Greece Defeats Team America
Posted on September 1st, 2006 by
The European champions are playing for a much bigger prize.
The best the United States can hope for is yet another bronze medal.
Greece used a sizzling stretch of shooting across the middle two quarters to turn a 12-point deficit into a 14-point lead, and beat the Americans 101-95 Friday in the semifinals of the world championships.
The Greeks (8-0) can add a world title to the European championship they won in 2005 with a victory over either Spain or Argentina in Sunday’s gold medal game. Those teams, also undefeated, met in Friday’s second game.
The Greeks — with no current NBA players on their roster — danced in a circle at halfcourt after their victory over an American team put together after a series of recent failures.
Done in again by their inept 3-point shooting — and they weren’t much better from the foul line — the Americans will fall short of a championship in a major international tournament for the third straight time.
The U.S. (7-1) will return to the court Saturday against the loser of the Argentina-Spain game, hoping to match the bronze medal it left Athens with in 2004.
Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points for the Americans, who couldn’t overcome their 32 percent shooting from 3-point range or 59 percent from the foul line. Dwyane Wade added 19 and LeBron James had 17, but the three U.S. captains were unable to avenge their disappointment from Athens. #
To show you how much of an underdog Greece was, here’s a quote that Brian Mahoney made earlier today:
Spain has Pau Gasol. Argentina has Manu Ginobili.
Greece has some big names, too — though only in length.
“The names are too long,” Carmelo Anthony said. “The names are very, very long. I’m going to have to learn them overnight.” #
Greece controlled the tempo, made their shots, both from the line, and outside the arc, and really showed the world the level of international basketball. Looks like Team America will once again play in the bronze medal game.
