The U.S. men’s 3x3 basketball team fell to 0-2 in pool play in the Paris Olympics with a 19-17 loss to Poland Wednesday night.
Jimmer Fredette cut the lead to 1 with about 90 seconds left before Michał Sokołowski made a free throw a few seconds later to extend the lead to 19-17.
The U.S. had a chance to tie it late, but Fredette’s 2-point attempt came up short. Fredette, who was brought in to boost the team after the U.S. failed to qualify for Tokyo, appeared to sustain an injury with about three minutes left. He looked to be in pain as he was tended to by a trainer but soon returned to the game.
He did not speak to reporters after the game and a team spokesman said he was receiving treatment but did not provide any specifics on an injury.
The U.S. team remains confident despite the tough start to the Paris Games.
“I don’t think we’re concerned,” Kareem Maddox said. “We just know we have some adjustments to make.”
The U.S. was down by 1 after a basket by Canyon Barry with about six minutes left before Poland used a 6-1 run to make it 15-9 with four minutes to go.
Poland was up by 5 with about 2 1/2 minutes to go when Barry made three free throws to cut the lead to 17-15. Barry shoots free throws underhanded like his father, NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry.
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A basket by Adrian Bogucki pushed Poland’s lead to 3 and Dylan Travis made a shot for the U.S. before Fredette’s last bucket got team within 18-17.
Bogucki had seven points and five rebounds for Poland, which lost to France on Tuesday.
Barry and Travis led the U.S. with six points each. Fredette, who is the only player with NBA experience in the 3x3 competition, added three.
The U.S. struggled from long-range, making just 2 of 15 attempts.
“We’re just not making shots,” Barry said. “That’s what it comes down to. We had a lot of good looks and they just didn’t fall tonight.”
Timothé Vergiat scored eight points and his basket with three seconds remaining lifted France to a win over Lithuania and a 2-0 start in pool play.
France led by 5 after two free throws by Lucas Dussoulier with about two minutes left. Lithuania then scored the next five points, with the last three from Evaldas Dziaugys to tie it with less than a minute to play.
Lithuania had the ball with 12 seconds left, but Gintautas Matulis turned it over to set up Vergiat’s game-winner.
Jules Rambaut had nine points with five rebounds for France, which beat Poland on Tuesday.
Lithuania got seven points each from Aurelijus Pukelis and Dziaugys.
Karlis Lasmanis scored eight points to lead defending champion Latvia over the Netherlands.
Nauris Miezis added five points and six rebounds in the win after Latvia opened the tournament by beating Lithuania.
Worthy de Jong made a basket followed by a free throw to get the Netherlands within 1 point with about four minutes to go.
Latvia then scored the next nine points, with two 2-pointers by Lasmanis and one from Miezis to extend the lead to 19-9.
Arvin Slagter scored the first points for the Netherlands in more than two minutes on a 2-pointer after that and De Jong made a basket with less than a minute to go to cut the lead to 19-12.
But Lasmanis made a 2-pointer to end it on the next possession.
The Netherlands, which beat China in its opener, was led by De Jong’s seven points.
Zhang Ning scored 11 points and added four rebounds to help China beat Serbia.
A basket by Mihailo Vasic put Serbia up 9-7 with about six minutes remaining.
China took over after that, going on a 10-1 run to take a 17-10 lead. China made three 2-pointers in that stretch to pull away.
Marko Brankovic and Dejan Majstorovic made consecutive 2-pointers for Serbia to cut the lead to 19-15 with about two minutes to go.
Zhao Jiaren closed it out by making two free throws with 2:05 remaining.
Majstorovic had seven points and Brankovic added five for Serbia, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winner.
Both teams are 1-1. Serbia beat the U.S. in its opener. China lost to the Netherlands.
U.S women lost to Azerbaijan
Tiffany Hayes scored 11 points, including the go-ahead basket late, to lead Azerbaijan to a 20-17 win over the U.S. in women’s 3x3 basketball pool play at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, dropping the defending champions to 0-2.
The game was tied when Hayes, who plays for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, drove into the lane and finished with a layup to put Azerbaijan on top 18-17 with six seconds to go.
The U.S. had a chance to regain the lead, but Hailey Van Lith’s 2-pointer was off.
A desperation foul by the U.S. led to two free throws by Alexandra Mollenhauer to secure the victory.
The U.S. team was among the favorites to win again in these games. But so far the team has struggled and lost to Germany in the opener.
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