US cagers eye gold, but danger lurks

Add as a preferred source on Google

Sydney: The US men's basketball team remain on course for their third consecutive Olympic gold medal but danger lurks when the quarter-finals begin on Thursday for a squad that have been less dominant than their predecessors.

Coming into the tournament, the NBA-laden US team were expected to easily roll over their opposition en route to their 12th Olympic basketball title in 14 attempts and add to their current games record of 106 wins and only two defeats.

But with the level of international play closing the gap, the US have looked beatable, with even a heavily-depleted Lithuania coming within nine points of the once invincible Americans.

''I think the day is coming,'' said Lithuania's Sarunas Jasikevicius after his team's narrow defeat. ''I think they're going to lose a game. I think they're going to lose a game here if they play like that.''

Still, the US posted a perfect 5-0 record in the preliminary round, and the team have yet to lose in the 10 games they have played since being formed in late August.

''I think this team is different...it's younger, you could see a core from this team coming back in 2004 so that's a difference. But also international players are getting better because there are more players coming to the NBA,'' said Phoenix Suns all-star guard Jason Kidd.

Leading the way will be Toronto raptor guard Vince Carter, 23, who has averaged 14.4 points a game and team co-captain Alonzo mourning of the Miami Heat.

But unlike other editions of the team since the NBA began sending players in 1992, this squad rely more on defence than offence.

''We won't stop coming at you, you've got to know that if you are facing us. and we have far more talent than the other teams which means that when a substitute comes on, we don't lose anything. No other team can say that,'' said Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway.

''No disrespect to other teams, but I just don't see us getting beat. If we play our way, no one can do it,'' he added.

Though they won Group A, the US have drawn the trickier of the two halves of the second round bracket, and face a tricky quarter-final against Russia, who placed fourth in Group B.

If they get through that game, they will come up against either reigning world champions Yugoslavia (4-1), or Lithuania (3-2) who face each other.

Canada (4-1), looking for their first basketball medal since 1936, have been the surprise of the tournament, winning Group B with an upset of Yugoslavia.

With Dallas mavericks guard Steve Nash leading the offence, Canada will look to use their speed against France (2-3) in their quarter-final.

''We have to play in control. If we do, I am really optimistic about our chances of going far from this point. We are playing better as a team than we ever have before, everyone is on the same page right now,'' said Nash.

Home side Australia (3-2) got off to a slow start in the tournament, but have since regrouped and now look to be hitting their stride in time for their match against Italy (3-2).

''We really struggled at first. But we have the players, and the confidence now to accomplish what we set out to do, make a little history for our nation,'' said New York Knicks centre Luc Longley.

The winners of the Canada-France match will play the winners of Australia-Italy in one semi-final while the winners of the US-Russia face the winners of Yugoslavia-Lithuania in the other semis. Both games will be played on Saturday. The gold medal game will be played on Sunday.



(c) Reuters Limited.