AUS vs. KOR
Six Australians score in double figures in win over Korea. Australia got off to a quick start in the 1996 Olympic men's basketball competition with a 111-88 win over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Andrew GAZE led the way for Australia with 26 points, while teammates Shane HEAL (23), Mark BRADTKE (15), Andrew VLAHOV (15), Scott FISHER (14), and Tony RONALDSON (10) all scored in double digits. Australia started the Olympic Games off quickly by taking a 64-37 lead at the end of the first half and cruising to the win. Pivot player JUNG Jae-Kun led Korea with 23 points and 8 rebounds.
Final Score: AUS 111, KOR 88.
Andrew GAZE (AUS): On his team's play today. "Given that we had the opening ceremony last night and very little time to prepare, it was great to get this first game out of the way. Korea plays a very unorthodox style of defense, but with our size advantage and athletic ability we were able to play well."
GRE vs. YUG
Yugoslavia holds off upset minded Greece.
Greece, playing in its first-ever Olympic men's basketball competition,
gave highly-favored Yugoslavia everything it could handle before
faltering down the stretch. Yugoslavia connected on free throws
in the final minutes and used some tight defense to end Greece's
upset hopes with a 71-63 victory. Yugoslavia, down by as many
as 7 points in the second half, used its experience and talent
to take the lead for good with just 3:08 remaining in the contest.
Predrag DANILOVIC gave Yugoslavia the boost it needed in the closing
minutes with a crucial 3-point basket and two free throws. Zoran
SAVIC led the way for Yugoslavia with 21 points, while DANILOVIC
and Aleksandr DJORDEVIC added 16 and 14 points, respectively.
NBA star Vlade DIVAC (YUG) was held to just 6 points, playing
much of the game in foul trouble. Panayotis FASSOULAS led Greece
in scoring with 21 points and added 10 rebounds.
In the first half, Yugoslavia scored 8 unanswered points in the first 4:10 before Nikos ECONOMOU scored Greece's first points on a jumper to make the score 8-2. Greece gradually fought back and tied the game at 10-10 on a lay-up by Panayotis FASSOULAS with 12:59 remaining in the opening half. The two teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the half and Greece's Theofanis CHRISTODOULOU connected on a 3-point basket with just 7 seconds remaining to tie the game at 30-30 at halftime. Final Score: YUG 71, GRE 63.
CHN vs. ANG
Just call China the "comeback kids" in win over Angola: The People's Republic of China led a total of just more than two minutes of its 1996 Olympic Games opener against Angola. Fortunately for China, it led when it counted as China defeated Angola 70-67 after trailing three times by more than 10 points. Angola posted a lead that reached 14 points in the first half only to see China come back and tie the game at 36-36 at halftime. Angola again came out firing in the second half and led by 9 points at 55-46 with 12:10 remaining in the game. China took only its second lead of the game on a free throw by LIU Yu-dong with 1:37 left on the clock that gave China a 65-64 advantage. ZHENG Wu (CHN) then connected on a 3-point shot with 0:33 remaining to give China a 68-67 lead. Angola's Antonio CARVALHO pulled the game to within 1 point at 68-67 when he fired a 3-pointer of his own with just 0:09 left. China's HU Wei-dong iced the game and netted the final score when he hit two free throws with 0:08 left. Final Score: CHN 70, ANG 67
LTU vs. CRO
Lithuania Finally Wins Double Overtime Thriller: In what will easily be the best basketball game in the opening round of the 1996 Olympic Games, Lithuania finally made a run that Croatia was unable to answer, winning 83-81 in double overtime. Lithuania avenged a loss to Croatia in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona with an 83-81 double-overtime thriller Saturday night. Team captain Rimas KURTINAITIS scored the final five points for Lithuania and made a crucial steal to seal the victory. Arvydas SABONIS led four Lithuanian players in double figures with 20 points. Toni KUKOC led Croatia with 33 points, while adding 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Final Score: LIT 83, CRO 81 2OT
USA vs. ARG
USA Pulls Away in Second Half for Win over Argentina: The United States men's basketball team did what everyone expected them to do Saturday night against Argentina - win. The final score was an easy 96-68 victory for the USA team made up of 12 of the greatest basketball players in the world. While the score may lead someone to believe the "Dream Team" had an easy time of it, the reality is that team USA had a fight on its hands. Argentina capitalized on unforced turnovers by the United States in the first half to take a 15-14 lead with 12:35 remaining. It was at this point that the lights went out in the Georgia Dome, and postponed play for 10 minutes. When the lights came back on, team USA went to work and built a 10 point lead. Argentina refused to back away from the mighty USA team and powered back to within two points at 46-44 by half-time. The score remained close through the first six minutes of the second half as the United States could only build a 58-52 lead with 14:31 remaining to play. From that point on, the USA outscored Argentina 38-16 to put the game out of reach. David ROBINSON led the United States with 18 points and 7 rebounds, while Shaquille O'NEAL (USA) and Grant HILL (USA) added 13 and 10 points, respectively. The player of the game was Argentina's Juan ESPIL, who netted 27 points to keep his squad close for much of the contest. Final Score: USA 96, ARG 68
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