SAN JUAN, 31 August 2003 — When Team US takes the floor for today’s semifinals in the FIBA Tournament of the Americas, it will be facing Puerto Rico for the third time in two weeks.
On Aug. 17, the United States played an exhibition game against Puerto Rico at Madison Square Garden in New York, overcoming a slow start that has become one of its trademarks for a 101-74 victory.
On Thursday, the teams met again, both having already clinched berths in the semifinals. Team USA extended its perfect record in this tournament to 8-0 with a 91-65 victory at a sticky, raucous and packed Roberto Clemente Coliseum.
While both teams were trying to win both games, there was a little liar’s poker going on.
The exhibition game followed two organized scrimmages against Puerto Rico at John Jay College, which Team USA coach Larry Brown used to determine his rotation and implement his offensive scheme.
Thursday’s game saw Puerto Rico sit down indispensable point guard Carlos Arroyo of the Utah Jazz for a huge stretch of the third quarter even as the game got away from the hosts.
“I don’t really know if Puerto Rico played the players that they thought could win,” Brown said. “I think I got that impression that they were resting some people.”
“I’m guessing they’ll have a bit of a better game (Saturday),” center Tim Duncan said. Although the US has been held to double digits in each of its last three games, it still is miles ahead of every other country in points per game (102.8) and victory margin (32.5).
The Americans have rolled to eight straight wins, and only one — an emotional 94-86 victory over prospective gold medal game foe Argentina — has truly been close.
The US, Puerto Rico (5-3), Argentina (5-3) and Canada (5-3) are in the semifinals, playing for three berths in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
The winners play today for the gold medal after the losers play for the bronze in the tournament’s most important game, an all-or-nothing affair. Although all four teams will have two shots to get the one win it needs to qualify for the Olympics, Puerto Rico has a predicament.
Second seeds Argentina, who were in danger of failing to reach the semis at one stage, take on Canada in the other matchup.
Argentina lost to Mexico and Venezuela in the preliminaries but the World Championship silver medalists should be a difficult test for Canada, a team they beat 94-90 earlier in the competition.
Canada, led by Steve Nash of the Dallas Mavericks, will need a big game from Rowan Barrett. Barrett’s total of 153 points is second in the tournament and he also shares the three-point lead with 21.
Nash said: “Just let everything we’ve done this summer pay off on Saturday. If we go out there and play the way we can play and compete, we won’t have any regrets.”
