By Paul Garcia, Project Spurs.com
For being considered one of the elder teams in the Olympics, San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili and Argentina showed that age doesn’t exclude firepower as the Argentineans blasted Lithuania 102-79 to take a 1-0 lead in their 2012 Olympic run.
Old? Ginobili, a day after turning 35-years of age, put up a double-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Another “elder” player, Luis Scola, who was amnestied by the Houston Rockets recently, led Argentina in scoring with 32 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Carlos Delfino (20 points), Andres Nocioni (10 points), and Pablo Prigioni (9 points) all helped provide the fuel for the route of the Lithuanians.
Here’s the rundown
First quarter: Argentina (ARG) 24, (LIT) Lithuania 23
Player of the quarter (ARG): Scola – Scola scored 10 points in the first quarter by displaying his solid fundamentals in the low post. Whether it was using pump fakes to finish with hook shots over players, or hitting his consistent 17-foot jumper, Scola kept the Argentines alive in the first quarter. He also may have made Phoenix Suns fans burst with excitement, as he’ll be joining their franchise this coming season.
Player of the quarter (LIT): Linas Kleiza – Kleiza had nine points for Lithuania in the first quarter by hitting shots from the perimeter, but also working for loose balls and finishing near the rim.
Highlight (ARG): Ginobili delivered a smooth beautiful pass from the 3-point line to Scola who was right underneath the basket to finish the easy basket. The play looked reminiscent of a bowling player smoothly rolling the ball down the lane.
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