San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Shocker: Nigeria beats U.S.
Kevin Durant and the U.S. men’s basketball team were quite a bit offbalance Saturday night in Las Vegas. The Americans lost to Caleb Agada and Nigeria 9087 in an Olympic warmup event. See story, page B7.
LAS VEGAS — If there was any expectation of invincibility for the U.S. men’s basketball team heading into the Tokyo Olympics, it’s gone after Nigeria shocked the United States 9087 on Saturday night.
Nigeria, coached by Warriors assistant Mike Brown, pulled off an international shocker with a roster primarily filled of littleknown NBA players who found a way to beat a group of AllNBA, AllStar and maxcontract performers.
“I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.”
Gabe Nnamdi, who goes by Gabe Vincent when playing for the Miami Heat, led Nigeria with 21 points. Caleb Agada scored 17, Ike Nwamu added 13 and Nigeria outscored the U.S. 6030 from 3point range.
“We just wanted to compete,” Nnamdi said. “We know what USA Basketball means around the world and what they’ve stood for for so long.”
Kevin Durant, who had never played in a loss for USA Basketball in 39 senior international games, had 17 points. Jayson Tatum added 15 and Damian Lillard had 14.
“Just goes to show that we have to play better,” Tatum said.
The Americans were 390 in their previous three Olympic seasons — including preOlympic exhibitions — on their way to gold medals and had been 542 in major exhibitions since NBA players began playing for USA Basketball in 1992.
Nigeria lost to the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics by 83 points. It lost to the Americans again four years later in an exhibition, that time by 44 points.
Not this time. Ike Iroegbu — a former Washington State player who has had some time in the G League — hit a 3pointer with about 1:15 left to put Nigeria up 8880. Durant scored the next seven points for the U.S. Nnamdi made two foul shots with 13.2 seconds left to restore Nigeria’s 3point edge. Zach LaVine then missed two free throws, the second intentionally, with 3.5 seconds left. Precious Achiuwa got the rebound for Nigeria, and that was it.
The U.S. plays Australia on Monday in Las Vegas.