Argentina shocks U.S. at basketball meet

Agence France-Presse, Indianapolis, Indiana

Team USA's 58-game winning streak with National Basketball Association players came to a screeching halt on Wednesday with 87-80 loss to Argentina in the second round of the World Basketball Championships.

"Me, myself, personally, I'm embarrassed to be on the team that took the first loss," said Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce.

The American team's tendency to sleepwalk through the first half proved costly against Argentina.

Argentina built a 16-point cushion at halftime and led by as much as 20 at one point in beating the collection of NBA stars.

It was international basketball's biggest upset since the 1972 Summer Olympics when the US lost 51-50 to the Soviet Union.

"We just went up against a team that wanted it a little harder," Pierce said. "For some reason we didn't come out with the same aggression (at the start of the game) we had in the second half."

Argentina (6-0) grabs top spot in Group F and will face Brazil in the quarter-finals.

The United States (5-1) faces another stern challenge in its quarter-final game on Thursday against Yugoslavia.

The United States and Argentina can meet again in the final.

After the final buzzer, Team USA gathered at midcourt and joined hands while the Argentines sang and danced their way to the locker room.

Team USA is without marquee NBA players like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson who decided not to take part in the Worlds. Their absence zAhad many thinking this team might be ripe for an upset.

Future San Antonio Spurs rookie Emanuel Ginobili led the balanced Argentina attack with 15 points. Andres Noccioni scored 14, Luis Scola had 13 and Fabricio Oberto 11.

The US shot just 38 percent from the field and was led by Pierce with 22 points. Michael Finley and Andre Miller scored 14 apiece.

"The only weakness they have is they do not know each other," said Ginobili. "They had no team defense. There is not a bond like us. We know each other. We know where picks will be, when to cut for a pass."

Argentina built a 15-point lead in the first quarter. It was 70-63 early in the fourth quarter after a Reggie Miller three- pointer ignited the Indiana crowd.

But Argentina responded with six consecutive points, all on layups or drives, from Oberto, Ginobili and Hugo Schonochini.