23.1 seconds remaining to push his team's lead back to three, but Reggie Miller (Indiana Pacers) scored off a layup at the other end to again make it a one point game with 13.9 seconds to play.
Sending Jaric to the line with 11.8 seconds showing on the clock, he again sank both charity tries to increase Yugoslavia's lead to 81-78. The U.S. took one last shot at tying the game, however, Andre Miller's three-pointer was on line but short as time expired and Yugoslavia had the 81-78 win.
"It came down to NBA playoff basketball where in the end you need key stops and you need to knock down shots and unfortunately we weren't able to do that, they were, and because of that they got the win," said Finley.
Yugoslavia sprinted out ahead 9-0 with the game just 2:08 old, however, the Americans outscored Yugoslavia 20-to-11 from that point and at the end of one the game was tied 20-20. Yugoslavia held a 40-36 advantage after two quarters and the United States again had an impressive third quarter showing. Behind 12 points from Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics), the USA outscored Yugoslavia 22-to-12 and led by as many as 10 before securing a six point, 58-52, advantage as the two teams moved into the final quarter.
The United States' scoring was led by Pierce and Andre Miller who each tallied 19 points, while Finley added 12 points. Stojakovic finished with a team high 20 points, while Sacramento Kings center Vlade Divac added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Gurovic accounted for 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point land.
Poor shooting again plagued the American team. Outshooting Yugoslavia from the field, the USA made a cold 42.2 percent of its shots overall while Yugoslavia managed to sink just 39.7 percent of their tries. The taller Yugo team outrebounded the U.S. 40-29 and the U.S. Made only 15-of-24 from the foul line.
Something tells me that US basketball is no more what it used to be...
The article also stated that while we have counted on NBA players to just show up and win, the foreign programs have been working hard to improve.
Also, the attendance for this event, which should have been well-attended here in the heart of basketball country, was quite sparse. Tickets were WAY too expensive.
The type of basketball that was taught by the great John Wooden.
The thing is that teams like Yugoslavia are also composed of a bunch of NBA players who rarely if ever play together. Team USA was far from the only team in this tourney that lacked (team) experience.
International basketball insisted US team presents their best players in tournaments as a benefit for International basketball. FIBA wanted to raise the quality of basketball from the rest of the world by matching them against the best NBA players, even if it means getting clobbered initially (which they have been). How are you going to know how good you need to be if you don't play against the best? Argentina, Yugoslavia, Spain just reached the peak, with one more peak to climb in Horizon: US team w/Shaq ;)
Btw, Shaq, Iverson, Kidd are injured. Chris Webber no one wanted to call (Serbs would love to give him citizenship ;)). Koby is the only one who declined (skipped embarrassment?).
Since US missed medals in the World Championship, now they have to qualify for the next tournament. Just what FIBA was looking for. Opportunity for South & Central American teams and Canada to match against the best. How about Virgin Islands with Tim Dunkan and his band taking a shot at USA? Huh!
The term "dream team" btw, came from US ignorance for the rest of the world's basketball.
NBA basketball is the best basketball league in the world and todays winner is, as always: David Stern
Nobody can doubt it,since the best international players go to NBA. But some successful national teams represent small countries. Yugoslavia? 10 million people. New Zealand? 3.5 million. Argentina and Spain? The size of California. If US basketball were "on a different level", as it is usually said, a team of players packed up from the bench should have been enough. International competitions deserve a National Team with the best US players. Else the status of the US baketball,and of the NBA itself, will suffer.
Actually that would be a great idea!!! Champion of NBA against Champions from other Nation's leagues in the all new World Club Champion tournament. Bravo AppyPappy!
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