New York, New York, USA - July 19-24, 1998

Receiving outstanding play from all 12 team members, the 1998 USA Basketball Goodwill Games Team rolled to a surprising 4-1 record and the gold medal at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. The U.S. squad, directed by Minnesota's Clem Haskins and comprised of top available collegians, faced four national teams (Australia, Brazil, Lithuania, Puerto Rico) that later played in the 1998 FIBA Men's World Championship in Greece.

1998 USA Men's Goodwill Games Team 1998 USA RESULTS (4-1) Puerto Rico 84 USA 76 USA 91 China 76 USA 106 Brazil 75 USA 89 Lithuania 76 USA 93 Australia 85 (OT) 1998 GOODWILL GAMES FINAL STANDINGS 1. USA (4-1) 5. Argentina (1-2) 2. Australia (3-2) Brazil (2-1) 3. Lithuania (3-2) China (0-3) 4. Puerto Rico (2-3) Russia (1-2)

Wally Szczerbiak and Elton Brand helped lead the way for the USA, averaging 17.2 points per game and 17.0 ppg., respectively. Additionally, Brand was the team's leader in rebounding (7.6 rpg.) and Szczerbiak was the team's second leading rebounder (4.6 rpg.). Andre Miller led the team in assists with 22, while Brand led the team in blocked shots with seven.

In its 1998 Goodwill Games opener against defending gold medalist Puerto Rico on July 19, the U.S. dropped an 84-76 decision despite assembling a 19-point lead early in the second half. Brand led all U.S. players with 24 points and 10 rebounds, and was joined by Szczerbiak in double figures, as Szczerbiak checked in with 12 points.

The USA kept its medal round hunt alive with a 91-76 preliminary round win over China on July 20 as Szczerbiak scored a game high 23 points.

Meeting previously undefeated Brazil on July 21 in its final preliminary round game, in order to qualify for the medal round the U.S. not only had to win, but had to win by at least seven points to come out on top of the tie breaking formula that would be used to break the three-way tie between the United States, Puerto Rico and Brazil. The U.S. responded with a USA single-game Goodwill Games shooting percentage record of 65.5 percent (38-58 FGs) to advance into the Games' medal round semifinals with an impressive 106-75 victory. The 31-point win was the USA's second-largest in Goodwill Games history, trailing only a 37-point victory (113-76) over Italy in 1986.

The Americans advanced into the gold medal game with an impressive 89-76 win against Lithuania in semifinals action on July 23 as Szczerbiak scored a team high 20 points. Additionally, Brand checked in with 15 points and a team high six rebounds to pace the win.

To claim the gold medal, the USA had to battle through overtime against an experienced Australia team on July 24 before earning a 93-85 triumph. Despite a game high 38 points from 1996 Olympian and former member of the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves Shane Heal, the USA outscored the Aussies 14-6 in overtime to secure the victory. In that contest, Miller scored 15 of his team high 18 points after halftime to pace the U.S. to the win.

There were 16 lead changes and nine ties in the game. In overtime, Miller and Szczerbiak scored on consecutive possessions to give the U.S. an 83-79 lead. Former Seton Hall University star Andrew Gaze then converted a pair of free throws with 3:06 left in overtime to cut the USA's lead to 85-83, but Quincy Lewis answered with a jumper and the Australians didn't come closer than four points after that point.

1998 USA Men's Goodwill Games Cumulative Statistics