US stuffed by Argies.

[BlazeArmy]

Dream team only if your their dope dealer.

2 in a row for Argentina. They finally get good at a sport where using your hands is ok.

.For the first time since NBA players began competing at the Olympics, the United States men's team will not be playing for a gold medal.



Argentina, which has never won a medal in men's Olympic basketball, upset the defending gold medalists, 89-81 in Friday's semifinal.



Manu Ginobili scored 29 points to lead an Argentinian squad comprised mostly of the same group of players who made history at the 2002 World Championships by becoming the first team to defeat a U.S. squad of NBA players. That loss snapped a 58 game winning streak for the Americans.



It was only the second loss in 11 semifinal games for the American's since 1960 and the first loss to Argentina in Olympic play.





The United States had won the previous three gold medals in Olympic basketball since NBA players were allowed to compete in 1992 in Spain.



The American team came into these Games with a 109-2 record at the Olympics, but lost three times in Athens. Brown's team fell in the preliminary round by 19 points to Puerto Rico and by four to Lithuania.



Four years ago, the U.S. barely scraped by Lithuania 85-83 in the semifinals on the way to winning the gold medal.



The Argentinians were the better passers, shooters and defenders. They confronted the Americans with a mixture of man-to-man and zone defences, and confounded them with an assortment of back picks that turned the start of the second half into a layup drill.



Argentina's players celebrated wildly when the game ended, and the crowd yelled "Ole!" American coach Larry Brown walked over and gave a handshake and hug to his Argentinian counterpart, Ruben Magnano, who played for Argentina against the first Dream Team in Barcelona.



The loss comes on the heels of the United States' quarterfinal win over previously undefeated Spain, which accused Brown of showmanship by calling a timeout with 23 seconds left to play and the game well in hand.



Argentina will face the winner of the other semifinal between Lithuania and Italy for the gold. The best the American's can do is bronze.

 

[termatofylakas]

Makes me wonder if Greece didn't play stupid ball during the last 4 min of the 3rd and all the 4th against Argentina could they have upset the U.S. and been in the finals?

P.S. I'll take the former Italians to beat Italy in the final.