Puerto Rico Stuns US Basketball Team

Puerto Rico Stuns US Basketball Team


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Tom Kirkland ReportingThe U.S. Olympic basketball team is stunned by "hurricane Arroyo" as history was made today in Athens.

The bad part is the team USA got exposed again, outscored 28-7 in the 2nd quarter. The upside is the kid who fired them up is the jazz starting point guard.

In his Olympic debut, Jazz man Carlos Arroyo put Puerto Rico on his back, lifting an entire nation while bringing the USA to its knees. Arroyo went off for a game high 24 points.

So what happened to the gold medal favorites? More and more it looks like the team is too small and, at least in this game, they can't shoot. The USA was 3-24 from three point land even though the international three point line is a lot closer than the NBA’s.

Down 22 in the first half, team USA made a run in the second half, closing to within eight points, but then Arroyo scored six straight points and that was basically that. Puerto Rico's celebrating its biggest win ever while US coaches hope their young team has time to come together.

It's the worst loss ever for USA basketball, but don't blame Carlos Arroyo. We’re sure Larry Miller, Jerry Sloan and Kevin O'Connor have got to be smiling just a little tonight. But Carlos Boozer appears to be a forgotten man on team USA with just one point, no shots.

And it doesn't get any easier for the US; next up they meet the host nation, Greece.

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