[Donnie Nelson, Lithuania's assistant coach, was shocked by the progression of this semi-final because none of his players had ever attended an NBA training camp.
Logically, they didn't even have the qualifications to enter the NBA, yet they came together and almost defeated a team composed of the best players in the NBA.
As an American with a deep connection to basketball history, Nelson didn't know whether to hope for success or failure when Jasikevicius took that potential game-winning shot.
Of course, for Americans, it was a victory that felt more like a loss, and many years later, that's how everyone sees it.
In fact, there wasn't much difference between winning and losing; at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, it was an undeniable fact that American basketball was caught up to by the world.
