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In a demonstration of grit and determination, the U.S. Men's Olympic Team (5-3) refused to quit and with Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns) coming in off the bench to score 22 points, the Americans overcame Lithuania's 21-for-37 shooting barrage from 3-point to record a 104-96 victory Saturday night in the 2000 Olympic Games Bronze medal contest.

The United States men's basketball teams have now medaled in every Olympics they have participated in, winning gold 12 times, silver once, and bronze twice. The U.S. win also avenged the team's 94-90 loss to Lithuania on Aug. 21 in preliminary play.

In the evening's gold medal clash, Argentina (6-2) earned its first Olympic medal ever in basketball by defeating Italy (5-3) 84-69.

"This was probably the hardest game I have ever been involved with, in terms as a coach," USA head coach Larry Brown said. "We are proud of the way they played and how they improved.

"We came back tonight after that loss (to Argentina Friday in the semifinals), with the expectations that people have for us, and to play this game that way tonight is a good thing for American basketball. It showed a lot of class and a lot of character. They have nothing to be ashamed of - we beat a team that shot 21-37 from three (point range) and I think that is a very positive thing."

The scheduled 8 p.m. (Athens time) start of the bronze medal game was delayed 40 minutes after it was realized that both teams wore white jerseys. Both teams sent for their dark jerseys, however, the USA's away jerseys arrived first and the game officially tipped off at 8:40 p.m. with the U.S. in red.

Despite the delay, the U.S. came out playing inspired ball. Jumping ahead 9-5, the USA took a 22-13 lead with 2:05 left in the first quarter after a 11-2 run that was fueled by five points from Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz). However, the U.S. early lead was erased after an 11-0 Lithuania run that left the score tied at 24 after one quarter.

The U.S. led the entire second quarter and after scoring the final four points of the half the U.S. held a 49-44 lead at halftime.

Lithuania started the third quarter with a 7-0 run to take a 51-49 lead, but a much needed Stephon Marbury (New York Knicks) 3-pointer put a stop to the run and reinvigorated the U.S. Lithuania continued to fire 3-pointers and after making four consecutive threes, Lithuania moved out to a 65-58 lead with 4:06 remaining in the third.

But Marbury found the mark on a another three to start the Americans on a 9-0 that was finished off by an Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers) 3-pointer and his making one of two free throws, and the USA had a 67-65 lead.

The final quarter saw Lithuania continue to rely on the three and in fact they made 7-of-11 during the final 10 minutes.

After Marion made a 3-pointer to put the U.S. up 87-82 with 5:01 to play, Lithuania's Arvydas Macijauskas made his seventh and final 3-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to 8-85. Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers) gave Lithuania a little of its own medicine when he found the net from beyond the 3-point arc and a Marbury jumper on the following possession moved the Americans ahead 92-85 with 3:48 to go.

Saulius Stombergas joined the 3-point parade to close the gap to 92-88, but Odom scored and made the free throw after being fouled to complete the three-point play and lift the U.S. to a 95-88 lead. Iverson scored at the other end on the USA's next possession to push the lead to 97-88 with 2:38 left in the game and Lithuania never again pulled closer than seven.

"I think the guys really kept a hold of themselves," said Marbury. "We showed a lot of character coming out here tonight playing as hard as we did. We could have easily just laid down. We are going home with something."

With Marion leading the offensive showing with 22 points, Iverson finished with 15 points, while Marbury had 14 points and five assists, and Odom added 14 points and seven rebounds. Wade finished with nine points and a game best six assists, while Boozer scored nine points and along with Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs), who was again in early foul trouble, finished with a game best eight rebounds. Lithuania was led by Macijauskasmade's 24 points (8-16 FGs, 6-12 3pt FGs).

The USA shot 45.6 percent (36-79 FGs) from the floor and managed to make 8-of-18 tries beyond the 3-point line, but controlled the glass to the tune of 40-26. The American squad committed only 12 turnovers to Lithuania's 20, and Lithuania finished the night shooting 32-of-63 from the floor overall, and was 21-of-37 (.567 percent) from 3-point.

In Saturday's other finals, Greece (4-3) got out early and went on to record an 85-75 victory over Puerto Rico (3-4) and claim fifth place. In the game to decide seventh place, Spain (6-1) rode a 37-point (14-16 FGs) performance from Memphis Grizzlies standout Pau Gasol to defeat China (2-5) 92.76. China center and Houston Rockets star Yao Ming finished with 14 points in the loss.

2004 OLYMPICS

The 2004 Olympic men's basketball competition was held Aug. 15-28 in Athens.

Brown, who has won a gold medal as a player at the 1964 Olympics and as an assistant coach at the 2000 Olympics, and who most recently led the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 NBA title, is head coach of the 2004 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team and will draw on his recent international head coaching experiences that saw him lead USA teams in 1999 and 2003 to 10-0 records and Olympic qualifying berths. Assisting Brown on the USA bench is San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who owns a pair of NBA championships (1999 and 2003), and a pair of very successful collegiate head mentors in Clemson University's (S.C.) Oliver Purnell and University of North Carolina's Roy Williams.

The U.S. men, gold medalists in 12 of the 15 Olympics in which it has participated, now own a remarkable 114-5 win-loss record in Olympic play for a .958 winning percentage. USA Olympic teams featuring NBA players are 29-3 since making their first appearance at the 1992 Olympics and the U.S. won the 1992, 1996 and 2000e Olympic titles when NBA players have participated.