The US continues to replay the 1972 Olympics this weekend as we take on Lithuania in the semi-finals of the FIBA World Basketball Championships.
Earlier this week the US defeated Russia by 10. I was hoping for a bigger, blow out win after Russia's American-born coach, David Blatt, opined that upon further review the Soviet Union was the rightful winner in the gold medal game of the 1972 Olympics in Munich. What a moron.
For years and years Lithuania was kind of the New York City of the Soviet Union, producing most of the USSR's best players. This year they are led by Linus Kleiza, who played for George Karl and the Denver Nuggets prior to spending a year in Greece with Olympiacos last season. But Kleiza went to high school at Montrose Christian near the District.
Lithuania blew out Argentina in their quarterfinal game this week, an impressive achievement, but I can't imagine them hanging with the U.S. With Argentina, Greece and Spain already eliminated our squad should have a pretty clear path to the U.S.'s first world basketball championship since 1994. Game time for the tilt against Lithuania is noon eastern on Saturday.
Turkey takes on Serbia in another battle between Ottoman Turks and Byzantine-era Orthodox Christians.
Champions League
On Wednesday, Greek soccer champion Panathinaikos travels to Catalonia to take on one of soccer's most famous and glamorous clubs, Barcelona. Barca and PAO are in the same European Champions League group, along with two other teams. The top two advance to the knock out round of 32.
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