OLYMPIC MEN'S BASKETBALL
U.S. defeats Lithuania, 120-84
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Kobe Bryant locks down sharpshooter Sarunas Jasikevicius four years after he and Lithuania stunned the U.S. in Athens.
By Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
8:44 AM PDT, August 1, 2008
MACAO -- Moving up in class, even if it was hard to tell, the U.S. men's basketball team played its best opponent and turned in its most impressive performance.
After crunching Canada by 55 points and Turkey by 32 in its first two exhibitions, the U.S. turned highly regarded Lithuania into another clay pigeon today, romping to a 120-84 victory as Kobe Bryant jumped all over Lithuania sharpshooter Sarunas Jasikevicius, helping hold him to nine points.
If revenge is something you get in games that actually count, it was still a dominating performance for the Americans against an old nemesis.
In the Olympic semifinals at Sydney in 2000, with the U.S. still unbeaten in three Olympiads with NBA pros, Jasikevicius had a chance to shock the world with a three-pointer at the buzzer but missed.
Making up for it four years later in Athens, Jasikevicius scored 28 points, making seven three-point shots, as Lithuania toppled the Americans, 94-90, in group play.
So it wasn't a coincidence when U.S. Coach Mike Krzyzewski pointed his best perimeter defender, Bryant, at Jasikevicius.
Bryant didn't play him all game -- Chris Paul, among others, took a turn on him -- nor did Bryant shut Jasikevicius out, but it was close.
Jasikevicius got off eight shots all night, missed six and was charitably charged with only three of Lithuania's 23 turnovers.
"He had some good games against the USA and was real brash about it, trash talked, things of that nature," said Bryant. "So it's my responsibility to bring it to him. . . .
"This is what I do. They [the U.S. coaches] reminded me of it so, sic the Doberman on him."
The turning point was the opening tip. In the Lithuanians' first 11 possessions, they got off only six shots, missed four of those and turned the ball over five times.
By then the U.S. led, 18-5, and was just warming up.
By halftime, it was 56-39. Lithuania cut the score to 61-52 in the third quarter but the Americans turned it back up on defense, leading to more turnovers that resulted in fast breaks, lobs and dunks.
The U.S. team will now fly to the mainland for two more exhibitions in Shanghai against Russia and Australia before touching down in Beijing on Wednesday.
U.S. defeats Lithuania, 120-84
Stu Forster / Getty Images
Sarunas Jasikevicius, second from right, was held to nine points as the U.S. Olympic basketball team defeated Lithuania, 120-84.Kobe Bryant locks down sharpshooter Sarunas Jasikevicius four years after he and Lithuania stunned the U.S. in Athens.
By Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
8:44 AM PDT, August 1, 2008
MACAO -- Moving up in class, even if it was hard to tell, the U.S. men's basketball team played its best opponent and turned in its most impressive performance.
After crunching Canada by 55 points and Turkey by 32 in its first two exhibitions, the U.S. turned highly regarded Lithuania into another clay pigeon today, romping to a 120-84 victory as Kobe Bryant jumped all over Lithuania sharpshooter Sarunas Jasikevicius, helping hold him to nine points.
If revenge is something you get in games that actually count, it was still a dominating performance for the Americans against an old nemesis.
In the Olympic semifinals at Sydney in 2000, with the U.S. still unbeaten in three Olympiads with NBA pros, Jasikevicius had a chance to shock the world with a three-pointer at the buzzer but missed.
Making up for it four years later in Athens, Jasikevicius scored 28 points, making seven three-point shots, as Lithuania toppled the Americans, 94-90, in group play.
So it wasn't a coincidence when U.S. Coach Mike Krzyzewski pointed his best perimeter defender, Bryant, at Jasikevicius.
Bryant didn't play him all game -- Chris Paul, among others, took a turn on him -- nor did Bryant shut Jasikevicius out, but it was close.
Jasikevicius got off eight shots all night, missed six and was charitably charged with only three of Lithuania's 23 turnovers.
"He had some good games against the USA and was real brash about it, trash talked, things of that nature," said Bryant. "So it's my responsibility to bring it to him. . . .
"This is what I do. They [the U.S. coaches] reminded me of it so, sic the Doberman on him."
The turning point was the opening tip. In the Lithuanians' first 11 possessions, they got off only six shots, missed four of those and turned the ball over five times.
By then the U.S. led, 18-5, and was just warming up.
By halftime, it was 56-39. Lithuania cut the score to 61-52 in the third quarter but the Americans turned it back up on defense, leading to more turnovers that resulted in fast breaks, lobs and dunks.
The U.S. team will now fly to the mainland for two more exhibitions in Shanghai against Russia and Australia before touching down in Beijing on Wednesday.
