BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 9 : SUMMER GAMES SPOTLIGHT : BREAKING UP IS HARD TO ROOT FOR

It makes sense that Lithuanians would feel kinship with Croatia. Lithuania gained its independence from the Soviet Union last year. Croatia has also declared itself a separate nation in the breakup of Yugoslavia.

But the Lithuanians have now also become huge fans of the Croatian basketball team. Lithuania, Croatia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Dream Team are favored to advance to the Olympic semifinals. The Lithuanians know they have no chance to defeat the United States. So, they are hoping that Croatia defeats the CIS.

“I want to play for a bronze medal against the Unified Team (CIS),” Lithuanian guard Sarunas Marciulionis said. “I hope we play against them. I want a rematch and to play against them.” Marciulionis said that after the recent loss to the CIS here, few members of the Lithuanian team slept.

“It was a long night,” he said.

* This a daily roundup of Olympic-related items from reporters in Barcelona from the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Baltimore Sun and Hartford Courant, all Times-Mirror newspapers.