Americans Defeat Mexico by 74 Points at Goodwill

The U.S. men’s basketball team cruised to a 132-58 victory over Mexico Monday in the opening game of round-robin play in the Goodwill Games at Brisbane, Australia.

Rashard Lewis led all scores with 21 points and Wally Szczerbiak added 20. The total points and the 74-point margin of victory were the largest in Goodwill Games history.

After a close first quarter, the U.S. closed with a 6-0 run for a 31-22 lead, then routed Mexico in the second period for a 71-33 halftime lead. It was the first time the two countries have played each other and the first time that NBA players are representing the U.S. in the Goodwill Games.

Mike Miller scored 16 points, Jason Terry 15 and Baron Davis added 10 points and 12 assists.

“They’re one of the best teams here, if not the best,” said David Crouse, a former center at USC who led Mexico with 17 points.

The previous high for a team in the games was 119 by Lithuania against Puerto Rico in 1998, and the previous largest margin of victory was 49 points in Brazil’s 101-52 victory over China in 1994.

U.S. teams with NBA players are 49-0 in international basketball competition since they first represented the country in the 1992 Tournament of the Americas.

The team will play today against Argentina, a 105-75 winner over Cuba.

The U.S. women’s team, competing without many top swimmers, lost to Australia, 89-60, in the gold-medal matchup.

“We’re a little disappointed with some of the outcomes,” U.S. captain Lindsay Benko, a former USC swimmer, said.

The men, keyed by Tom Wilkens’ three victories, defeated Europe, 87-62, to win the bronze.

Other U.S. winners were Gary Hall Jr., 50 freestyle; Tom Malchow, 200 butterfly; Scott Tucker, 100 freestyle; Christian Dejong, 200 backstroke; Chad Carvin, 400 freestyle; Jayme Kramer, 50 backstroke; and Jarrod Marrs, 50 breaststroke.

U.S. beach volleyball teams went 0 for 3 in semifinal matches.

Barbra Fontana contends the Goodwill Games beach volleyball competition was rigged to help Australian Olympic champions Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook make the final.

Fontana and Elaine Youngs, the No. 2 pair, lost in the semifinal to Brazil’s No. 1 pairing of Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede.

Fontana said the fact that organizers gave Pottharst and Cook the top seeding cost her a place in the final. Cook rejected the claim, saying it was standard practice for the home team to be the top seed.

Brazil won, 21-18, 18-21, 15-8, extending its winning streak to 28 matches. Kevin Wong and Stein Metzger lost to world champions Mariano Baracetti and Martin Conde of Argentina, 21-19, 22-20.

Eric Fonoimoana and Rob Heidger lost to Jose Loiola and Ricardo Santos of Brazil, 17-21, 21-19, 15-13.

Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki led Germany to a come-from-behind 80-75 victory over Greece at the European championships at Ankara, Turkey.

Latvia defeated Lithuania, 94-76, and Croatia defeated defending champion Italy, 65-57. Italian Coach Bogdan Tanjevic resigned after the loss.

Spain defeated Israel, 71-67.The winners join France, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Russia in the quarterfinals.

Motor Racing

Larry Dixon won the Top Fuel division and extended his NHRA Winston points lead at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Clermont, Ind.

Dixon used a run of 4.609 seconds at 315.93 mph to defeat Mike Dunn. Whit Bazemore (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), Angelle Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) and Mike Coughlin (Pro Stock Truck) also won their divisions .

Formula One driver Luciano Burti of Brazil is recovering well at Liege, Belgium, from head injuries sustained in a crash Sunday at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Pre-season safety testing required by the sport’s ruling body and a harness which stopped Burti’s head moving on impact may have saved his life, according to his team spokesman.

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Winston Cup driver Steve Park was released from a hospital at Mooresville, N.C., two days after he was injured in an accident at Darlington Raceway. Park suffered a concussion and bruised his collarbone and did not race in Sunday’s Southern 500 with Kenny Wallace subbing for him.

Park drives a Chevrolet for DEI, the company founded by the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Miscellany

Thomas Engel, a promising tennis player, was accidentally shot and killed Saturday by police investigating a car theft at Sao Leopoldo, near Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Police were acting on a report of a stolen vehicle when they encountered Engel and two friends, who happened to be in the area.

According to local reports, the youths were ordered up against a wall when the gun of one of the officers went off accidentally, hitting Engel, 15, in the back.

Engel, ranked 13th in Brazil’s under-16 age group, had won regional titles in all age categories. His brother Lucas is a professional tennis player and was winner of the under-18 Copa Gerdau in 1999, a title also won by current world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten in 1994.

“Thomas was considered by many to be one of the most promising young tennis stars in southern Brazil,” family spokesman Jose Eduardo de Zotti said.

Forward Brendan Shanahan of the Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Jay McKee of the Buffalo Sabres were added to the Canadian Olympic hockey camp roster.

The additions, caused by injuries to other players, brought the roster to 36 for the camp that opens today.

Forward Joe Sakic, already named to the Olympic team, has a groin injury that may keep him from skating.

Defenseman Adam Foote is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Passings

J. Hal Surface Jr., a former national tennis champion and U.S. Davis Cup member, died at Kansas City, Mo., from complications of a stroke suffered Aug. 21. He was 88.

Surface’s playing career spanned from the 1930s to the 1980s and included victories over Bill Tilden and Bobby Riggs

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