Dream Team Awakened By Young Stars

The Dream Team lost the first half - and lost it badly.

That was the defining theme of the U.S. Olympic team’s first exhibition game, a 96-90 comeback victory over the U.S. 22-and-under team on Saturday at the Palace at Auburn Hills, Mich.

“That was the best kind of game we could have had to open the exhibition season,” said guard John Stockton.

“They showed us we’re going to have to play. Hopefully, it was a good wake-up call.”

After watching the 22-and-under team strut off the court at halftime with a 17-point lead, the Olympians woke up in the second half in the first stop of their five-game exhibition tour.

It was nothing like what was expected, especially until the midpoint of the second half. The Select Team led for all but one of the first 32 minutes and held a 59-42 halftime lead.

“We caught them off guard and I’m sure they took us too lightly,” Providence’s Austin Croshere said. “We didn’t care if they dunked on us. It was bound to happen anyway.”

But in the second half, Hakeem Olajuwon and Scottie Pippen scored 27 of the Olympic team’s first 29 points to cut the deficit to two, and a 17-7 run ensured that a Dream Team would not lose for the first time.

Pippen led the Olympic team with 17 points, while Olajuwon had 16, Karl Malone 13, David Robinson 12 and Charles Barkley 11. Mitch Richmond and Anfernee Hardaway did not score.

If there actually is a way to beat the Dream Team, the Select Team gave an example of what it will take. They made eight of their first 10 shots, hit six 3-pointers in the first half and shot 63 percent overall in the opening 20 minutes.

Most of the 3-pointers were uncontested as the Dream Team did not seem interested in playing aggressive defense.

“I wasn’t enjoying it but I wouldn’t say I was worried,” Stockton said.

The Dream Team plays the Brazil Olympic team in Cleveland today.

Village opens, few check in

The Olympic city opened its doors to the world Saturday - and hardly anyone came.

The Olympic Village on the campus of Georgia Tech was officially launched with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, but most of the world’s budget-conscious athletic federations chose to wait a few more days before they send their athletes to Atlanta.

“Where is everybody?” a worker at the village department store asked, her voice oozing with disappointment.

For the most part, the athletes were back in their home countries. The daily rate to stay in the Village is $100 per person until July 15, when the athletes can start moving in for free.

The village will be home to most of the 15,000 Olympic officials and athletes when the Games begin July 19. The water polo team and the synchronized swimmers were the only American athletes checking into the village. The were joined later by the South African field hockey team.

Lightning: An unwanted event

Lightning may also be an Olympic-sized event this summer, so forecasters have some mechanical means to make sure the only thing spectators are struck by is the intensity of the games.

From swimming meets to equestrian events, pole vaulting to javelin throwing, anything and anyone could be a live wire for lightning during Georgia’s summer storms.

“Lightning is the biggest concern among Olympics organizers,” said Lans Rothfusz, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service’s Olympic center near Atlanta. “The next is heat. We’ve built our system around that to give us the best lightning information and heat forecasts.”

Notables

The Native American Sports Council has contributed $10,000 for living and training expenses to javelin thrower Todd Riech. The only Native American competing for the United States in the Olympics, he was raised on the Flathead and Kootenai Indian Reservation in Montana. … The IOC will prohibit U.S. broadcasters other than rights-holder NBC from airing news conferences during the Games until 30 minutes after they end. … Cosmas Ndeti, three-time Boston Marathon winner, was selected to run for Kenya in the Olympics but declined because of the heat and humidity. … In Pensacola, Fla., Trisha Venturini and Kristine Lilly scored goals as the U.S. women’s soccer team beat Australia 2-1 in its final tuneup for the Olympics.

In Bowie, Md., Jacque Jones had four hits, including two homers and a double, and drove in four runs as the U.S. Olympic team (22-3) beat South Korea 8-2. Kris Benson, the overall No. 1 pick in last month’s baseball draft by the Pirates, allowed seven hits and two runs over eight innings with 12 strikeouts. … In Hunstville, Ala., Cuba overpowered Nicaragua 12-0 in a pre-Olympic exhibition baseball game.