U.S. routed by Puerto Rico in NBA players' first Olympic defeat

[JMT]

these bums should be ashamed of themselves.

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Whatever remained of America's aura of invincibility slipped away, too, in a shocking, lopsided loss that left their coach embarrassed and angry.



Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and the rest of the U.S. basketball team fell 92-73 to Puerto Rico on Sunday, only the third Olympic defeat ever -- and first since adding pros -- for the nation that ruled the sport for three-quarters of a century.

It was by far the worst defeat for a U.S. men's team, coming in the Americans' first game of the Athens Olympics. Having it happen against a team they had dominated in the past 13 months only made it hurt worse.

"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 since last July, led for more than 33 minutes of the 40-minute game, was ahead by 22 at halftime and gamely held off a fourth-quarter comeback for one of the greatest sports achievements in the territory's history.

"We're a small island with a big heart," guard Elias Ayuso said.

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 the sport.

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.

The Americans 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.

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).

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."

Now, it's up to the Americans to show whether they can play that way, too.

[durrtylexx]

its embarrassing

[joeygk]

Ha-ha <insert nelson laugh here>

[endymion]

Aren't Puerto Ricans also Americans? They get their own team?

[joeygk]

Tech - that's the first thing I thought when I read that headline as well --- when did PR become a sovreign country -- I thought PR was part of the USA --- seriously WTF?!?!

[LeVeL]

Well the Puerto Ricans are actually an independant country from the US but they have some sort of aggreement with the U.S. which allows them to be born as citizens of the United States and also they are tax free.

The fucked up thing here is that the money they get for their countries sports program which sends their atheletes to the Olympics is actually funded by the United States. So those fuckers are beating us the United States with our tax payers money.

[Abraham Abromowitz]

The US team looked so bad, I'd bet the Israeli team could beat them.

Shalom & Love

[LeVeL]

Originally Posted by Abraham

The US team looked so bad, I'd bet the Israeli team could beat them.

Shalom & Love

:-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X


Salami & Cheese

[Abraham Abromowitz]

Originally Posted by levelistic

[quote author=Abraham Abromowitz link=board=6;threadid=5960;start=0#msg67852 date=1092667541]
The US team looked so bad, I'd bet the Israeli team could beat them.

Shalom & Love

:-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X


Salami & Cheese
[/quote]

Its not Kosher to mix Milk and Meat!

shalom & Love

[bcnjunkie]

Originally Posted by Abraham

[quote author=levelistic link=board=6;threadid=5960;start=0#msg67853 date=1092667660]
[quote author=Abraham Abromowitz link=board=6;threadid=5960;start=0#msg67852 date=1092667541]
The US team looked so bad, I'd bet the Israeli team could beat them.

Shalom & Love

:-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X


Salami & Cheese
[/quote]

Its not Kosher to mix Milk and Meat!

shalom & Love
[/quote]

what if it's soy cheese ?