After losing to the USA, 81-101, and Manu Ginobili during the semifinals, Argentina was set to face another contender in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men’s Basketball. Despite losing in the first round to Lithuania, the Argentines gave it their best shot and managed to win 87-75 and taking home the bronze.

When asked about winning the bronze, Sergio Hernandez expressed that he was not disappointed but was actually proud with the achievement of his team. Any coach would have definitely been proud after his team battled and survived against teams like Greece, USA, and Lithuania. The hardest opponent for the balanced team of Argentina would probably be the USA. It was the Americans stiff defense and the turnovers that left the Argentines in defeat.

The game against Lithuania was the only hope that South Americans have in taking home a medal. And it was a dramatic victory for the Manu-less Argentina since they have to play tougher on both ends. In the end, it was their offense that stifled the Lithuanians and sealed them the win.

During the first quarter, Argentine forward Luis Scola took over by tearing down Lithuania’s defense and giving his team the chance to take the lead. And by the next quarter, the Argentineans displayed their 3-point shooting spree. The Lithuanians, on the other hand, were missing a lot of crucial free throws that could have made a difference in their game. Carlos Delfino topped the scoreboards with 20 points and 10 boards. Ramunas Siskauskas and Rimantas Kaukenas dished out 15 and 14 points respectively.

The hard work of the Argentinean team paid off despite the adversities during the final games. The loss was pretty overwhelming for the Lithuanians though because it seemed like the other team wanted the bronze more which showed up to the remaining seconds of the game.