United States 107 Puerto Rico 71 SAN JUAN – If there’s one player on the U.S. Dream Team who knows just how explosive former St. John’s star Felipe Lopez can be, it’s Gary Payton. The Supersonics guard was live and in person when Lopez posted his first NBA career double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 98-93 Vancouver upset of the Sonics on April 9.
So Payton took it upon himself to make certain Lopez didn’t lead the Dominican Republic to a shocking upset of the U.S. team last night in a second-round game of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of the Americas.
Payton, with lots of help from his teammates, delivered on his promise. The U.S., keying on Lopez, held him to 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting as the Dream Team sleepwalked to its fifth straight win, 107-71.
“We don’t worry about one guy who’s playing in the NBA, Felipe, because we’ve got five guys who are playing in the NBA,” said Payton, who had a game-high 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting. “Felipe’s a great player or he wouldn’t be in the NBA. We just tried to do what we’ve been doing on defense.”
Which is switching on every screen. Within the first six minutes of the game, every player on the U.S. starting five – including Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan – defended Lopez on at least one sequence as the Dream Team switched on every pick.
“It was a big event for me because they knew I couldn’t get going or they’d hear about it next year,” said Lopez. “Especially someone like me who would let them know. In the NBA, you take every advantage you can.”
Lopez, showing excellent patience, actually got the Dominicans off to a 4-1 start by assisting on two baskets. He scored his first hoop on a nifty driving layup. Lopez beat Jason Kidd, sliced into the lane and when challenged by Duncan switched to a left-handed layup. But minutes later Lopez missed a 3 over Payton and the U.S. scored in transition to take a 14-7 lead.
Lopez was hoping to team with Mark Jackson, giving the Dominican Republic an all-St. John’s backcourt. But FIBA, the governing body of international basketball, ruled at the 11th hour that Jackson, who claims his grandmother is from the Dominican Republic and reportedly was able to produce a passport from the country, was not eligible.
“I’m disappointed because it would have been great playing with Mark,” said Lopez. “He’s a great point and personally, it would have helped me because he knows my game. He knows where and when I like the ball and nobody sees the court better than Mark.”
Without Jackson, it was Lopez against Dream Team IV. He’s averaging 16 points per game on a small and inexperienced team that advanced to the second round as Cuba and Panama were eliminated in the first.
Payton has been the Dream Team’s most consistent player and its catalyst. The only player on the team to have won Olympic gold, having done so in 1996, Payton have combined with Kidd to give the U.S. a lethal backcourt, one that can rattle and opposing team’s backcourt while distributing the ball to fellow Dream Teamers.
Lopez has the green light to shoot whenever he wants on his team. He grabbed an offensive rebound, stuffed it and was fouled by Kidd with 2:14 left in the first half, cutting the U.S. lead to 50-32. But then he missed a reverse layup, when challenged by Duncan that would have made it a 16-point game. With 24 seconds left, Lopez somehow missed a breakaway jam.
It didn’t matter. The former St. John’s, star who recently completed a solid rookie season in the NBA, knew one player wasn’t going to beat the U.S.
“I am happy for my teammates because it was a great experience, even for me, to play against the Dream Team,” said Lopez. *
In other second-round games, host Puerto Rico remained unbeaten and on a collision course with the U.S. for Thursday night by beating Uruguay, 93-64. Canada blew past Brazil, 95-75, behind Steve Nash’s 21 points and Argentina overwhelmed Venezuela, 95-71 … The U.S. plays Brazil at tonight 10, Venezuela tomorrow night at 10:15 and Puerto Rico Thursday at 8.
