Lithuania slides by Croatia

Summary: Arvydas Sabonis leads with 20 points but late heroics by 
guard Rimas Kurtinaitis secures a 83-81 double-overtime win

Lithuania got a big hand from an old pro to sneak past favored 
Croatia on Saturday afternoon in a men's basketball game at 
Morehouse College.

But the big hero wasn't NBA players Arvydas Sabonis or Sarunas 
Marciulionis.

Ageless guard Rimas Kurtinaitis took command of the game in the 
second overtime to lead the Lithuanians to an 83-81 win over the 
Toni Kukoc-led Croatians.

Kurtinaitis, 36, scored nine of his 12 points in the second 
overtime after Sabonis, Marciulionis and two other Lithuanians 
fouled out. The winners also lost former Seton Hall forward 
Arturas Karnisovas -- who had 16 points -- to an ankle injury late 
in the second half.

Sabonis, limited to 25 minutes per game by the Trail Blazers, 
played the first 47:44 of the physical game before fouling out. He 
made seven of 11 shots, scored 20 points and pulled down 14 
rebounds to go with two steals and two blocked shots.

Sabonis underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after the Blazers' 
playoff elimination and was wearing an elastic wrap on his right 
knee. He appeared to move well throughout the game and did not 
limp.

But this was a different player than Portland fans watched last 
season.

A player who barely said a word to referees all season, Sabonis 
was almost maniacal in his protest of calls during the game. He 
waved his arms, stamped his feet and flashed painful grimaces -- 
much more animated than any time as a Trail Blazer.

After the game, he refused requests to come to the interview area.

Lithaunia led most of the game but got into trouble late in the 
fourth quarter. Marciulionis, his team leading by two, rushed a 
shot with 27 seconds to play and 20 seconds to go on the shot 
clock. He missed and then committed a silly foul, his fifth, on 
the rebound.

Kukoc made two free throws to send the game into the first 
overtime.

In the second overtime, Kurtinaitis -- whose only brush with the 
NBA was an appearance in an All-Star Weekend three-point shooting 
contest several seasons ago -- made two three-point goals, on one 
of which he was fouled.

"We are a two-man team, Marciulonis and Sabonis," Kurtinaitis said 
after the game. "When they fouled out, I needed to score.

"Shooting three-pointers is my job. It's what I get paid for."

Kukoc, showing no sign of pain from a broken left thumb he 
suffered two weeks ago, scored 33 points and had 11 rebounds.