Argentina 86, Brazil 79 (OT)

August 29, 2007 � Las Vegas, Nevada

After trailing by as many as 17 points, Argentina rallied to stun Brazil in overtime by the final of 86-79.

With Leandro Barbosa on the bench for part of the third quarter and most of the fourth with four fouls, Argentina slowly chipped away at Brazil�s lead. Barbosa wasn�t the only Brazilian who struggled with foul troubles. Tiago Splitter fouled out halfway through the fourth quarter, which opened the floodgates for Argentina�s Luis Scola, who had been bottled up by Splitter until that point.

Scola had seven points and seven rebounds through three quarters, but would finish with a game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds, doing most of his damage once Splitter had fouled out. Paolo Quinteros added 19 points and Carlos Delfino 17 for the winners.

With the win, the Argentines remain undefeated in FIBA Americas 2007 Championship play. If the United States can get past Uruguay in the nightcap, it too will own an unblemished record. The USA and Argentina are set to square off in the Second Round finale on Thursday at 9 p.m. PT.

SERGIO HERNANDEZ, ARGENTINA HEAD COACH
Could you talk about the win and how this helps you prepare for tomorrow's game against the US?
Brazil and Argentina is a classic game, both teams want to win, loose or win we will play in the semi-finals on Saturday. We are the second and third, maybe first team in the tournament. We need to be in 100 percent spirits because the US is a tough team, we have to play together, better than ever and of course we will try win as always. It is nice to beat Brazil the day before we play the US.

Can you talk about the great self-belief in this team?
Argentina has a heart and courage and we don't like to loose. In the first half we forgot to play together as a basketball team. We played so light in the first half. We were mad with the situation, we didn't like that. In the second half they scored three points in a row and we were losing by 17 points and we were crazy. At the time out play the third quarter by six or seven down and we will try and win the last 10 minutes. We didn't want to make crazy shots and pass the ball for the fast break. We needed to score minute-by-minute and play together. Brazil is a special team for us, we played hard and smart.

LEONARDO GUTIERREZ, ARGENTINA
How do you prepare for a strong US team?
We are very well prepared. We are very motivated for a big game tomorrow. We know that it's going to be a hard game and important during the tournament. If tomorrow we get closer to the original goal of making it to the Olympics we will be very proud and will start concentrating on the next game.

ALUISIO FERREIRA, BRAZIL HEAD COACH
How disappointed are you for having a 17-point lead and then losing the game?
I am not disappointed at all because Brazil played a very well game; in fact, the game's statistics show this. For two-point baskets, we both scored nineteen points while we made eleven three-pointers and they only made seven. So in court, Brazil played well to win the game; unfortunately, this game was decided on the free-throw line since they shot almost twice as much as we did.

What are your thoughts about the possibility of having these two teams play again on Saturday's semifinals?
The only expectation for Brazil at this time is Uruguay. We cannot think about anything else, especially since Brazil is still not qualified for the semi-finals. Our only though and word is Uruguay.

How come you rested Barbosa most of the third and some of the forth quarter?
I was not resting Barbosa. He had three fouls and he was being held at that point. That is part of a team, to have additional players to substitute a starting player with three fouls.

MARCELO MAGALHAES MACHADO, BRAZIL
Could this loss affect Brazil for tomorrow's game?
I don't think so. Everyone knows that in a game between Brazil and Argentina, any team can end up winning. We are sad that even though we had a good game, we had to loose because of free-throws. In this tournament, tough, we cannot really worry about past games as we have other games to play tomorrow. We know that if you win against Uruguay tomorrow, we can get third or second place still. I think our thoughts are still the same, to qualify to the Olympic Games.

VALTER APOLINARIO SILVA, BRAZIL
How did you think Brazil did in court today?
I thought our team did well, even on the second half. I just think this game had way too many fouls, and that is how they were able to balance and win this game. I think both teams are equally strong, and it is very difficult to play against a team like Argentina while having a seventeen-point lead. So I think we did play well; they were just lucky to have won because of the fouls.