Mexico 100, Puerto Rico 89

August 22, 2007 � Las Vegas, Nevada

Mexico and Puerto Rico had a tough act to follow, considering Uruguay and Panama thrilled the crowd at Thomas & Mack Center with an overtime battle to get things started at the FIBA Americas 2007 Championship. Both teams were up to the task of continuing the showmanship, and after a hot-shooting first quarter, the score was tied at 29-29.

Mexico�s hot shooting continued throughout the first half (54 percent from the field), and behind 22 points from Victor Mariscal, they opened up a 57-45 lead by the break.

Puerto Rico rallied in the third quarter and even took a lead during the fourth, but Mexico would not be denied. When Horacio Llamas connected on a three-pointer with just over one minute to play, Mexico had stretched its lead back to double-digits at 98-86 and chants of �Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!� cascaded throughout the arena. Llamas would finish with 18 points while Mariscal logged a game high 30 as Mexico triumphed 100-89.

Notes: Puerto Rico�s Carlos Arroyo scored all four of his points at the foul line, finishing the game 0-for-10 from the field.

NOLAN RICHARDSON, MEXICO HEAD COACH
What did you know about this team coming out of your camps and when you looked at the scores were you surprised or not surprised?
First of all, I know about Mexico because I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, right next to the boarder so all my life I've coached or played with Mexican kids, so there was a connection from the beginning. I've also coached the Panamanian team in Santo Domingo, getting those guys to the World Games. Mexico was there and I watched them knock out Argentina in the first game. So you could see there was enough talent. So I knew that much about them � I didn't know the players. We spent eight days training and guys never missed the workouts. To answer your question, this group has worked extremely hard. That was our 20th game since May 21; we went to El Salvador and played five games. We've been in the hottest gyms and highest altitudes. When you have guys like that, that are that dedicated, you know you have a good team. But this is still the beginning. We still have several games to go.

Can you tell us how you communicate with the team?
I can speak Spanish. I understand Spanish. There are words I don't know. If I'm in Mexico though, I can understand � so therefore, I can communicate with the team.

What similarities do you find in your work in Panama several years ago and now?
I think Mexico has twelve players that really want to play. In Panama you had eight. The Panama team, however, was more athletic.

VICTOR MARISCAL, MEXICO
This win against Puerto Rico in the first game was key for you guys, right?
Yes, of course. This would've been important for any team. We won against a great team like Puerto Rico and this helps us gain confidence for the next game. This is only the beginning.

What inspires you about the words that Coach Richardson has shared with you guys?
Well, our Coach has known what to expect from our team. He's known that our guys are not more than 2m.5 in height, which means that if we run the court, we have the mentality that we can win. And just knowing things will be fine. He told us that Mexico had always played half court � we had never pressured or played with the intensity that he brought. He came in May and I swear the first day we felt different because the trainings were so intense � a lot harder than any other training we've had. His words are also very motivating � making us believe we can truly defeat any team. Even if it's not always like that � knowing that we can lose, get up and keep playing. Our team is young, and has a lot of energy and potential.

What are you telling your teammates in an effort to avoid a situation like the one against Argentina four years ago?
Well, we [Horacio Llamas and I] talk to them a lot to ensure that we don't panic when we're in a situation where a team is 12 points ahead or behind, like today. We tell them to stay calm and think that things will be fine. We try to communicate this because Horacio and I are the veterans in the team and have played several games like that. In fact, last year Mexico was beating Puerto Rico by like 18 points and we lost that game. So we tell them what coach tells us, stay calm, things will be fine, stay confident. I've been a very aggressive player and I don't like losing. But sometimes things workout, other times they don't. Horacio and I don't get angry anymore if we lose because we realized it just won't contribute to anything. That has helped us become friends on and off the court. It has helped us respect each other and enjoy the games we play. So even if you lose, you'll be fine because you worked hard and enjoyed what you did.

MANOLO CINTRON, PUERTO RICO HEAD COACH
On today's game:
Well, we weren't able to deliver when it really mattered. We had 23 turnovers, 17 in the first half, and in the last quarter, when we were finally in control, we lost three balls. We made a good effort but we weren't able to close the deal in the end, and they kept up their consistency in defending the court.

Will a day off help the team recover and move forward?
We don't have a day off until Saturday, we have four consecutive games. We just have to go back to what we were doing at the beginning. We've stopped doing a lot of things offensively. We've been playing fast, but not consistently in our offense and our consistency is definitely one of the most important things we need to get back to. In 24 hours we need to reinvent ourselves and come together � we have a very important game against Panama. I hope we do better tomorrow � we all sometimes play well, and other times play poorly � but as a team we haven't been able to play consistently.

CARLOS ARROYO, PUERTO RICO
Carlos, what can you say about the game?
I think coach said it all. We didn't give ourselves the chance to win the game. We didn't defend, we didn't control the ball � we didn't do the right things to dominate the game. We didn't fill our positions properly and unfortunately, without taking away any credit from Mexico, we just didn't play up to par.

Is there a specific or different team effort applied for every day in the schedule?
Like Manolo said we need to reinvent ourselves. We have to keep trying and we can't put our heads down. We know this is a tournament with a lot of competition and a lot of talent. We know we have to assume more responsibility, looking for the game and not waiting until the last possible moment to begin playing. Tomorrow we play against Panama, I believe, and we are just looking to adjust the system and stay positive.