DAY 2 : THE SEOUL GAMES : U.S. Flattens Spain, Sets Sights on Brazil : Spain Coach Says He’s Real Impressed, but Thompson Complains About Defense

Was the U.S. men’s basketball team:

--Too underwhelming in its exhibitions against the pros?

--Too weak from behind the three-point line?

--About to mutiny and go home early?

Uh, not exactly. The Americans finally got to play a game that meant something Sunday, and rearranged a respectable Spanish team, molecule by molecule.

The score was 97-53, after which the Americans chorused that they weren’t satisfied with their performances as individuals or as a team. Meanwhile, Spain Coach Antonio Diaz-Miguel, surveying a smoldering crater where his squad had been, said what everyone else believes.

Can anyone beat the United States?

“I don’t think so,” Diaz-Miguel said. “I don’t think so. But the teams that have power (size) like the U.S. should give them more problem. Teams like Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Brazil, because they have much more power than us.”

And Wednesday’s long-awaited rematch with Brazil, which stunned the United States on American soil in the ’87 Pam American Games?

“I think U.S. probably no problem to win game. . . . Probably 10-15 points.”

If the Americans play as they did Sunday, it will be worse than that. Uncaged after two months of hard practice, life on the road and desultory exhibitions replete with random substitution patterns, they jumped all over the overmatched Spaniards.

The Americans shot 58% from the field.

They held Spain to 33%.

They out-rebounded the Spaniards, 39-23.

They ran off a 6-0 lead to start the game and never trailed.

Were they happy?

N-o-o-o.

“Not at all,” said Coach John Thompson, smiling genially. “I’m never satisfied with defense.”

And David Robinson, did you feel good about your line--16 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks in 22 minutes?

“No,” Robinson said. “I feel like I need to improve a lot. (Grinning,) I need to be a little smarter offensively--as Coach will probably tell you.”

Coach was being genial, his dissatisfaction a teaching tool and motivational ploy as much as anything.

The Spanish team his players had just flattened is, relative to this competition, no stiff. The Spaniards were silver medalists at Los Angeles, and they are probably on a par with Brazil now, though a good step behind the big three--the Americans, Soviets and Yugoslavs.

Not that this was a fair match. The Spaniards had no player bigger than 6-foot 9-inch Antonio Martin, younger brother of Fernando, who played a season with the Portland Trail Blazers. The U.S. select team--the junior varsity--beat them handily on its summer European tour.

This U.S. team may not be everything that the ’84 club was, but the balance of power remains the same.

“I know U.S. very good,” Diaz-Miguel said. “I think Robinson superior on offense to Patrick Ewing (the ’84 center). On defense, I don’t think so. I think, intimidation the same.

The U.S. postgame performance was right in character, too. The interview session, 20 minutes for all other teams, was whittled to 10, counting time for the Korean translation. Press attache Chris Plonsky, the Big East publicist who is well-liked in normal times, started directing which players were to be asked questions next.

A New York Times reporter, who left the interview room to file his story, was denied re-admission, officials claiming that the room was too crowded.

A night before, Brazilian players had stayed around an extra half hour, but when the Americans’ 10 minutes were up, Thompson and his players beat a hasty retreat out a back door.

All wasn’t lost, though. Many reporters resolved to come back that night for the Soviet Union-Yugoslavia game, where the competition would be tighter and the atmosphere less repressive.