Ugh...USA Basketball

[KULCAT]

Lituania just beat the US 94-90. Lituania has also beaten Puerto Rico. Along with Spain they look the favorites to win the Gold

[cafe_58]

Number 13 on Lituania was just awesome. Made a huge 4-point play by baiting Odom to foul him on a three-pointer and continued to pour the threes on the Americans. Next time the Americans send a team, do you think they'll favor shooters over athletes? Richard Jefferson was their "ace" three point shooter down the stretch. If only Redd, Allen, or Carter was there.............

[perlick29]

Did that eliminate the US?

[KULCAT]

No, they will probably go through as the third seed in the group(4 from each group advance), i dont think theyll lose to Angola but i dont see them winning any medals

[KolbSaves]

the refereeing is still really unbelievable...

but the failure to guard the guy that nailed three three pointers in a row was what did us in.

[cafe_58]

The referring is different and not as good as the NBA referring, but in the end, the same referring applies to both of the teams. I think it's the American's fault for not adapting to the referring. I can understand it's hard though, since they're been conditioned to the NBA rules.

[jumpman8288]

There was one play in the second quarter that just friggin' blew my mind. Lithuania was on offense and one of the guys (lol I don't know which) got the ball out side and was being guarded by Duncan. As soon as he got the ball, Duncan backed away into the paint and gave him the widest-open shot I'd seen all game, and of course, he sank it. What the hell is that?

[KULCAT]

There was one play in the second quarter that just friggin' blew my mind. Lithuania was on offense and one of the guys (lol I don't know which) got the ball out side and was being guarded by Duncan. As soon as he got the ball, Duncan backed away into the paint and gave him the widest-open shot I'd seen all game, and of course, he sank it. What the hell is that?

Bad scouting
Larry Brown: Tim, Dont let Zarunas Sekulanris(i just made that up) get you on one of one's, just back away and dont let him go through
Tim Duncan: uhhh... ok... but wouldnt that give him a wide open shot?
Larry Brown: C´mmon, he´s from Lituania. Whats he gonna do? Start shooting 3´s and beat us hahahahaha
Tim Duncan: Yeah that was silly of me hahahaha
Whole team: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Michael Redd: Must.... get... off... couch!!!

{edit BBCode...DHC}

[blankman]

The referring is different and not as good as the NBA referring, but in the end, the same referring applies to both of the teams. I think it's the American's fault for not adapting to the referring. I can understand it's hard though, since they're been conditioned to the NBA rules.

That's not the case though. The reffing is surely bad but it is also surely anti-US. There are so many examples of times we were called on bogus fouls, while the other team got away with an incredible amount of moving picks, and even grabbing a player to keep him from getting around a pick. Two examples of the awful reffing were obvious at the end of the game:

1. Lithuania inbounds and the US needs to foul to get the ball back. Iverson blatantly fouls the first guy to get the ball. No call. Next guy gets the ball. We foul him. No call. Finally with only 4 or so seconds left in the game and after we practically run someone over, a foul is called.

2. Marbury takes it coast to coast and is blatantly fouled as he put up a layup that missed. It wouldn't have made a difference, but it should be called nonetheless.

[LBJackal]

You Americans are sore losers.... two teams that you should have destroyed beat you, and that's just the way it is. Crying about bad reffing is taking it like a bitch. They didn't foul Lituania at the end of the game, they couldn't because they kept passing the ball around. The only time they fouled was the one that was called. They had to make sure the guy had the ball because a foul off the ball is 2 shots plus possession I believe. Like a flagrant foul. So what if they missed the call on Marbury.... it was a borderline foul at best and they needed 4 points. You still would have lost.