Beijing 2008, Bronze Medal Game: Sunday, August 24
|
Argentina won its first Olympic bronze medal at the Men's basketball tournament by downing Lithuania 75-87 in the third-place game at Wukesong Arena on Sunday. Argentina got its second consecutive Olympic medal, even when it was not able to defend the title it conquered in Athens 2004 - the first one for a team from the Southern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, Lithuania missed the chance to win its fourth Olympic bronze medal since 1992. Carlos Delfino of BC Khimki paced the winners with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Two-time All-Euroleague forward Luis Scola added 16 points, former All-Euroleague second team selection Andres Nocioni had 14 while Leo Gutierrez and Paolo Quinteros each got 11 for Argentina. Reigning Euroleague MVP Ramunas Siskauskas had 15 points for Lithuania while Rimantas Kaukenas of Montepaschi Siena added 14. Quinteros, Gutierrez and Nocioni combined for 6 consecutive three-pointers in the second quarter to give Argentina a 34-46 halftime lead. Argentina boosted its margin to 44-68 late in the third quarter and held off the Lithuanian rally to get an easier than expected win.
Argentina ran its offense through Fabricio Oberto and Scola in the early going but Siskauskas three-time Euroleague winner Sarunas Jasikevicius allowed Lithuania to tie the game, 4-4. Scola sank a five-meter jumper that Robertas Javtokas of Dynamo Moscow matched with a layup. Oberto took over with a reverse layup while Scola scored again to make Lithuania call timeout at 6-10. Siskauskas stepped up with an outstanding four-point play but Delfino quickly answered from downtown. Kaukenas found his first points while Javtokas restored a 14-13 Lithuanian edge. Scola dunked it while Nocioni followed a six-meter jumper with a bomb from downtown, good for a 16-20 Argentinian lead. Linas Kleiza sank a triple but an unstoppable Scola answered with consecutive baskets. Jasikevicius brought Lithuania within 21-24 after 10 minutes. Argentina kept following its game plan, getting Scola involved as much as possible, so its offense become predictable. Meanwhile, Siskauskas found an easy basket while Marijonas Petravicius of Lietuvos Rytas got Lithuania within 25-26. Simas Jasaitis of DKV Joventut sank a jumper but Gutierrez struck twice from downtown to keep Argentina ahead, 27-32. Quinteros and Nocioni joined their team's three-point festival to make it a double-digit game, 28-38, after a 1-12 run. Jasikevicius buried a mid-range jumper but Quinteros answered with back-to-back triple to boost his team's lead to 31-44. Jasaitis hit a three-pointer but Delfino beat the buzzer with an outstanding driving layup to fix the halftime score at 34-46.
Lithuania did not improve its defense after the break while Javtokas stepped up with a hook shot in the other end. Two-time All-Euroleague second team selection Pablo Prigioni of Tau Ceramica shined with a driving layup that Delfino followed with a second-chance basket, good for a 37-50 Argentinian lead. Nocioni buried a jumper while Scola scored in a two-on-two play with Prigioni to break the game open, 37-54. Lithuania called timeout and Kaukenas tried to change things with a power basket but Argentina stayed focused. Scola took over with a driving layup for a 39-57 score. Lithuania was now more aggressive in defense with Mindaugas Lukauskis of Lietuvos Rytas and Jonas Maciulis of Zalgiris on court. Argentina stayed patient, slowing down the game tempo. Delfino struck from downtown while Nocioni dunked it off a steal to make it a 20-point game, 44-64. Fast break layups by Gutierrez and Nocioni kept Argentina way ahead, 49-68, after 30 minutes. Lithuania needed a quick comeback to get back in the game and Kaukenas tried to ignit one with consecutive driving layups. Delfino sank another triple but Lukauskis and Kaukenas gave Lithuania some hope, 59-71. Scola fouled out with 5 minutes to go while All-Euroleague second team center Ksistof Lavrinovic made it an 11-point game, 64-75. Gutierrez buried a seven-meter bomb and Delfino sank free throws to seal the outcome, 64-80, as a good number of Argentinian fans were already celebrating that the team would go back home with another Olympic medal!
|
|
Euroleague.net
|