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Allen Iverson’s Shooting Display Leads USA To 111-71 Olympic Qualifying Tournament Victory Over Canada

It was a record setting night for 6'0" USA guard Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers). Iverson scored a USA Olympic Qualifying single game record 28 points (surpassing Gary Payton’s previous mark of 25 points set July 19, 1999, versus the Dominican Republic) and made a USA single game record seven 3-pointers (besting Tim Hardaway’s record of five made 3-pointers set against Argentina, July 17, 1999) to lead the USA to a 111-71 victory over Canada (2-2) Monday night in the first game of second round action at the FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The win improved the USA to 5-0, 4-0 in second round standings and upped the Americans’ Olympic qualifying tournament win streak to 20 consecutive games.

The U.S. earned the win without its leading scorer, Tracy McGrady (Orlando Magic), who did not play because of a tight back. McGrady is listed as day-to-day.

The USA will look to continue its winning ways Tuesday in a much anticipated 5:00 p.m. (EDT) game against Argentina (3-1). Last year at the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, it was Argentina who put a halt to the USA senior team’s remarkable 58 game win streak that dated back to the 1992 Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Meeting on Sept. 4, 2002, in second round action, Argentina shocked the Americans 87-80 and went on to finish 81 and claimed the silver medal at the World Championship, but only after falling 8477 in overtime to Yugoslavia in the gold medal game.

“It was a good feeling because I felt every shot was going in,” said Iverson, who shot 10-for-13 for the night and was 7-for-8 from 3-point. “Usually when I get in a 'zone,' I am getting some layups and jumpers and maybe some threes. But tonight, they were all behind the arc.

“The last one...I just felt like it was going in, because all the rest of them went in. I felt like everything I put up was going in,” Iverson added

“I never saw that!” said USA mentor Larry Brown (Detroit Pistons) when asked if he recalled ever seeing Iverson shoot like that from 3-point. “I've been with him for six years but this has been the best two weeks he's ever played. Just trying to do the right thing, taking what's available.

“We don't go to him like we went to him in Philly. He would probably tell you, it's fun playing because when you're open here, everybody shares the ball. I think he makes other players better and the people around him, make him better. That was an amazing shooting display. I don't think there was any doubt. Any of his shots! Even the last one, when I was trying to get him out. He just got in a rhythm and I didn't see him force one shot. He just took what was there.”

After falling behind the U.S. 12-7, Canada out scored the USA 21-9 over the first quarter’s final 5:43 to grab a 28-21 advantage. In need of a spark, the USA got it from Ray Allen (Seattle SuperSonics) who came in off the bench and accounted for 10 points during a 15-3 run by the Americans that saw them take charge 36-31 with 5:21 to play before half. Canada cut the lead to 38-36, but the USA then reeled off 11 consecutive points, four coming from Vince Carter (Toronto Raptors), to increase its lead to 49-36. When the USA retired to its locker room at halftime, it was ahead 51-39.

Canada, which hit 42.9 percent of its shots in the first quarter, was stymied in quarter two and made just 3-of-15 (20.0 percent) of its field goal attempts. The USA made a blistering 12-of-20 shots for a 60.0 percent shooting touch in the second quarter.

The third quarter was all Iverson. Hitting his first 3-pointer with 7:41 to play, by the end of the third quarter Iverson had found the bottom of the net from beyond the 3-point line seven times, including a 35-footer with less than a second remaining as the USA had surged ahead 82-59. The lights-out shooting continued in the fourth quarter and the U.S. sailed in for the 111-71 victory.

Allen, 6-of-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from 3-point, Carter, 6-of-9 from the floor, and Duncan each finished with 16 points, and Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers) tossed in 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting. Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets) spirited the USA’s rebounding effort with seven boards, Jermaine O’Neal (Indiana Pacers) added six rebounds Credited as a team with a striking 40 assists for the game, Mike Bibby (Sacramento Kings) had nine assists, while Richard Jefferson (New Jersey Nets) was credited with six.

The United States enjoyed a very impressive shooting night. Sinking 65.5 percent (42-64 FGs) from the field overall, the U.S. was a remarkable 14-of-18 from 3-point, and was 13-of-16 from the foul line.

In Monday’s other second round games, Argentina (3-1), despite losing twice to Brazil (2-2) in the July South American Championship, squeaked out a 76-74 victory, Mexico (2-2) continued its surprising run and recorded a 100-91 win against the Dominican Republic (1-3), and host Puerto Rico (2-2) rolled to an 85-59 decision over Venezuela (1-3).

Second round play continues Tuesday with Venezuela playing Mexico in the 2:30 p.m. (all times are EDT) game, the Dominican Republic meets host Puerto Rico at 7:30 p.m., and the day’s final game is Brazil versus Canada at 10 p.m.

Ten men's national teams from North, South and Central America are competing in the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the top three finishers will qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games.

Preliminary round play took place Aug. 20-24 and the top four finishing teams from each of the two preliminary round groups advanced to the second ground where they form one group. The second round games are scheduled for Aug. 25-28, each team will play the other four teams they have not previously played. The top four finishers based on overall records will then advance to the Saturday, Aug. 30 semifinals, and the winners of the semifinals games will meet on Sunday, Aug. 31 in the gold medal game, while the losers of Saturday’s semifinals showdowns will square off in the bronze medal game.

USA Basketball has had to qualify for the Olympics through a zone qualifying tournament twice before, 1992 in Portland, Oregon, and 1999 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Americans in 1992 rolled to a 6-0 record, won the gold medal and earned a qualifying berth in the ‘92 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. In 1999, under the direction of Brown, the American squad won 10 games in 11 days to finish 10-0 and in possession of the gold, while earning one of the two Americas Olympic qualifying berths.