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Page 10 Garden City Telegram Monday, August 24,1987Behind Schmidt's 46 pointsINDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The United States may have had the best basketball team, but Brazil had the best player.And with the Pan American Games gold medal on the line, the best player ran circles around the best team.Oscar Schmidt’s 3-pointers, particularly in the second half, erased a 14-point halftime deficit Sunday as Brazil beat the U.S. basketball team 120-115, one of the most incredible upsets ever.It wasn’t supposed to happen, and certainly not right in the U.S.After all, the Americans had not lost in Pan Am competition since 1971; they had a 34-game win streak and eight of nine Pan Am basketball golds.This was a team with All-Americans David Robinson and Danny Manning, coached by Louisville’s Denny Crum, who was returning to Market Square Arena, where he won his first NCAA championship.Everyone was impressed. Except Oscar Schmidt and Brazil ’87.“The difference was their experience, and they hit 3-pointers even under pressure,” Crum said.Navy’s talented Robinson helped sink the United States by fouling out with about seven minutes to go. When he left, so did all U.S. control under the boards.“In all the history of world basketball,” said Jose Medalha, a Brazilian assistant coach, “no one has done anything like this, to beat the United States in their own house. Americans will never forget it.”When the buzzer sounded, Schmidt dropped to the floor beneath the U.S. basket, put his hands over his face and sobbed.Other teammates carried the Brazilian flag down from the stands and took a victory lap around the arena. For many of the 12,000 fans it was hard to watch.“I think the United States was the best team in the championship,” said Brazil’s Marcel Souza. “We tried to put pressure on them. And we did put pressure on them. ” U.S. shooters hit only two of their 113-point efforts.“On a normal night we make 40, 50 percent, but we didn’t tonight,” Crum said.Schmidt made 47 percent of hisAP Laser Photolis. The Brazilian team, led by Schmidt's 46 points, upset the United States 120-115 in Pan American Games basketball competition.JUBILANT — Oscar Schmidt, center, is joined by teammates Joao Vi anna, right, and Gerson Victalino as they carry the Brazil national flag around courtside Sunday at Market Square Arena in Indianapo-3-point attempts, seven of 15.The United States took a 77-62 lead with 17:16 left to play on a rebound dunk by Robinson. But on the play Robinson was assessed a technical foul for hanging on the rim. Under international rules a technical counts as a personal foul and that was Robinson’s fourth.“There was contact. I got bumped a little bit,” said Robinson, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes. “I didn’t feel I hungmg me the ball and we talked aboutthat,” said Schmidt, like Souza, aprofessional player in Italy. “I gotmore open shots in the second half. ’ ’Schmidt made four consecutive 3-pointers in a 1:47 span to turn an 81-77 U.S. lead into an 89-85 Brazil lead with 10:00 to play.While Schmidt and Souza were shooting and scoring, the United States could only shoot.on the rim but the ref did. It’s pretty basic.”With Robinson on the bench Brazil went to its most basic offense: Schmidt.He made the two free throws on the technical, then followed with a 3-pointer. Israel Andrade hit a layup, Schmidt a jumper and Souza converted a follow shot and Brazil was within 77-73.“In the first half they were deny-
Newspaper Details
Garden City Telegram
Garden City, Kansas, US
Mon, Aug 24, 1987
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Sante B.
WV, USA 11 Oct 2019
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