Fredette, U.S. men fall to 0-2 in 3×3 Olympic play
PARIS — The U.S. men’s 3×3 basketball team fell to 0-2 in pool play in the Paris Olympics with a 19-17 loss to Poland on Wednesday night.
Jimmer Fredette cut the lead to 1 with about 90 seconds left before Michał Sokołowski made a free throw a few seconds later to extend the lead to 19-17.
The U.S. had a chance to tie it late, but Fredette’s 2-point attempt came up short. Fredette, who was brought in to boost the team after the U.S. failed to qualify for Tokyo, appeared to sustain an injury with about 3 minutes left. He looked to be in pain as he was tended to by a trainer but soon returned to the game.
He did not speak to reporters after the game and a team spokesman said he was receiving treatment but did not provide any specifics on an injury.
The U.S. remains confident despite the tough start to the Paris Games.
“I don’t think we’re concerned,” Kareem Maddox said. “We just know we have some adjustments to make.”
The U.S. was down by 1 after a basket by Canyon Barry with about 6 minutes left before Poland used a 6-1 run to make it 15-9 with 4 minutes to go.
Poland was up by 5 with about 2½ minutes to go when Barry made three free throws to cut the lead to 17-15. Barry shoots free throws underhanded like his father, NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry.
A basket by Adrian Bogucki pushed Poland’s lead to 3 and Dylan Travis made a shot for the U.S. before Fredette’s last bucket got team within 18-17.
Bogucki had 7 points and 5 rebounds for Poland, which lost to France on Tuesday.
Barry and Travis led the U.S. with 6 points each. Fredette, who is the only player with NBA experience in the 3×3 competition, added 3.
The U.S. struggled from long-range, making just 2 of 15 attempts.
“We’re just not making shots,” Barry said. “That’s what it comes down to. We had a lot of good looks and they just didn’t fall tonight.”
Timothé Vergiat scored eight points, and his basket with three seconds remaining lifted France to a win over Lithuania and a 2-0 start in pool play.
France led by 5 after two free throws by Lucas Dussoulier with about 2 minutes left. Lithuania then scored the next five points, with the last three from Evaldas Dziaugys to tie it with less than a minute to play.
Lithuania had the ball with 12 seconds left, but Gintautas Matulis turned it over to set up Vergiat’s winner.
Jules Rambaut had 9 points with 5 rebounds for France, which beat Poland on Tuesday.
Lithuania got 7 points each from Aurelijus Pukelis and Dziaugys.
Karlis Lasmanis scored 8 points to lead defending champion Latvia over the Netherlands.
Nauris Miezis added 5 points and 6 rebounds in the win after Latvia opened the tournament by beating Lithuania.
Worthy de Jong made a basket followed by a free throw to get the Netherlands within 1 point with about 4 minutes to go.
Latvia then scored the next 9 points, with two 2-pointers by Lasmanis and one from Miezis to extend the lead to 19-9.
Arvin Slagter scored the first points for the Netherlands in more than two minutes on a 2-pointer after that and De Jong made a basket with less than a minute to go to cut the lead to 19-12.
But Lasmanis made a 2-pointer to end it on the next possession.
The Netherlands, which beat China in its opener, was led by De Jong’s 7 points.
Zhang Ning scored 11 points and added 4 rebounds to help China beat Serbia.
A basket by Mihailo Vasic put Serbia up 9-7 with about 6 minutes remaining.
China took over after that, going on a 10-1 run to take a 17-10 lead. China made three 2-pointers in that stretch to pull away.
Marko Brankovic and Dejan Majstorovic made consecutive 2-pointers for Serbia to cut the lead to 19-15 with about 2 minutes to go.
Zhao Jiaren closed it out by making two free throws with 2:05 remaining.
Majstorovic had 7 points and Brankovic added 5 for Serbia, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winner.
Both teams are 1-1. Serbia beat the U.S. in its opener. China lost to the Netherlands.
