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BASKETBALL: Defending champions humbled

Lithuania’s Rimanas Kaukentas, left, tries to pass Argentina’s Marcelo Nocioni during their preliminary round group A match in Beijing yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Defending Olympic basketball champions Argentina stumbled to a 79-75 loss to Lithuania yesterday, despite 19 points from Manu Ginobli.

In what had been a tight game, the San Antonio Spurs shooting guard and the rest of the Argentines were nearly shut down in the third quarter as Lithuania ran to a 51-45 lead.

Ginobli and Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola were restricted to just two points each in the period.

Argentina rallied and, with 2 minutes, 40 seconds left, Ginobli hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to four points. Quickly regaining possession, Ginobli bounced a three-pointer off the rim that was buried by Toronto Raptors guard Carlos Delfino to make it a two-point game. Then, with less than 90 seconds left, his pass connected with Scola inside the paint for the layup to even the score.

But with 2.1 seconds left in regulation, Linas Kleiza nailed a three-pointer and captain Ramunas Siskauskas drilled a free throw to pull off the four-point win, setting off celebrations among the raucous flag-waving Lithuanian supporters.

Kleiza led the scoring for Lithuania, who finished fourth at the 2004 Athens Games, with 13 points. Robertas Javtokas, a 2001 Spurs second round draft pick, added 12 points.

Delfino scored 13 points for Argentina and Scola had 10.

In the opening game, US-born Dzhon-Robert Kholden scored a game-high 19 points to lead European champions Russia to a 71-49 win over Iran, while Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points on 78 percent shooting as Germany overwhelmed Olympic rookies Angola 95-66.

Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman, who received his German citizenship only last month, was sharper still, shooting 83 percent to lead Germany with 24 points.

Spain downed Greece 81-66 with Portland Trailblazers signee Rudy Fernandez scoring a game-high 16 points and Los Angeles Lakers’ center Pau Gasol adding 11.

The gap belied what was a closely matched-game, with the result largely determined by free throws — Greece shot 11 of 24, Spain missed only three out of 25.

“We played an intense game,” Gasol said.
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