Ex-Jazz point guard Raul Lopez will play his native Spain, but the Brazilian team of ex-Jazz center Rafael Araujo was eliminated from Olympic contention by Germany in the FIBA tourney's quarterfinal round.

IRAN, IRAN: More than a hundred or so members of the local Iranian community and their supporters chanted, waved flags and made their presence felt Saturday at Salt Lake Community College's Lifetime Activities Center, where Iran's Olympic team opened Revue play with a 79-62 loss to the Dallas Mavericks summer-league team.

Some in the small but vocal crowd even had their faces painted green, red and white in support of the FIBA Asia-champion national team, which will cap a week's worth of pre-Olympic training in America with Monday night's Revue game against the Jazz.

While here, members of the Iranian team also have practiced and scrimmaged in Utah County, visited outlet stores near Park City and even attended the Days of '47 Rodeo at EnergySolutions Arena.

On the court, they pushed the pace but couldn't keep up with the Dallas summer-leaguers — and threw their arms up in frustration when the Mavs were awarded a free throw on an NBA defensive 3-seconds technical foul call that the Iranians and their Serbian coach seemingly did not understand. Security was extra-tight at the junior-college gym, where even those entering through a private media/player/staff entrance were checked for weapons.

Iran played without its injured usual starting point guard and without ill 7-foot-5 center Jaber Rouzbahani — who made himself eligible for, but was not selected in, the 2004 NBA Draft.

It's uncertain if Rouzbahani, who apparently is battling a cold, will play Monday against the Jazz. Next month, Iran will play in Beijing — its first Olympic men's basketball appearance since 1948.

SHOWCASE COMING: The NBA Development League's Jazz-affiliated Utah Flash are expected to announce Monday that they will host the fifth annual NBA D-League Showcase at Utah Valley University's McKay Center in Orem.

The four-day event in January offers exposure for D-League players and coaches to scouts and general managers from franchises throughout the NBA.

---

E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com