Isiah Thomas arose early to watch the U.S. Olympic team play and he felt as if he had something riding on the game.  In a way, he did.  Stephon Marbury had gotten a pep talk from Isiah earlier.  Marbury had been in a shooting slump, going 2 for 16 on 3-pointers, 6 for 30 overall.

"I told him he was a guy in the N.B.A. who averaged 20 points and 9 assists every night and to remember who he is," Thomas said. "These guys are playing him standing back, letting him shoot. It's an embarrassment and disrespectful to him and where we come from.

"He's better than all those guards. It's like he was in a recreation center and people are backing off him, essentially saying, 'You got no game.' I told him, 'You can't let anybody make you feel that way; in fact, you need to embarrass them for making you feel that way.' "

Marbury responded and had 31 points, the highest total ever for a U.S. basketball player.  He made 10 of 15 shots, 6 of 9 from 3-point range, with 4 assists and 2 steals.

With its back against the wall, the fourth team of American professionals to play in Olympic competition got down and dirty and did the job.

After the game, Marbury cited Thomas' support: "He said, 'Remember who you are: you ain't no buster, you ain't no dude that's out there running around passing and screening.' "