bjtheman1
Bench Warmer
Entering Monday's game against Angola in Istanbul, coach Mike Krzyzewski tried to ensure that his young Team USA understood what it would be up against in the coming days. No longer is the World Championship in the pool-play stage—from now on it's the Final 16 knockout stage, where one bad game can end your chance at the gold.
"The World Championships are different than anything our players see in the pros because it is not a best-of-seven," Krzyzewski said. "It's one shot. It's a 40-minute game instead of 48. You have to be ready to go right away. You can't ease yourself into a game. Sometimes that doesn't work, and when it doesn't work, the teams are of such quality that they can beat you."
Against Angola, though, there was no easing into the game, a positive start in what was expected to be—and in fact was—a blowout win for the Americans. Team USA came out scorching from the field, racing to a 29-9 lead in the first quarter and cruising to a 65-38 edge at halftime before going on to win, 121-66.
Krzyzewski managed to get everyone in the game, and all 12 players scored for Team USA. They were led by Chauncey Billups(notes), who finished with 19 points. Kevin Durant(notes), Eric Gordon(notes) and Rudy Gay(notes) added 17 points each, and the team combined to go 41-for-78 (52.6 percent) from the field and 18-for-38 (47.4 percent) from the 3-point line.
The Angolans advanced to this point on a tiebreaker by virtue of their overtime victory over Germany, but had lost by 50 to Serbia, and 21 apiece to Argentina and Australia.
They were no match for the Americans, who had won the teams' four meetings in the Olympics, starting with a 116-48 romp in the Dream Team's debut in Barcelona in 1992, straight through to a 97-76 victory in Beijing two years ago.
Like those games, the U.S. won the opening tip—for the first time in Istanbul—and scored the first five points. The Americans led 33-13 after one quarter and led 65-33 at halftime.
"This is what we all sacrificed our summers for," Billups said of trying to win the Americans' first world title since 1994. "Right now we're on the right path."
The U.S. will play Russia, which defeated New Zealand 78-56, on Thursday.
"The World Championships are different than anything our players see in the pros because it is not a best-of-seven," Krzyzewski said. "It's one shot. It's a 40-minute game instead of 48. You have to be ready to go right away. You can't ease yourself into a game. Sometimes that doesn't work, and when it doesn't work, the teams are of such quality that they can beat you."
Against Angola, though, there was no easing into the game, a positive start in what was expected to be—and in fact was—a blowout win for the Americans. Team USA came out scorching from the field, racing to a 29-9 lead in the first quarter and cruising to a 65-38 edge at halftime before going on to win, 121-66.
Krzyzewski managed to get everyone in the game, and all 12 players scored for Team USA. They were led by Chauncey Billups(notes), who finished with 19 points. Kevin Durant(notes), Eric Gordon(notes) and Rudy Gay(notes) added 17 points each, and the team combined to go 41-for-78 (52.6 percent) from the field and 18-for-38 (47.4 percent) from the 3-point line.
The Angolans advanced to this point on a tiebreaker by virtue of their overtime victory over Germany, but had lost by 50 to Serbia, and 21 apiece to Argentina and Australia.
They were no match for the Americans, who had won the teams' four meetings in the Olympics, starting with a 116-48 romp in the Dream Team's debut in Barcelona in 1992, straight through to a 97-76 victory in Beijing two years ago.
Like those games, the U.S. won the opening tip—for the first time in Istanbul—and scored the first five points. The Americans led 33-13 after one quarter and led 65-33 at halftime.
"This is what we all sacrificed our summers for," Billups said of trying to win the Americans' first world title since 1994. "Right now we're on the right path."
The U.S. will play Russia, which defeated New Zealand 78-56, on Thursday.
