Lithuania: Team USA Not Invincible

Filed under: Raptors, FIBA, USA Basketball, FIBA World Championship

ISTANBUL -- This is not a Dream Team the Americans have assembled. And that's good enough for Lithuania forward Linas Kleiza to not count out his guys in green against a Team USA outfit that is green when it comes to experience.



"Are they beatable?'' Kleiza (right) said in answering that very question about the Americans, who face Lithuania on Saturday in a FIBA World Championship semifinal. "I think every team is beatable. There's no such a team as unbeatable expect that Dream Team (the Americans put together for the 1992 Olympics). They're definitely not beatable in a seven-game series. But in one game, who knows what can happen? A lot of things can go right and a lot of things can go wrong. But they're a very good team.''



The Americans earned a berth in the semifinals with an 89-79 win over Russia in the first quarterfinal played Thursday at the Sinan Erdem Dome. Lithuania followed with a stunningly easy 104-85 win over Argentina.



The teams meet at noon ET on Saturday, with Turkey and Serbia to follow at 2:30 p.m. ET. The winners play Sunday for the gold medal.



"Of course,'' said Lithuania forward Paulius Jankunas, when asked if the Americans are beatable. "We just need to play good and everything is OK.''

 

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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/09/09/lithuania-team-usa-not-invincible/