VILNIUS - Lithuania's basketball team got off to a robust start in Athens, winning its first two games of the round-robin tournament. Lithuania's second victory over Puerto Rico, the team that trounced the United States on Aug. 15, brought particular praise for the team.
In the club's 78 - 73 victory against Angola on Aug. 15, Eurelijus Zukauskas and Kristof Lavrinovic each scored 15 points. Angola shot 15 for 29 from the field and led by as many as 13 points at one time, but the team soon became mired in foul trouble.
That sent Lithuania to the free-throw line repeatedly in the second half, and as a result they outshot their opponents by an amazing 32 - 6 in free throws.
In the second game on Aug. 17, Puerto Rico got off to a blazing start and led 32 - 26 at the end of the first quarter.
However, the Lithuanian defense kicked in, holding the club that handed the NBA-led U.S. Dream Team its first defeat in 12 years to just 12 points in the second quarter. The Puerto Ricans, who shot an impressive 56 percent against the Americans, managed to hit only 39 percent of their shots (25 for 64) against the Lithuanians.
Eddie Cassiano, who hit four of four three-points against the United States, managed only six points against the Baltic squad led by Antanas Sireika.
After heading to the locker room at half with a 49 - 44 lead, the Lithuanian team continued its combination of outside pressure on shooters in the third and fourth quarters. The team led by as much as 15 points twice during the game.
They finally defeated Puerto Rico 98 - 90.
"They put more pressure on Carlos than the other night, but we won't use that as an excuse,"' center Jose Ortiz said of Carlos Arroyo. "We didn't shoot as great as we did the other night, and that was the biggest factor."
Ramunas Siskauskas led the Lithuanians, coming off the bench and scoring 23 points on 42 percent shooting, while starter Arvydas Macijauskas tallied 19 points, hitting five out of eight three-pointers for 70 percent shooting.
Lithuania shot 54 percent (30 for 56), including 16 out of 30 from the three-point range.
The team's next game is Aug. 19 against home-team Greece and then against the United States on Aug. 21.
Donn Nelson, who has helped guide Lithuania to three straight bronze medals in men's Olympic basketball, said he would not be on the bench when the Lithuanians played against the United States.
Nelson, who is assistant coach of the Dallas Mavericks, had been coaching the Lithuanian team in 2000 when Sarunas Jasikevicius missed a three-pointer in the final seconds. He said afterward that he couldn't sleep considering what might have been, had the shot been made.
"I'll help these guys beat any other country in the world,'" he said after the club's 78-73 win over Angola on Aug. 15. "I won't be on the bench for a game against the U.S. They know that."
