Every time the U.S. men’s basketball team lost since the Dream Team

By OlympicTalkSep 11, 2019, 8:59 AM EDT

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The U.S. men’s basketball team has lost 11 games in major international competition since NBA players began participating in the Olympics with the Dream Team in Barcelona in 1992 …

1. Lithuania 84, U.S. 82 — 1998 FIBA World Championship
The U.S.’ first loss in the Dream Team era, after it had won the 1992 Olympics, 1994 Worlds and 1996 Olympics with undefeated marks. The Americans dropped their second group-play game at worlds in Greece, but they didn’t have any NBA players amid the lockout. The roster included Duke star Trajan Langdon and Michigan Fab Fiver Jimmy King.

2. Russia 66, U.S. 64 — 1998 FIBA World Championship
Russia relegated the U.S. to the bronze-medal game when Sergey Panov dribbled the length of the floor and made a lay-up with four seconds left. The U.S. went scoreless for the last 3:08, and the defeat forced it to go to the FIBA Americas to qualify for the Sydney Olympics.

3. Argentina 87, U.S. 80 — 2002 FIBA World Championship
The U.S.’ first loss with NBA players in an international tournament, ending a 58-game win streak. The U.S. never led and trailed by as much as 20 to a team that included Manu Ginobili, playing before his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs.

4. Yugoslavia 81, U.S. 78 — 2002 FIBA World Championship
The U.S. gets knocked out of medal contention at worlds in the quarterfinals against a team led by Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic. NBA superstars including Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett declined to play for Team USA at this event in Indianapolis.

5. Spain 81, U.S. 75 — 2002 FIBA World Championship
The U.S. blows a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead in the fifth-place game for a humiliating end to worlds as the host nation. ”The money and greed of the N.B.A.: does that have an effect on our competitive nature?” U.S. coach George Karl asked. ”Yeah, you can write that.”

6. Puerto Rico 92, U.S. 73 — 2004 Olympics
The Athens Games began with a stunner — a defeat to lowly Puerto Rico in the opening group-play game for the Americans’ first loss at the Olympics since they used college players in 1988. This U.S. team also lacked O’Neal, Bryant and Garnett, but not even Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson could reverse the curse of 2002. Utah Jazz backup point guard Carlos Arroyo had 24 points for Puerto Rico.

7. Lithuania 94, U.S. 90 — 2004 Olympics
Four years after nearly beating the U.S. in Sydney, the Lithuanians followed through in group play behind sharp-shooting Sarunas Jasikevicius. Fireworks thundered above the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, after the game, and cheering fans poured into the streets, singing and waving flags.

8. Argentina 89, U.S. 81 — 2004 Olympics
No Olympic gold for the U.S. Argentina, again led by Ginobili, beat the U.S. in the semifinals en route to its one and only Olympic basketball title. Duncan was limited to 19 minutes by foul trouble. “You can’t just show up at a basketball game and feel that because you have USA across your chest you’re going to win the game,” Iverson said.

9. Greece 101, U.S. 95 — 2006 FIBA World Championship
A Greek team with zero NBA players hands the U.S. what would be its last major loss until 2019. This U.S. team had some stars, from LeBron James to Dwyane Wade to Dwight Howard, but it was its first tournament in a new era with Mike Krzyzewski at the helm. “We have to learn the international game better,” Krzyzewski said. “We learned a lot today because we played a team that plays amazing basketball and plays together.”

10. France 89, U.S. 79 — 2019 FIBA World Cup
France ends another U.S. 58-game win streak with NBA players in international tournaments. This U.S. roster had zero NBA superstars, just two 2019 All-Stars and one player with Olympic experience. The U.S. gets knocked out of the tournament in the quarterfinals, failing to earn a medal for the first time since 2002.

11. Serbia 94, U.S. 89 — 2019 FIBA World Cup
Serbia made it losses on back-to-back days for the U.S., ensuring the Americans record their worst-ever major international tournament result of seventh or eighth place. The Serbians led 32-7 after the first quarter in a rematch of the Rio Olympic final.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MORE: FIBA World Cup schedule, results

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Iga Swiatek sweeps into French Open final, where she faces a surprise

By OlympicTalkJun 9, 2023, 5:30 PM EDT

Iga Swiatek marched into the French Open final without dropping a set in six matches. All that stands between her and a third Roland Garros title is an unseeded foe.

Swiatek plays 43rd-ranked Czech Karolina Muchova in the women’s singles final, live Saturday at 9 a.m. ET on NBC, NBCSports.com/live, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Swiatek, the top-ranked Pole, swept 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 6-2, 7-6 (7) in Thursday’s semifinal in her toughest test all tournament. Haddad Maia squandered three break points at 4-all in the second set.

Swiatek dropped just 23 games thus far, matching her total en route to her first French Open final in 2020 (which she won for her first WTA Tour title of any kind). After her semifinal, she signed a courtside camera with the hashtag #stepbystep.

“For sure I feel like I’m a better player,” than in 2020, she said. “Mentally, tactically, physically, just having the experience, everything. So, yeah, my whole life basically.”

Swiatek can become the third woman since 2000 to win three French Opens after Serena Williams and Justine Henin and, at 22, the youngest woman to win four total majors since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Muchova upset No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to reach her first major final.

Muchova, a 26-year-old into the second week of the French Open for the first time, became the first player to take a set off the powerful Belarusian all tournament, then rallied from down 5-2 in the third set to prevail 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5.

Sabalenka, who overcame previous erratic serving to win the Australian Open in January, had back-to-back double faults in her last service game.

“Lost my rhythm,” she said. “I wasn’t there.”

Muchova broke up what many expected would be a Sabalenka-Swiatek final, which would have been the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 match at the French Open since Williams beat Maria Sharapova in the 2013 final.

Muchova is unseeded, but was considered dangerous going into the tournament.

In 2021, she beat then-No. 1 Ash Barty to make the Australian Open semifinals, then reached a career-high ranking of 19. She dropped out of the top 200 last year while struggling through injuries.

“Some doctors told me maybe you’ll not do sport anymore,” Muchova said. “It’s up and downs in life all the time. Now I’m enjoying that I’m on the upper part now.”

Muchova has won all five of her matches against players ranked in the top three. She also beat Swiatek in their lone head-to-head, but that was back in 2019 when both players were unaccomplished young pros. They have since practiced together many times.

“I really like her game, honestly,” Swiatek said. “I really respect her, and she’s I feel like a player who can do anything. She has great touch. She can also speed up the game. She plays with that kind of freedom in her movements. And she has a great technique. So I watched her matches, and I feel like I know her game pretty well.”

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2023 French Open men’s singles draw

By OlympicTalkJun 9, 2023, 5:30 PM EDT

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The French Open men’s singles draw is missing injured 14-time champion Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Coupe des Mousquetaires ripe for the taking.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Novak Djokovic is not only bidding for a third crown at Roland Garros, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history. He can also become the first man to win all four majors at least three times and, at 36, the oldest French Open men’s or women’s singles champion.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

Djokovic took out No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, advancing to a final against 2022 French Open runner-up Casper Ruud of Norway.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No. 2 seed, was upset in the first round by 172nd-ranked Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild. It marked the first time a men’s top-two seed lost in the first round of any major since 2003 Wimbledon (Ivo Karlovic d. Lleyton Hewitt).

All of the American men lost before the fourth round. The last U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals was Andre Agassi in 2003.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

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