U.S. Wastes Big Lead in Basketball

The Madison Square Garden crowd of 8,617 treated Puerto Rico like the home team in an 84-76 come-from-behind victory over a youthful U.S. team in a Goodwill Games men’s basketball opener Sunday.

Puerto Rico, the defending Goodwill champion, used its experience to rally from a 55-36 second-half deficit with 15 1/2 minutes left.

Eddie Casiano, who made 10 of 16 shots--including four of five three-point attempts--scored 26 of his 31 points in the second half for Puerto Rico. Jose Ortiz, a Utah Jazz player from 1988-90, scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half.

“We were expecting the fan support,” said Ortiz, who played collegiately at Oregon State. “There is a great Puerto Rican community in New York.”

Elton Brand of Duke was the only consistent performer for the United States, scoring 24 points. Shane Heal scored 18 points and former Seton Hall star Andrew Gaze added 17 as Australia defeated Argentina, 84-72.

Darius Lukminas scored 21 points as Lithuania beat Russia 79-72. Brazil defeated China, 75-60.

*

American Dominique Moceanu, the youngest member of the gold-medal team in Atlanta, won the all-around women’s gymnastics title at Uniondale, N.Y.

Moceanu finished with a score of 38.662. Maria Olaru of Romania was second with 37.975.

World champion Svetlana Khorkina of Russia finished seventh at 37.412.

*

Bill May of the United States moved into a position to win two of the first medals ever awarded to a man in international synchronized swimming.

May and partner Kristina Lum, the national champions, were in second place in the duet after the short program, trailing Olga Brousnikina and Maria Kisseleva of Russia by 0.733 points.

The United States was also second behind Russia in the team event, 98.600-97.467.

*

Despite earlier reports of a boycott, Iran’s wrestlers will participate at the Goodwill Games, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency in Tehran.

The Iranian Wrestling Federation said not participating would harm the country’s standing in the wrestling world, according to the daily Iran News.