Knock down the most powerful, especially when with the mystique of history it commands even more respect, as is the case with USA, has treacherous side effects. Just by staying a little longer than necessary, the overflowing euphoria can give way to overconfidence that does not allow us to analyze reality in depth. Or to that pressure that dictates the logic that, if you have beaten the best, you are supposed to and have to do it with anyone.
The paradigm of it Lithuania. The Baltic team could not fully digest the intoxicating effect of winning against Team USA in the last game of the second phase (104-110), spiced up the victory with the beating of the first quarter (12-31) and the rest (37-54).
Disappointment in Lithuania
Aaron Favila / LaPresse
Just a couple of days later, the Serbia of Svetislav Pesic left in oblivion both the resounding victory of the team of Rokas Jokubaitis against Team USA as his unbeaten run with a forceful corrective in the quarterfinals (68-87). The victory against the United States will remain as a mere reason for National proud against the painful background of leaving a World Cup empty-handed in which the immaculate streak had somewhat camouflaged Lithuania’s excessive dependence on the triples, standing in the playoffs with a high 60%.
“The match against the United States, as you can see now, is nothing,” he lamented. Tad Sedekerskis in statements collected by USA Today. “It’s just history, we don’t have any chance to fight for a medal. I cannot guarantee 100% that we would forget it (the victory against the USA)”, the Baskonia player acknowledged, making self-criticism.
However, it’s not the first time that a win against Team USA ends up meaning nothing for Lithuania. In fact, the defeat against Serbia consolidates a curious curse for which the Baltic team has always remained no medal when it has managed to defeat the first world power. Three times that he has caused the surprise in competition, three times that he has not been able to get on the podium.
The first precedent dates from the 1998 World Cup, the first time a Lithuania beat the United States with Arturas Karnisov and a young man Saruns Jasikevicius in his team (22 years old). Karnisovas, who had just played for Olympiakos that season after his first spell at Barça, scored 28 points to beat Team USA in the group stage by a tight 84-82. However, the American team appeared without NBA players due to the lockout.
The third time was the charm for Lithuania, without an option against the unbeatable Dream Team led by Michael Jordan in the semifinals of the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 (127-76) even though Marciulonis talks He competed with ‘Air’, with 20 points to the GOAT’s 21. But the European team left that World Cup without scratching metal when they fell in the quarterfinals against Russia and also clearly (82-67).
Lithuania’s next feat against Team USA would come in the 2004 Athens Games, with Jasikevicius as the Barça player who this time took over from Karnisovas to set the pace. Saras had already given a real show in Sydney 2000 with 27 points despite the fact that his failure in the last triple that would have given his country victory in the semifinals (85-83) stuck.
A thoroughbred competitor, though, the point guard got the job done this time and his recital of 28 so many It helped Lithuania surprise the United States in the group stage (94-90). Jasikevicius was a member of Maccabi Tel Aviv at that time after having led Barça to the long-awaited first Euroleague in 2003.
That surprise was ultimately responsible for spain They had to deal with the United States already in the quarterfinals after their leadership in group A and Team USA’s fourth place in group B. However, Lithuania would be beaten by Italy in the semifinals by Italy (91-100) and, whims of fate, had to face the American team in the duel for the bronze with victory for the team led then by Larry Brown (104-96).
While Lithuania was dying to repeat the bronze from Sydney 2000, Team USA spurned a medal that today they don’t even want to remember in the United States -always forced to win-, and even traumatic for some, with Tim Duncan resigning from the national team forever after that that scandalous team had not complied: Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Shawn Marion… Lithuania also boasted other legends like Arvydas Macijauskas and Ramunas Siskauskas.
Jokubaitis, choking Anthony Edwards
Yong Teck Lim / Getty
And, almost 20 years later, the current Lithuanian generation could not avenge their predecessors with all the credit for beating Team USA for the third time in the country’s history with a group not as big a name as then, with only one NBA player – Jonas Valanciunas-, and without Domantas Sabonis. another azulgrana like Rokas Jokubaitis He left a good impression for his possible NBA future with 9 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal, even earning praise from a star like Jalen Brunson. Again an inert victory in a league. Win the United States bad omen for Lithuania.
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2023-09-06 04:08:30
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