Olympic Legends - Jasikevicius' Big Night Against Team USA

SYDNEY (Olympics) - Lithuania have played in a lot of big games at the Olympics since they began competing as a nation in 1992.

One clash in Athens against the United States is still talked about in the Baltics.

The date was August 21, 2004, and the Americans, despite having won two of their first three games, were still nursing a hangover from their opening day, 92-73 demolition at the hands of Puerto Rico.

Against Lithuania, a team they had barely defeated in the Semi-Finals four years earlier in Sydney, a star-laden United States squad started as favorites but saw their 10-point lead cut to 49-44 at half-time.

Lithuania had won the EuroBasket gold medal the year before in Sweden and weren’t going to go quietly.

That was especially true of their talisman, Sarunas Jasikevicius.

The point guard drilled seven three-pointers and Lithuania sank 13 as a team to win 94-90.

Lithuania stole the initiative late in the fourth quarter when trailing, 84-81. 

Jasikevicius had the ball behind the arc and was being guarded by Lamar Odom. The guard pump-faked and got the NBA star off his feet and as Odom landed, Jasikevicius leaned into him before launching a three-pointer.

Odom crashed into him guard just as the ball fell through the hoop and a foul was called. 

Jasikevicius sank the free throw for a rare four-point play and then connected from behind the arc on his next two trips down the floor as Lithuania pulled away for victory.

“The first three-pointer (in the fourth quarter) I hit and then got fouled, that gave me a lot of confidence," he said.

Jasikevicius ended up tearing the Americans apart with 28 points.

FIBA