Stunned Team USA goes down to Nigeria
Under Brown, African nation ends Americans’ notion of invincibility
LAS VEGAS >> As much as coach Mike Brown tried to maintain perspective, it was clear Nigeria’s stunning upset over USA Basketball was a big deal.
Brown, the Golden
State Warriors associate head coach to
Steve Kerr since 2016, was hired in February to coach a Nigerian team which has eight little-known
NBA players.
If there was any expectation of invincibility for the Americans heading in to the Tokyo Olympics, it was gone after a 90-87 loss to Nigeria at Mandalay Bay Arena.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t
mean much in the standings as far as where we’re trying to get to,” Brown said. “But it’s a good win for us. I don’t think any African team has been able to beat USA Basketball in an exhibition game or a real game ... we’re trying to get a little bit of momentum for Nigeria and the continent of Africa.
The Americans had gone 39-0 in their last three Olympic seasons — including pre-Olympic exhibitions — 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’d 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.
“We just wanted to compete,” said Nigeria’s Gabe Nnamdi, who goes by Gabe Vincent when playing for the Miami Heat. “We know what USA Basketball means around the world and what they’ve stood for for so long.”
Nnamdi led Nigeria with 21 points. Caleb Agada scored 17, Ike Nwamu added 13 and Nigeria outscored the U.S. 60-30 from
3-point range.
Kevin Durant, who had never before played in a loss for USA Basketball in 39 international games, had 17 points. Jayson Tatum added 15, Damian Lillard 14 and Bam Adebayo 12.
“Just goes to show that we have to play better,” Tatum said. “A lot better.”
Warriors forward Draymond Green had 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 turnovers in just less than 20 minutes of play.
“I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of threes,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.”
Ike Iroegbu — a former Washington State player who spent some time in the
G League — hit a 3-pointer with 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, and then two more from the line with 16.5 seconds remaining.
Nnamdi made two foul shots with 13.2 seconds left to restore a three-point lead. The Americans then ran 9.7 seconds off the clock on the ensuing possession without getting a shot, and Zach LaVine missed a pair of three throws — the second intentionally — with 3.5 seconds left.
Precious Achiuwa got the rebound for Nigeria, and that was it, as the No. 22 ranked nation by FIBA upset the No. 1 team and three-time reigning Olympic gold medalists.