The U.S. men’s 3×3 basketball team suffered their second loss in pool play at the Paris Olympics, falling 19-17 to Poland on Wednesday night. The team now sits at 0-2, facing a challenging start to the tournament.
Jimmer Fredette, a key addition to the team after the U.S. failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, narrowed the gap to just one point with about 90 seconds remaining in the game. However, Michał Sokołowski extended Poland’s lead back to two with a free throw moments later. The U.S. had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but Fredette’s two-point attempt fell short.
Adding to the U.S.’s woes, Fredette appeared to sustain an injury with roughly three minutes left in the game. He was seen grimacing in pain and received treatment from a trainer before returning to the game. Fredette declined to speak to reporters after the game, and a team spokesman stated he was receiving treatment but did not provide specific details about the injury.
Despite the disappointing start, the U.S. team remains optimistic about their chances. “I don’t think we’re concerned,” Kareem Maddox said. “We just know we have some adjustments to make.”
The game saw a back-and-forth battle, with the lead changing hands several times. Poland established a five-point advantage with just over two and a half minutes remaining, but Canyon Barry, who shoots free throws underhanded like his father, NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, cut the lead to two with three consecutive free throws.
Poland ultimately pulled away with a basket by Adrian Bogucki, who led the team with seven points and five rebounds. Bogucki’s teammate, Dylan Travis, finished with six points for the U.S., as did Barry. Fredette added three points in the contest.
The U.S. struggled from beyond the arc, making just two of 15 attempts from three-point range. “We’re just not making shots,” Barry lamented. “That’s what it comes down to. We had a lot of good looks and they just didn’t fall tonight.”
In other 3×3 basketball action, France secured a 2-0 start in pool play with a thrilling 17-16 victory over Lithuania. Timothé Vergiat’s game-winning basket with three seconds left proved to be the difference, as Lithuania had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds but turned the ball over.
Latvia, the reigning champion, earned their second win of the tournament with a 19-12 victory over the Netherlands. Karlis Lasmanis led Latvia with eight points, including the final basket of the game.
China defeated Serbia 19-15 to improve their record to 1-1. Zhang Ning led the way for China with 11 points, while Serbia received seven points from Dejan Majstorovic.
In women’s 3×3 basketball, Azerbaijan stunned the defending champion U.S. team, winning 20-17. Tiffany Hayes, who plays for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, scored the game-winning layup with six seconds left. The U.S. team, considered one of the favorites, has now dropped to 0-2 in pool play.
