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August 19, 2004 2:11 pm

Marion sparks U.S. men's basketball win

By BRYCE MILLER

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - Shawn Marion lacks the recognizability of the Iversons, Duncans and LeBrons on the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team.

But it was Marion's numbers - not his name - that mattered most to the Americans on Thursday.

Marion scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and keyed a second-half surge as the United States beat Australia, 89-79, in a Group B game in front of 12,000 at the Helliniko Indoor Arena.

``It's not about nobody going out there and scoring 35 points a night,'' said Marion, of the Phoenix Suns, who finished 8-for-10 shooting. ``It's not a one-person team or one star on this team.''

Tim Duncan recorded game-highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds, Allen Iverson scored 16, and the Americans improved to 2-1.

The U.S. trailed virtually the entire game until Marion's dunk off a pass from Iverson put the Americans ahead, 61-60, with just under 5 minutes left in the third quarter.

The dunk, one of three Marion had in the game, put a needed hop in the step of his U.S. teammates.

``He had some huge dunks that got us pumped up,'' guard Stephon Marbury said. ``That really picked our defense up.''

The top four teams from each group advance and are seeded for the next round, with the top seed in one group playing the last in the other.

If two teams tie, the higher seed is decided by the head-to-head meeting. If more than two teams tie, a cumulative tournament point differential determines seeds.

Since Puerto Rico stunned the United States by 19 points in the Olympic opener, the Americans will be in shaky position for the top seed if a multi-team knot develops.

Marion, Duncan and Iverson helped the United States put together its strongest effort late in the game and move closer to cleaning up its medal-chasing picture.

``Everything's not clicking yet, but we're headed that way,'' said Duncan, of the San Antonio Spurs. ``It was a great learning experience today, being down, being able to fight back and staying with each other.''

Though the public spotlight fails to shine on Marion as brightly as many of his teammates, his recent NBA credentials stack up with the best.

Marion and league MVP Kevin Garnett were the only players to finish in the top 30 last season in points (19), rebounds (9.3), steals (2.11), blocks (1.32) and minutes (40.6).

``Shawn is an energy player,'' Marbury said. ``Shawn, he's not a guy who's in need of a lot of touches. He makes plays off rebounds, steals - he's active.

``He came off the bench and gave us a big spark.''

In the second half against Australia, Marion barely found the bench at all.

Coach Larry Brown swapped Marion for Richard Jefferson to start the second half. It was the first time an Olympic half has begun for the U.S. without the five of Iverson, Duncan, Marbury, Jefferson and Lamar Odom.

``He's been great for us,'' Duncan said.

Marion played his first two college seasons at Vincennes University in Indiana before attending UNLV.

Now, at his first Olympics, he's beginning to build a name to go with his game.

``If I've got to bring energy, I bring energy. If I've got to bring rebounds, I'll rebound - scoring, or whatever,'' Marion said. ``It's not about the stuff we did in the past, in the NBA. This is a team.''

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Thumbs up

When the United States plays its next Group B game, against Lithuania on Saturday, Iverson said his injured thumb will not be an issue.

Iverson suffered a ``non-displaced fracture of the right thumb'' in the Olympic opener against Puerto Rico.

``It's all right,'' Iverson said. ``I can get through it.''

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