2004 Olympics: Basketball

02:26 PM CDT on Saturday, August 28, 2004

By BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News

ATHENS, Greece – Blame the lack of practice time. Or the team selection process.

Or the fact that these Olympics and a gold medal might still have been salvageable had star center Tim Duncan not fouled out in 19 minutes Friday.

But the cold reality of Argentina's 89-81 semifinal victory before 14,500 at Olympic Indoor Hall is that no one will remember the whys and wherefores.

This will be remembered as the first U.S. men's basketball team to lose more than once in an Olympics, and also the first to lose three games, and the first with NBA players to lose, period.

After learning the hard way, Team USA co-captain Allen Iverson has some advice for NBA players who dare to venture to Beijing in 2008 and Olympics beyond.

"You have to know you can't just show up and, because you have 'USA' across your chest, feel like you're winning the basketball game."

If preliminary-round losses to Puerto Rico and Lithuania didn't clue in the Americans, the point certainly was driven home by Manu Ginobili (29 points) and the rest of the inspired Argentines.

Leading 46-40 early in the third quarter, Argentina went on a 10-0 run that broke open the game and fractured Team USA's spirit. It was during that run that Duncan, in a span of 68 seconds, was called for his third and fourth fouls.

Smiley N. Pool / DMN

Argentina players celebrate their win as Stephon Marbury leaves the floor Friday.

U.S. coach Larry Brown tried to substitute for Duncan before the fourth foul, but there were no stoppages in play. On the fourth foul, the Americans howled that it was actually Richard Jefferson who should have been whistled.

"We didn't shoot the ball well, and they shot well over 50 percent [54.2]," Brown said. "The only chance we had was to have some kind of inside presence.

"I've watched Timmy play for years. I've never seen him foul out in 19 minutes of any game in our league."

Duncan, who fouled out with five minutes left after being called for a moving screen at the top of the key, was unavailable for comment after the game. The same went for six of his teammates, leaving Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Amare Stoudemire and little-used LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to speak for the team.

"They executed better than us, but we know we can beat this team," said Anthony, who, it should be remembered, predicted on the first day of training camp (July 26) that the United States would win gold.

Now the Americans will play Lithuania for bronze today, and Argentina and tournament surprise Italy meet for gold.

"Regardless of the fact that we're not fighting for a gold medal, we need to understand that we're still representing our country," Iverson said. "If you don't get it done in the way you were expecting to, I think it's important to get it done in the best way you can."

At halftime, with the Americans trailing by five, NBA commissioner David Stern chastised the "carping and whining" media for being overly critical of the team and the selection process.

But it was Stern who said on March 23: "My view is that, if we can't – out of the top 50 players in the NBA – send a team that can't compete with the best in the world, we've taken a big step back."

After a pause, he added: "I'm not worried about it."

E-mail btownsend@dallasnews.com