Brisbane, Australia - September 3-9, 2001

Fielding a team that featured top young NBA players, the 2001 USA Basketball Goodwill Games team dominated the opposition in four of its five games and persevered to claim a hard fought overtime victory in its other contest to claim the gold medal with an impressive showing on both ends of the court.

2001 USA Men's Goodwill Games Team 2001 USA RESULTS (5-0) USA 132 Mexico 58 USA 97 Argentina 67 USA 111 Cuba 70 USA 106 Brazil 98 (OT) USA 91 Argentina 63 2001 GOODWILL GAMES FINAL STANDINGS 1. USA (5-0) 5. Canada (2-3) 2. Argentina (3-2) 6. New Zealand (2-3) 3. Brazil (3-2) 7. Mexico (2-3) 4. Australia (2-3) 8. Cuba (0-5)

The Americans won five games between Sept. 3-9 in Brisbane, Australia, and while averaging 107.4 points a game and compiling a striking overall average margin of victory that was 36.2 points a game, it was the squad's overall balance and its defensive skills that resulted in the capturing of the gold medal.

Defensively, the USA limited its opponents to 38.0 percent shooting from the field overall, just 31.1 percent from 3-point. In fact, just one of the USA's five opponents managed to shoot better than 40.1 percent overall in a game.

The USA's offensive effort saw nine players average between 13.4 and 7.2 points a game. Shawn Marion headed the USA's scoring, averaging 13.4 ppg., Jermaine O'Neal added 13.2 ppg., Wally Szczerbiak contributed 13.0 ppg., Kenyon Martin was tops off the bench adding 11.6 ppg., and Baron Davis was the fifth American to average double-digit scoring for the competition at 10.6 ppg.

The USA was completely dominating in its three preliminary round games, winning by 74, 30 and 41 points. Behind Rashard Lewis' double-double of 21 points and 12 boards, the USA opened with a record setting 132-58 victory over Mexico. Led by 19 points and nine rebounds from Marion, the U.S. stormed past Argentina 97-67 for its second win, then receiving 19 points from Martin the USA closed out preliminary play with a 111-70 victory over Cuba on Sept. 5.

Advancing to the semifinals, following a do-or-die defensive stand at the end of regulation by Davis and eight points in overtime from Andre Miller, the USA survived a scare and rallied in overtime to defeat upset minded Brazil 106-98 in semifinal play on Sept. 8.

The United States led 79-67 heading into the fourth quarter, but Brazil gradually fought its way back and tied the game 90-90 with 40.7 seconds to play. Brazil got the ball back with 16 seconds to play for a chance to win the game, but guard Dementrius Ferraciu was tightly defended by Davis and was unable to get a shot off sending the contest into overtime.

Brazil led 96-94 with 3:20 to play in overtime but Andre Miller, who as a collegian at Utah was the hero of the 1998 Goodwill Games gold medal contest, once again stepped up for the USA. Scoring eight points for the U.S. in the overtime, Andre found O'Neal inside for a basket that gave the Americans the lead for good 97-96 with 2:52 remaining and the U.S. went on to earn the 106-98 victory. O'Neal led the offense scoring 22 points, Martin finished with 18 points and Andre Miller added 16 points.

Riding an impressive defensive showing that limited Argentina to just 20 points and 26.4 percent shooting over the first two quarters, the U.S. behind a balanced scoring attack that was paced by O'Neal's 14 points marched to a 91-63 victory on Sept. 9 to claim the gold medal.

All 12 USA players scored in the gold medal clash. O'Neal added a team best eight rebounds and four blocked shots to go with his game high 14 points, while also scoring in double figures for the U.S. were Marion, 13 points, Davis, 11 points and five assists, and Szczerbiak, 11 points.