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By Tim Reynolds<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not how USA Basketball expected to open its Olympic summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nigeria probably didn\u2019t expect it, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there was any expectation of invincibility for the Americans heading into the Tokyo Olympics, it\u2019s already gone \u2014 after Nigeria beat the U.S. 90-87 on Saturday night, an international shocker pulled off by a roster primarily filled by little-known NBA players that found a way to beat a group of All-NBA, All-Star and max-contract performers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe just wanted to compete,\u201d said Nigeria\u2019s Gabe Nnamdi, who goes by Gabe Vincent when playing for the Miami Heat. \u201cWe know what USA Basketball means around the world and what they\u2019ve stood for for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. had lost 11 games before Saturday in major international play \u2014 Olympics and World Cups, mostly \u2014 since NBA players began filling the American rosters with the first Dream Team in 1992. None of those losses came against a team from Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,\u201d U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. \u201cGive them credit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nnamdi led Nigeria with 21 points. Caleb Agada scored 17 points, Ike Nwamu added 13 and Nigeria outscored the U.S. 60-30 from 3-point range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kevin Durant, who had never before played in a loss for USA Basketball in 39 senior international games, had 17 points. Jayson Tatum added 15, Damian Lillard had 14 and Bam Adebayo 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust goes to show that we have to play better,\u201d Tatum said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Americans had gone 39-0 in their last three Olympic seasons \u2014 including pre-Olympic exhibitions \u2014 on their way to gold medals and had been 54-2 in major exhibitions since NBA players began playing for USA Basketball in 1992. Plus, they\u2019d beaten Nigeria by a combined 127 points in their last two meetings, one at the 2012 London Games, the other a warm-up for the 2016 Rio Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nigeria lost to the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics by 83 points. Lost to the Americans again four years later in an exhibition, that time by 44 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNigeria\u2019s come a long way with their basketball,\u201d USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ike Iroegbu \u2014 a former Washington State player who some time in the G League \u2014 hit a 3-pointer with about 1:15 left to put Nigeria up 88-80. Durant scored the next seven points for the U.S.; a 3-pointer, two free throws following a turnover, then two more from the line with 16.5 seconds remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nnamdi made two foul shots with 13.2 seconds left to restore Nigeria\u2019s 3-point edge. The Americans ran 9.7 seconds off the clock on the ensuing possession without getting a shot off, and Zach LaVine missed a pair of free throws \u2014 the second intentionally \u2014 with 3.5 seconds left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Precious Achiuwa got the rebound for Nigeria, and that was it. It\u2019s only an exhibition \u2014 but the upset was still of the massive variety, the 22nd-ranked nation by FIBA beating the No. 1-ranked team and three-time reigning Olympic gold medalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Popovich heard the final buzzer and shook hands with Nigeria coach Mike Brown, the Golden State assistant, as the Americans walked off stunned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, it doesn\u2019t mean much in the standings as far as where we\u2019re trying to get to,\u201d Brown said. \u201cBut it\u2019s a good win for us. I don\u2019t think any African team has been able to beat USA Basketball in an exhibition game or a real game. … We\u2019re trying to get a little bit of momentum for Nigeria and for the continent of Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. led 43-41 at the half, then pushed the lead out to 52-43 early in the third. But the Nigerians connected on 3s on their next three possessions \u2014 Vincent, Achiuwa and Nwamu all connected \u2014 and just like that, the game was tied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Achiuwa took one 3-pointer all season with the Heat. It missed. But he connected in this one, as did Miye Oni \u2014 who made two 3s in the fourth quarter, including the one that put Nigeria up for good with 6:08 left. Oni averaged all of 1.9 points per game this season for Utah, and made two enormous shots late Saturday to help seal the U.S. fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe kept the game simple,\u201d Nnamdi said, \u201cand came out on top.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TIP-INS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nigeria: Achiuwa had perhaps the night\u2019s top defensive play with 1:23 left in the first half, reaching with his left hand to block a Durant dunk attempt. … Nigeria outrebounded the U.S. 46-34.<\/p>\n\n\n\n USA: Darius Garland and Saddiq Bey were Select Team players who got into the game. The Olympic team needed extra players because Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker are at the NBA Finals. … The U.S. got 32 free-throw attempts to Nigeria\u2019s 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FREE THROW DEFENSE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nigeria\u2019s Chimezie Metu had a brilliant play in the third quarter \u2014 committing what would be goaltending in the NBA. Durant was taking a free throw, and as his shot bounced on the rim Metu reached up and knocked the shot away. That\u2019s a legal play under FIBA rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n INJURY SCARE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n LaVine got hurt in the second quarter on a play where he was closing out against Nnamdi. He went airborne after a head fake and came down awkwardly, grabbing at his left ankle before getting up and going directly to the U.S. locker room. LaVine was fine and returned in the third quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AP<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Tim Reynolds This is not how USA Basketball expected to open its Olympic summer. Nigeria probably didn\u2019t expect it, either. If there was any expectation of invincibility for the Americans heading into the Tokyo…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[130,48,1580,40],"class_list":["post-5083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-basketball","tag-nigeria","tag-olympic","tag-usa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n